Manny Pacquiao and Wladimir Klitschko’s potential comebacks, Robeisy Ramirez quitting, and Teofimo Lopez vs. Jaron Ennis

In this week’s mailbag, we tackle the possibility that Manny Pacquiao will get back in the ring for a fight with welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios; the rumors that Wladimir Klitschko could do the same for a shot at a heavyweight title; whether Robeisy Ramirez made the right in choice in calling it a night in his rematch with Rafael Espinoza; and the talks of lineal junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez moving up to 147 to challenge Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

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WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO SHOULDN’T COME BACK

Kieran Mulvaney’s response: I both agree with and differ from your opinion. I agree that we don’t need to see Wladimir Klitschko in the ring again. I would have thought Mike Tyson’s execrable performance the other week would have put paid to anyone’s interest in seeing aged former champions in the ring.

I differ from you in a couple of ways. 

First, I doubt that Wladimir is solely motivated by Turki’s millions, at least not for himself. If money was his overwhelming motivation in life, then he’d probably still be kicking back in Los Angeles instead of being in Kiev helping fight off invaders. So if he is even considering it, then there are likely other factors involved, including ego and probably the desire to generate publicity and support for Ukraine.

I also disagree that the concern is “Wlad’s boring style.” The concern is a 49-year-old being hit by a young buck like Daniel Dubois. That’s a terrible idea, and I hope everyone who has been so desperate to suck the chrome off Turki’s tailpipe gives him the excoriation he will deserve if he continues to push for this and it comes to pass. 

NO MANNY PACQUIAO RETURN EITHER, EVEN AGAINST MARIO BARRIOS

I wouldn’t like to see Manny Pacquiao lose to Mario Barrios. Having said that, Barrios is not very good, but he has a big heart and no fear, and I respect him. If it’s a version of Manny Pacquiao who is pretty past it but has a bit left, as he was against Yordenis Ugas, I’d say he has a chance against Barrios. But if it’s the few rounds Pacquiao displayed in the exhibition this year against Rukiya Anpo, then Pacquiao’s chances are not good.

Lucas Ketelle’s response: Watching your favorite fighter get pummeled is like watching your dad lose a bar fight – it’s embarrassing, heartbreaking and just plain hard to watch. But let’s not kid ourselves: The idea of Manny Pacquiao stepping in with Mario Barrios has a certain charm that’s tough to ignore.

Pacquiao isn’t just some retired legend soaking up applause on a farewell tour. He’s a future Hall of Famer. In fact, a 2025 inductee. Barrios, on the other hand, is coming off a draw with Abel Ramos, a bout many thought Barrios won, though not without flashing a few vulnerabilities. 

As cutman Mike Rodriguez so perfectly put it: “The devil is in the details.” Will Pacquiao’s next time in the ring be a feel-good exhibition for us old-school fans to soak up the nostalgia, or will Pacquiao, like Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman, decide that his mid-40s is the perfect age to chase a belt?

Then there’s the money side of things, because of course there is. Pacquiao prints cash every time he laces up gloves, making him an infinitely safer bet for Barrios than Conor Benn, who brings more risk and less reward. Let’s face it: Barrios’ team would be foolish to pass on the Pacquiao lottery ticket if it’s offered.

The bigger issue? This fight could either revive the welterweight division or, more likely, add another layer of gridlock to a weight class that has felt stuck in quicksand ever since Terence Crawford and Errol Spence fought.

WAS ROBEISY RAMIREZ RIGHT TO QUIT AGAINST RAFAEL ESPINOZA?

Sometimes guys aren’t faking it. For me, this is one of those times. Something happened in there, and Robeisy Ramirez couldn’t see. Clearly Rafael Espinoza’s jab landed, but no one would just throw up their hands and immediately quit after taking a jab. Something happened before. It’s disappointing, but shit happens.

David Greisman’s response: The debate about what happened to Robeisy Ramirez in his rematch with Rafael Espinoza reminds me of when boxing fans were of two wholly separate, wholly confident minds as to whether Daniel Dubois veered below the belt against Oleksandr Usyk.

The debate after Espinoza-Ramirez II isn’t necessary. Whether any of the elbows or forearms Espinoza threw landed — and whether it was elbows or punches that were the cause of Ramirez’s injuries — truly doesn’t matter in the long run.

The truth is that Ramirez was having trouble seeing.

The truth is that Ramirez suffered a fractured orbital bone.

The truth is that he quit, sure.

Yet the truth is that it was a good choice to quit.

And the truth is that Eric Raskin’s column this week on BoxingScene (“One quit is not the end”) goes into much of this with more depth, and better insight, than I can provide in this mailbag. No matter where you fall in the debate, Eric’s perspective is a worthwhile read. 

As for Ramirez, he now has taken two straight losses to Espinoza, but I think he’ll be back in the title picture soon. Espinoza is expected to move up to 130 soon. When that happens, the WBO belt will be left vacant. Top Rank has other featherweights in the WBO’s rankings, including Bruce Carrington (rated second as of mid-November) and Arnold Khegai (rated third). They’ll get their opportunities soon, for sure. But I don’t imagine that the promoter is out of the Robeisy Ramirez just yet.

THOUGHTS ON TEOFIMO LOPEZ MOVING TO 147 TO FACE JARON “BOOTS” ENNIS

I’m really not sure about Teofimo Lopez at welterweight. Shouldn’t he test the water first at 147 before going in against a big and powerful Jaron “Boots” Ennis? Unless Lopez is just looking for a big payday before retiring. I know Boots didn’t look that great in his last outing, the rematch win over Karen Chukhadzhian, but I still think he will be a big favorite against the unstable Lopez. 

Owen Lewis’ response: During the Devin Haney-Ryan Garcia fight week in April, there was some oh-so-brief talk about Haney facing off with Jaron “Boots” Ennis. “What are people talking about?” I thought at the time. “Boots whacks him out…right?” 

Haney wasn’t a particularly big puncher and didn’t have a brilliant chin when he was at 135. The Garcia fight was at 140, and I couldn’t see how Haney would develop either of those assets at 147. Then Garcia, who blew past the junior welterweight limit and had a banned substance in his system, ended the Boots-Haney talk with his left hook.

I bring this up to say that I agree with you. Not every fighter who had a good run at lightweight is Roberto Duran, capable of flying up weight classes to stun one of the reigning kings at welterweight. Despite Teofimo Lopez’s vaunted power, he has scored just two knockouts in his last nine fights. The fire in his fists hasn’t been burning bright at 140, so I struggle to see how it would ignite anew at 147 – and besides, Ennis has quite a chin on him.

Still, far be it from me to discourage Lopez from seeking this bout. Like you, I’d make him a sizable underdog, but he’d surely be Ennis’s most accomplished opponent yet, even if he doesn’t have any welterweight credentials yet. I think this fight would raise Ennis’s public profile, too, maybe helping build him a fanbase outside Philly. (To your point about Lopez possibly looking for a payday before retirement, Boots would be a less lucrative opponent than Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Garcia or Haney, so I don’t think that’s Lopez’s motive.)

All that said, if the fight happens, I’ve got Boots by KO. Just spare us the virulent racism you’ve been spouting lately, Teofimo.

Want to be featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.