Manny Pacquiao’s team is working hard to plan a WBA welterweight title fight with Mario Barrios, and they are feeling very confident about it. Pacquiao’s manager, Sean Gibbons, recently headed to the WBC Conference in Hamburg, Germany, and made it clear that Pacquiao “wants to challenge Barrios.” At 45 years old, Pacquiao’s window for truly competitive action is closing, so Gibbons and company are hoping this fight gets done sooner rather than later. “Manny was just in Dubai,” Gibbons told Boxing Scene, “and 2025 is probably his last year in real competitive boxing, and he was still interested in the Mario Barrios fight, and some people believe that Manny has a real shot in that fight, and that’s the goal to do. “
Barrios, who holds the WBA welterweight belt, has caught the interest of Conor Benn. Benn was recently reinstated after being suspended following a banned substance test back in 2022. Despite that interest, Pacquiao’s team believes Barrios is the best bet for a deal. One of the reasons is that Barrios is backed by Premier Boxing champions Al Haymon, who has worked with Pacquiao many times before. “You can look at Mario Barrios with PBC, Mr. Al Haymon, who finished Manny Pacquiao’s last three or four fights,” explained Gibbons, “and he’s the only one who has stepped up. There has been a lot of talk about doing things, but Al Haymon is the only one who has put his money where his mouth is and being promoted.”
Another factor is time. Pacquiao plans to run for re-election to the Philippine Senate, but he still has a few months free. According to Gibbons, “Manny walked into Vegas [against Lehlo Ledwaba] In other words, if they can’t close out this fight with Barrios, Las Vegas could be the perfect stage for Pacquiao to have one last big run. Gibbons called the next three or four months the “perfect time” to train, giving Pacquiao the preparation he needs for the challenge. serious.
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