The WBC has entered Manny Pacquiao into their welterweight rankings in a big step towards sanctioning a world title fight for the Filipino legend.
Pacquiao, who hasn’t stepped foot in a professional ring since August 2021, when he was beaten on points by Yordenis Ugas, now occupies the No.5 spot in the 147lbs division.
The latest development comes after WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman gave 46-year-old Pacquiao the green light to box 29-year-old WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in July.
Speaking to Boxing King Media last week, Sualaiman said: “At this time, Mario Barrios is going to fight Manny Pacquiao in July.
“That’s a tremendous fight. Manny Pacquiao’s first [world] title was at flyweight, with the WBC.
“And [now] he wants to retire as the WBC champion, so he’s fighting in the welterweight division.”
According to reports, the fight is being targeted for July 19 in Las Vegas.
The only issue holding it back was that Pacquiao had not been ranked by the WBC at the time of Sulaiman’s statement.
However, the major sanctioning body has swiftly cleared that obstacle.
The decision won’t have gone down well with talkSPORT pundit Spencer Oliver, who has been left bewildered by Pacquiao’s comeback.
“Pacquiao looked a shell of his former self in his last fight against Ugas,” he said.
“He has had a long career and turned pro in 1995, he’s a great, but he’s coming back now.
He will face Barrios for the WBC welterweight title in JulyGETTY“But the biggest disgrace of this is that the WBC are sanctioning the fight for a world title, which is just wrong.
“I think it’s a young man’s sport, the inactivity and way he performed in his last fight. I don’t like it.
“Let’s just leave it there. But the governing bodies should only sanction fights if they are in the top fifteen.
“He’s been retired for four years, so how does that warrant him jumping the queue and fighting Barrios?
“It’s wrong in so many ways. The system is broken with the WBC allowing that to happen.”
A fight between Pacquiao and Barrios was being explored last year.
The WBC has entered Pacquiao into their welterweight rankings at No.5GETTYHowever, talks cooled after Pacquiao’s exhibition bout against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo last July.
‘Pacman’ looked every one of his 46 years as he was battered from pillar to post by the boxing debutant.
Despite this, Pacquiao still believes he has what it takes to hang with the divisional elite.
“I made history at 40 beating Keith Thurman, and I feel at 45, I have a lot left in the game as I haven’t taken a lot of punishment over the last few years,” Pacquiao told ESPN last year of a potential fight with Barrios.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Manny Pacquiao enters boxing rankings despite four-year hiatus as world title shot looms )
Also on site :
- Bomb alert on Ryanair plane carrying 170 passengers as holiday flight lands in Belgium & ‘cordon set up’
- Relatable Paris Fury gives look at life as mum-of-seven & it’s stark contrast to Meghan Markle post on ‘juggling it all’
- Iconic department chain to shut final store this MONTH & vanish forever as it launches ‘Rachel Reeves closing down sale’