Manny Pacquiao will soon return to the ring aged 46 to face WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
Manny Pacquiao made his debut months before Mario Barrios was born, and will have to overcome a significant disadvantage in terms of age and inactivity in the upcoming title contest.
Pacquiao‘s last win came six years ago against Keith Thurman, and he has had just one pro fight since, in which Pacquiao lost to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
Ahead of the Barrios fight, which was made when Pacquiao and Barrios met at a basketball game, Pacquiao took a look back at his career, and shared a surprise answer to which fight was his favorite.
Manny Pacquiao holds Marco Antonio Barrera fight above all the rest
In an appearance on the George Janko podcast, Pacquiao was asked what his favorite career fight is.
Pacquiao didn’t mention the obvious choices of Floyd Mayweather, Ricky Hatton, or Oscar De La Hoya, and didn’t even mention an opponent he shared over 40 rounds with in Juan Manuel Marquez.
Instead, Pacquiao said: “Not only one, there’s a lot, but the most important thing is it gave me a door, opened doors here in the United States – the Barrera fight, Barrera 1.”
Pacquiao first faced Barrera in 2003, in what was his fifth outing on US soil, but the biggest by a long way. Barrera was the favorite in the fight, but Pacquiao proved himself to be a rising star on the night.
Pacquiao and Barrera went to war, though Pac-Man was clearly on another level, picking up round after round before securing an 11th round stoppage.
The pair fought again four years later, and Pacquiao won again, this time by unanimous decision.
Manny Pacquiao vs Mario Barrios – The stats
Boxing Record
Manny Pacquiao: 62-8-2 (39 KOs)
Mario Barrios: 29-2-1 (18 KOs)
Height, Weight, Age, Reach
Manny Pacquiao: 5’6″, 146lbs (in last outing), 46, 67″
Mario Barrios: 6’0″, 146.75lbs (in last outing), 30, 71″
Best Wins
Manny Pacquiao: Marco Antonio Barrera, Keith Thurman, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya
Mario Barrios: Yordenis Ugas