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World Boxing News understands Manny Pacquiao aims to defend the WBC welterweight title in the Philippines if successful against Mario Barrios.
Pacquiao will announce his boxing match with Barrios in the coming days after losing out in a bid to return to the Senate on May 12. The Pac-Man hopes to break his oldest welterweight champion in history record by six years when challenging Barrios for the title on July 19.
A Pacquiao victory extends the boxing legend’s legacy and puts the 46-year-old ahead of George Foreman on the all-time list of aged champions. Only Bernard Hopkins would be above Pacquiao after his title win at 49.
After appearing in a video with WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, the former politician would look for a homecoming in the fall.
Sulaiman stated Pacquiao would be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ on October 1 with ‘something special’ lined up.
Pacquiao clutched the WBC title he hopes to win in the clip, leading to a potential championship bout in Manila on October 4.
In preparation for his record-breaking feat, the eight-weight world champion entered the WBC rankings at number five. Pacquiao vs. Barrios heads to the T-Mobile Arena in the summer in a doubleheader with a Sebastian Fundora vs. Tim Tszyu rematch.
Barrios is a winnable fight despite a four-year layoff during which Pacquiao fought in exhibitions and didn’t look good.
If he can pull off the unexpected, a first event in the Philippines since a 2006 win over Oscar Larios becomes possible.
The 1975 ‘Thrilla in Manila’ saw Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali battle for the heavyweight championship. It was the third installment of one of the greatest trilogies in boxing history.
The Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City hosted the event at the height of martial law under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. WBC heavyweight champion Ali defended his crown on the night in intense heat, adding to the brutality of the contest.
Frazier’s manager, Eddie Futch, stopped the fight after 14 grueling rounds. Despite being declared the winner, Ali admitted he was also exhausted at the time.
Half a century after Ali vs. Frazier III, Pacquiao hopes to emulate staging a WBC title bout in the country, adding to former promoter Bob Arum’s wishes.
Arum recently confirmed he wanted to stage a rematch between Emanuel Navarrete and Charly Suarez on the same weekend. However, it is unknown whether Arum would be willing to share the date with his ex-fighter.
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Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay and learn more about the author, an experienced boxing writer and World Boxing News Editor since 2010.
