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just a number. He moved and fought like someone much younger, and his performance was truly impressive. On my scorecard, he definitely won the fight. As much as I love seeing him in the ring, I do think it might be the perfect time for him to enjoy a well- deserved retirement. Watching Manny Pacquiao step back into the ring at 46 felt like witnessing time fold in on itself. It wasn’t just nostalgia – it was a reminder that legends age, but greatness doesn’t. He didn’t move like a man chasing lost youth. He moved like a man reminding us who he is — a storm in human form. The speed? Still there. The angles? Unpredictable as he’s always been. The footwork? Like jazz – smooth, rhythmic. David Young Sure, the reflexes and punching power may have dipped a notch, but the intent behind every punch carried the weight of a thousand wars fought in silence. This wasn’t a comeback. It was a statement. That boxing isn’t done with Manny Pacquiao. Because Manny Pacquiao isn’t done with boxing. Hesham Alnasser I wasn’t expecting too much from Manny at 46 and after his exhibition fights, where his balance and timing were off, but he really surprised me. His balance was good and there were bursts of some classic Manny combos. His defense struggled a bit with the jab, but I believe he did enough to win the fight by one or two rounds. All in all, a great performance for someone 46 who hadn’t boxed properly for four years. There will never be another Manny Pacquiao. Chris Dane Write To The Ring! Email comeoutwriting@gmail.com or use this address: P.O. Box 90254, Brooklyn, NY 11209
happen is Pacquiao vs. Mayweather 2. It would be the ultimate bout for Pacquiao to truly chase history – and maybe finally settle the debate on who the real GOAT of boxing is in this generation. Erick Baldo This is Ron, 28, from the Philippines. Ever since I was a child, I watched Pacquiao fight during his glory days until past his prime. I even rewatched Pacquiao’s notable wins recently. Those wins against big names in boxing, those controversial losses during the later part of his career – but win or lose, we always believed in him. Before Pacquiao had a fight, that day was like a holiday in our country; all of the people watched him fight on television, no traffic and no crime. Like then and until now, we – and I personally – wanted Pacquiao to win the fight against Barrios. But as I watched the fight, Pacquiao was [not] the same. Not much power, no more speed, not much footwork, no more jab-combinations like when he fought in his glory days. Father Time really got him. Sad to say, I think Pacquiao should retire for good. Maybe he can still fight and can win against unrated boxers, but I think he has a small chance and I doubt that he can compete for a world title against the champions at welterweight. For me, Pacquiao has nothing to prove. The only eight-division world champion in boxing history. I believe no one will beat that record for a long time. Maybe in the future someone will, but maybe never. Ron Mark Grande I grew up in the Philippines during the ’90s, wherein you only had basketball, boxing and billiards to watch on network TV. I remember seeing Manny Pacquiao during my high school days, and my brother and I cracked up watching him. He was like Wolverine from an arcade game we used to play. Pacquiao was all over his opponent. He punched fast, wild and he didn’t care.
It was his brawling style that left an indelible mark on my mind. Fast-forward to 2003, I got reacquainted again with Pacquiao when he broke Marco Antonio Barrera in 11 rounds. He was still the same boxer as in my teenage years. After that, I hardly missed any Pacquiao fight, up to his retirement in 2021. It felt surreal to see Pacquiao again in 2025. As the match progressed, I realized that there were still some flashes that brought back memories of the Pacquiao of my high school days, but one cannot deny that like everybody else, time has caught up with him. Pacquiao’s last hurrah is on borrowed time. The wild old days of PacMan are coming to an end, but his memories will live on for guys who grew old together with him. Rensi Rosales As a 53-year-old male, seeing Manny return to the ring after a four- year hiatus, I felt inspired. I thought his timing was a little off, but I commend his effort. As a volume puncher, the legend was not able to maintain his usual momentum, and reaction time seemed to be slightly diminished. With that being said, his mindset is probably what can see him through if he were to continue with another bout. Jeff McIntosh The early rounds saw a more vintage version of Pacquiao and, in my eyes at least, a massive improvement from the sluggish version who lost a decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021. Don’t get me wrong, Pacquiao looked great for 46 and I think he proved a lot of people wrong, but not without some areas to critique. I mean, boxing’s only eight-division world champion showed us all he still has something left, but there’s no denying Father Time appeared to have his way with Pacquiao, as he slowed down by the mid to late rounds. But again, isn’t that expected of an inactive 46-year-old former champ? From an entertainment and nostalgia perspective, I would love to see Manny Pacquiao back in the ring. I am sure the majority of fight fans would like to see
him return as well. Manny transcends boxing. He’s a cultural icon, a man who has an entire country behind him and a fighter with much left in the tank after watching that performance. However from an actual fighting standpoint, as good as his performance was, I’m still wary of what’s next. Sebastian Milo I consider Barrios the lightest touch of all the champions at welterweight. The easiest option for any contender. I believe Manny edged the fight, which is an indictment of Barrios. He will go home knowing he doesn’t deserve to be the champion. The WBC chose to entertain this farce in sanctioning a 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao after a four-year layoff. It’s a circus. Olubusayo Igbekele It was nostalgic to see Manny Pacquiao returning after four years out and at the age of 46. All the memories of watching PacMan destroy opponents came flooding back. The performance I thought was really incredible, considering the circumstances. He fought hard for 12 rounds and never gassed out. I was concerned about seeing him get hurt, and he did take some shots, but I don’t think he was ever in trouble. I think the draw was a fair result. There were a lot of close rounds, and Mario Barrios didn’t really push to win the fight, mainly keeping Pacquiao at bay with the jab. Sometimes it was sad to see, knowing that in his prime Manny would take an opponent of this caliber apart quickly. But I think he put up a good fight at world-title level, to many people’s surprise, so who are we to tell him whether he should or shouldn’t be fighting? I think if he is to carry on fighting, Rolly Romero could be a good fight next. Matt Bradbury I was thrilled to see Manny Pacquiao return to the ring at age 46, and I have to say, he looked incredible. Even though I was a bit worried going into the fight, he really proved that age is
On July 19, Manny Pacquiao returned to the ring at age 46 for a shot at Mario Barrios’ WBC welterweight title, with the fight ending in a draw. We asked readers to give their thoughts on the performance and share some memories from the Filipino legend’s epic (and still unfolding) career.
D uring the height of his career, Manny was one of those fighters who, despite the early (or late, depending on how you look at it) timing for U.K. fight fans, you would make an event out of staying up until 5 a.m. to watch. Unless he was fighting his main rival of the time – and my favorite boxer of that era – Juan Manuel Marquez, I’d be up, awake and full of beans to cheer the PacMan on! So when Pacquiao announced a comeback fight, I was apprehensive but also excited to relive those early-morning viewings of an all-time great, and while it was harder to do than back in the day, I was up and awake and in awe of what Manny was doing. He put up a great performance that not only he himself could be proud of, but one that all of his fans across the globe could be inspired by, especially for those of us who are a little bit older now and looking for a return to our own glory days. Way to go, Manny, doing it for the old guys! Thanks for another great memory, champ. Tony Little Pacquiao at age 46 looked good but not great, as his agility and speed have deteriorated compared to the historic fights he delivered
– vs. Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez. He had ring rust from not fighting since 2021. Manny can achieve another title at his age. A rematch against Barrios or [a challenge to] Rolly Romero can be an option. Fans want more of Pacquiao, the one and only, the greatest of all time. Liber Yasser During his fight with Yordenis Ugás in 2021, I realized Pacquiao was no longer the same fighter who once dominated the ring. Even before the final decision, I already felt that Pac was losing the match. However, versus Barrios, I saw glimpses of the old Manny Pacquiao, especially with the color of his trunks, the same ones he wore during his first U.S. fight. As the challenger, he was the more aggressive fighter. Although Barrios landed some solid jabs and counters, I believe Pacquiao should have won the fight. That level of aggression from rounds 1 to 12 isn’t something you often see, especially from a 46-year-old fighter. I wasn’t expecting that kind of performance from Manny. The question now is: Who will he fight next? If I were to choose, the fight that should really
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