(Reuters) – Manny Pacquiao will come out of retirement to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19 in Las Vegas, ESPN reported on Thursday, citing sources.
The 46-year-old Filipino southpaw won world championships in a record eight weight divisions from flyweight to super welterweight. He retired in 2021 after a 72-fight career during which he had 62 wins, eight losses and two draws.
A Filipino senator from 2016 to 2022, Pacquiao ran for president in 2022 and is currently in a race for the Senate, with the election scheduled for May 12.
Pacquiao, whose fast footwork and blistering speed of punches made him one of the top offensive fighters in the sport’s history, is set to be inducted into the International Hall of Fame next month.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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