Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring against Mario Barrios in a world title challenge at the age of 46.
Manny Pacquiao will return on 2025’s biggest night of boxing against Mario Barrios in what will be his second attempt at a comeback since retiring after his win over Keith Thurman.
Pacquiao is now 46, and has left boxing fans many great memories ahead of what may be his definitively final fight.
From his fights with Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya, to his dominant KO victory over a British icon.
Manny Pacquiao knocked out Ricky Hatton in front of his brother
In 2009, Pacquiao faced Ricky Hatton in a bid for the Brit’s IBO super-lightweight world title.
Hatton had gone ten rounds with Mayweather a few fights ago, and was coming off of a stoppage win over Paulie Malignaggi.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, came off his dominant win over Oscar De La Hoya, and the fight excited boxing fans around the world.
Despite the seemingly even match-up with a 48-3-2 Pacquiao challenging a 45-1 Hatton, the fight was anything but challenging, as Pacquiao dropped Hatton in the first round, and closed the show in the second with a brutal knockout.
The fight is one everyone knows of, but what some may have missed is that Hatton’s brother was forced to witness him get knocked out in the main event, after fighting on the undercard himself.
36-4-1 Matthew Hatton faced 39-11-4 Ernesto Zepeda, and won by unanimous decision just hours before his brother was flattened in front of his eyes.
Ricky Hatton, who recently announced his comeback, had just one fight after the Pacquiao loss, whilst his brother Matthew fought on, retiring in 2013 with a record of 43-7-2.
Ricky Hatton’s brother took Canelo Alvarez the distance
Back in 2011, with a record of 35-0-1, Canelo Alvarez challenged 41-4-2 Matthew for the vacant WBC super-welterweight title.
Though Hatton lost a wide points decision, he became one of Canelo’s only British challengers to go the distance with him.
The others were:
- Callum Smith – 2020
- John Ryder – 2023 – Ryder knocked down in round five.