Manny Pacquiao will attempt to defy a lot of people’s beliefs when he steps back into the ring after an extended retirement.
The eight-weight world champion is preparing for a comeback to the ring at the ripe old age of 46.
Manny Pacquiao will box for the first time in four years when he takes on Mario Barrios on July 19, with the Mexican-American’s WBC Welterweight title on the line.
Pacquiao earned a title shot thanks to a bizarre WBC rule, and a win would see him achieve something no Boxing Hall of Famer has ever achieved before.
Manny Pacquiao could become the first Boxing Hall of Famer to win a world title
If he does shock the world and win the WBC Welterweight title on July 19, Pacquiao will become the first Hall of Fame boxer to win a belt after his retirement.
The eight-weight champion was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on June 8th, honoring his incredible career inside the ring.
As a 12-time world champion in eight different weight classes who has won titles in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s, Pacquiao’s achievements are unmatched
However, he can outdo all the other Hall of Famers by winning a world title just one month after his induction.
That is something that has never been done before, as most boxers are long retired when they receive their Hall of Fame nod.
Five boxers have come out of retirement after being inducted, although none of them won titles during their short comebacks. Those fighters are:
- Alexis Arguello (Inducted in 1994)
- Sugar Ray Leonard (Inducted in 1997)
- Virgil Hill (Inducted in 2012)
- Jeff Fenech (Inducted in 2002)
- Azumah Nelson (2004)
All these men boxed after their Hall of Fame induction, but none managed what Pacquiao can do on July 19.
However, there have been older world champions than Manny Pacquiao if he beats Mario Barrios
At 46, Pacquiao will become the oldest Welterweight champion in boxing history if he beats Barrios in his comeback fight.
However, he still has some years before he has the all-time record.
Boxing legend Bernard Hopkins has that honor, holding the IBF Light Heavyweight championship at 49 years old.
He won the title from Tavoris Cloud in March 2023 at the age of 48, holding the title for over a year and through two title defenses, while picking up the WBA and IBA belts along the way.
While it is unlikely that Pacquiao can win the title and hold it for three years to beat Hopkins’ record, you can never rule out PacMan in the boxing ring.