Sugar Ray Leonard shares advice for Manny Pacquiao for his first comeback fight in 4 years
Image composite: File (AP)
Manny Pacquiao is officially back. At 46, the boxing legend is stepping out of retirement to fight WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, confirming his return on Instagram with the words:
'I'm back. On July 19, I return to the ring to face WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Let's make history!'
The bout marks Pacquiao's first official return since his 2021 loss to Yordenis Ugas.
And though his decision to fight again has stirred skepticism due to his age and time away from the sport, boxing icon Sugar Ray Leonard is throwing his support behind him.
'Maybe he knows what's right' —Sugar Ray Leonard supports Pacquiao's return
In an exclusive interview with TMZ Sports, Leonard made it clear he's all in on Pacquiao's comeback:
'There's not one thing that will really make people understand why we do what we do,' Leonard told TMZ. 'But, you know what, God bless, stay healthy, and take care.'
Leonard, who famously unretired multiple times and returned to the ring at age 40 for a final bout with Héctor Camacho, understands the draw of a comeback:
'I've made more comebacks than everybody,' he said. 'I hold the record, undisputed.'
He added that boxers don't often consider how 'absurd' it may seem to outsiders:
'We don't think about how absurd it is. We don't think that way. Most boxers don't. I wish I had. But no one could change my mind.
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I was ready to get back in the ring.'
The fight beyond the fight
Speaking with Fight Hub TV, Leonard explained that comebacks aren't just physical, they're mental wars:
'When I returned, I didn't realize I'd been out of the ring for five years,' he said. 'You have to get used to taking punches. You have to get used to training that hard again. It's a lot of things, it's more mental, more psychological than physical.'
Leonard urged that motivation needs to run deeper than ego or nostalgia:
'Do I question him? No.
Maybe he knows how to do it. Maybe he knows what's right.'
His advice to Pacquiao carries quiet urgency: if he's going to return, it can't be for the past, it has to be for the future.
Pacquiao's career, his legacy, and the opponent ahead
Pacquiao, who served as a senator in the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 and ran for president in 2022, hasn't fought professionally since his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in 2021. He did, however, participate in a 2024 exhibition bout against kickboxer Rukiya Anpo at Super Rizin 3.
Now, he's set to face 30-year-old Mario Barrios, a Mexican-American fighter with a record of 29 wins (18 by KO) and 3 losses. Barrios won the interim WBC welterweight title in 2023 by outpointing Ugas and was promoted to full champion in 2024 after Terence Crawford moved up in weight.
Pacquiao enters the ring with a legendary resume:
72 total fights
62 wins, 8 losses, 2 draws
39 wins by knockout
The only boxer to win world titles in eight weight divisions
The oldest welterweight champion in history at age 40 in 2019
Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (Class of 2025)
Fight night details
Main Event: Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios (WBC Welterweight Title)
Date: July 19, 2025
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
(Originally scheduled for T-Mobile Arena but moved due to a Lady Gaga concert)
Co-Main Event: A rematch between Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu.
The two first fought in March 2024, with Fundora winning via split decision in an upset after replacing an injured Keith Thurman.
What's at stake
Pacquiao isn't just fighting a younger champion, he's confronting the march of time and the burden of legacy. As Leonard said, the return isn't about reliving the past; it's about finding a new reason to fight. On July 19, the world will find out whether Manny still has that fire.
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