Manny Pacquiao is resolute in his quest to capture a welterweight title for a record sixth time, focusing his efforts on WBC champion Mario Barrios. Despite the intricate financial negotiations involved, Pacquiao's determination to reaffirm his status as the greatest 147-pounder in history remains undeterred.
"That's why he's boxing's only eight-division champion," Pacquiao's advisor Sean Gibbons said. Gibbons also provided updates on the ongoing negotiations to arrange a welterweight title bout against Barrios.
At 45, Pacquiao is already two weeks into a pre-training-camp conditioning phase in the Philippines. He has commenced meetings with Gibbons to expedite the arrangement of the Barrios fight. Targeting a venue in Las Vegas for October or November, the bout is expected to be broadcast by Premier Boxing Champions on Amazon Prime Video, unless unexpected involvement from Saudi Arabia alters these plans. While financial details are still being ironed out, the momentum for this bout is steadily building.
On Tuesday, the WBC officially elevated Barrios to welterweight titleholder following his interim-title victory over Fabian Maidana on March 30. This elevation came after undisputed champion Terence Crawford moved up to 154 pounds to challenge Israil Madrimov for the WBA junior middleweight title on August 3 in Los Angeles.
Gibbons expressed excitement about the potential bout, reflecting on Pacquiao's long history with the WBC:
"Can you imagine him winning another one all these years later? It's so crazy how life goes full circle." He added that fans are eager to see Pacquiao fight again, especially after his controversial loss to Yordenis Ugas in 2021. According to Gibbons, Pacquiao has shown the speed and agility reminiscent of his prime, and even at 80 percent, he believes Pacquiao can outperform most fighters today.
Read more about Pacquiao vs. Suzuki planned fight by clicking here.
Image Credit: ESPN