Manny Pacquiao Ready To Return Against Mario Barrios

If Tom Brady can thrive at 45, Manny Pacquiao believes he can, too.

Confirming a report published earlier Saturday on ESPN.com, two boxing officials connected to the deal told BoxingScene that eight-division-champion Pacquiao is in “serious negotiations” to stage his first bout in three years by fighting for the WBC welterweight belt against Mario Barrios.

The likely date will be in September at either MGM Grand or T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Texas’ Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) claimed the WBC interim title on May 4 by scoring a unanimous-decision victory over Fabian Maidana, knocking Maidana down in the third round.

Barrios, a former 140-pound champion for the WBA, is expected to be elevated to full WBC welterweight champion after the sanctioning body recently named unbeaten Terence Crawford the division’s champion in recess as he prepares for his 154-pound title fight Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.

Barrios has struggled against his highest-profile opponents. He was stopped by Gervonta Davis in the 11th round in June 2021, losing his belt, then was defeated by unanimous decision against former welterweight champion Keith Thurman eight months later.

However, Barrios dominated Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas last year, knocking him down twice.

Pacquiao, in his most recent fight, in August 2021, was edged on the scorecards by Ugas via unanimous decision.

Pacquiao told BoxingScene earlier this week he was looking forward to finalizing what he called a “real fight” as he completed an agreement to stage an exhibition bout in Japan.

He was originally intrigued in fighting for Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh after crossing paths with welterweight contender Conor Benn in Riyadh earlier this year, but Benn remains sidelined by positive drug tests.

So Pacquiao and Premier Boxing Champions reconnected after doing the Ugas bout and others, and the promotion feels “without a doubt” that Pacquiao can appear as a sharp, experienced fighter capable of claiming a welterweight belt for a staggering fifth time.

Pacquiao manager Sean Gibbons told BoxingScene he plans to visit the fighter in his native Philippines by June 17 “and hope we can come to an agreement.”

Barrios, according to a PBC official, “is all in” to make the bout that would give PBC a strong lineup of cards on Amazon Prime Video starting with the June 15 card headlined by Davis and light-heavyweight David Benavidez in the co-main, and stretching to the October card headlined by the junior-middleweight title fight between champion Sebastian Fundora and former welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.