Manny Pacquiao is returning to the ring in five days against Mario Barrios in his first fight since 2021.
Manny Pacquiao vs Mario Barrios will top 2025’s biggest night of boxing as the Filipino legend returns in what may be his final fight ever after a 30-year career.
When retirement does eventually come, Pacquiao will be able to look back on some of the greatest nights of boxing, from his blockbuster bouts with Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather, and Oscar De La Hoya, who Pac-Man retired, to his early knockout streaks before he was a household name.
One thrilling knockout came in 2004, just before his trilogy with Erik Morales.
Manny Pacquiao dropped and stopped 44-7-1 Narongrit Pirang
Narongrit Pirang, better known by his chosen fighting name ‘3K-Battery’, faced Pacquiao in 2004 after Pac-Man drew with Juan Manuel Marquez in their first encounter.
3K Battery had a record of 44-7-1, with four of those losses coming in his first four fights. Before facing Pacquiao, 3K Battery had just one loss in the past nine years, which came in a world title elimination bout.
Pacquiao was 38-2-2 at the time, but proved his level as he dropped his countryman opponent once in the first round, once in the second round, and twice in the fourth round, to secure a big stoppage win over a durable opponent.
With the win, Pacquiao earned the #2 spot in the IBF world title elimination bout.
3K Battery fought on after the loss and retired in 2009 with a record of 58-10-2.
Manny Pacquiao began boxing before Mario Barrios was born
Pacquiao’s next opponent is Mario Barrios, who was born months after Pacquiao began boxing.
Here is a timeline of key moments in Pacquiao’s career, and how old Barrios was at the time:
| Pacquiao begins boxing in January 1995. | Barrios was not born until months later in May. |
| Pacquiao wins his first world title. | Barrios was 3 years old. |
| Pacquiao becomes a three-weight world champion. | Barrios was 12 years old. |
| Pacquiao’s extremely controversial loss to Tim Bradley. | Barrios was 16 years old. He made his boxing debut one year later. |
| Pacquiao fights Floyd Mayweather. | Barrios was 19 years old. He is now 8-0 as a pro. |
| Pacquiao loses his comeback fight to Yordenis Ugas. | Barrios is 26-1 as a fighter, he lost to Gervonta Davis two months before Pacquiao Ugas. |