Will Pacquiao fight Barrios? – Boxing News 24

Manny Pacquiao’s team is working hard to put together a WBA welterweight title fight against Mario Barrios, and they feel pretty confident about it. Pacquiao’s manager, Sean Gibbons, recently went to the WBC Convention in Hamburg, Germany, and made it very clear that Pacquiao “wants to challenge Barrios.” At 45, Pacquiao’s window for truly competitive action is closing, so Gibbons and company are hoping to get this fight done as soon as possible. “Manny was just in Dubai,” Gibbons told Boxing Scene, “and 2025 is probably his last year of real competitive boxing, and he would still like the Mario Barrios fight, and some people believe that Manny really has a possibilities in that meeting, and this was the objective to be achieved.

Barrios, who currently holds the WBA welterweight belt, has also attracted the interest of Conor Benn. Benn was recently reinstated after a suspension following a positive test for banned substances in 2022. Despite that interest, Pacquiao’s team believes Barrios is their best bet for a deal. One reason is that Barrios is backed by Premier Boxing Champions and Al Haymon, who have worked with Pacquiao several times in the past. “You would see Mario Barrios be with PBC, Mr. Al Haymon, who did Manny Pacquiao’s last three or four fights,” Gibbons explained, “and he’s the only one who stepped up. There was a lot of talk about doing something, but Al Haymon is the only one who has put his money where his mouth is and promotions.

Another factor is timing. Pacquiao would like to run for re-election to the Philippine Senate, but he still has a few months to spare. According to Gibbons, “Manny came to Las Vegas [against Lehlo Ledwaba] can go out in Las Vegas. In other words, if they can lock up this fight with Barrios, Las Vegas would be the perfect stage for Pacquiao to have one last big run. Gibbons called the next three to four months a “perfect time” to train, giving Pacquiao the preparation he needs for a serious challenge.