Manny Pacquiao ‘hungry' for comeback after four-year layoff
Manny Pacquiao arrives to train at Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles, on June 25. PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES – Manny Pacquiao said on June 25 that his lengthy layoff from boxing has reignited his passion for the sport, as he prepares for his world welterweight title comeback against Mario Barrios in July.
The 46-year-old Filipino boxing icon faces World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Barrios in Las Vegas on July 19, four years after his last fight ended in defeat.
Pacquiao has reunited with long-time veteran trainer Freddie Roach for next month's title tilt, and spoke to journalists on June 25 as he worked out at the Hall of Famer's Wild Card gym in Hollywood.
'Four years rest has been good for me,' he said after showing off some impressive hand speed in an open pads session. 'I've been in boxing for so many decades, so it's good for my body to rest for four years.
'Now I'm back, I'm hungry to fight again. I'm hungry to fight in a big fight like this. To work hard, have discipline, everything like that.
'I've missed boxing. I feel like the passion, the fire in my eyes, working hard – it's still there.'
Pacquiao also said that while his recovery times were now slightly longer, he had not noticed any drop off in his physical conditioning.
'I'm fast, I can move like I did before. I can run in the mountains with the young boxers, so I'm happy,' he said. 'I'm enjoying this training camp. There's a couple of adjustments for bodily recovery. We have to control the body, give my body time to rest and recover.'
Pacquiao, who won 12 world titles in eight different weight classes during a glittering professional career that began in 1995, refused to be drawn on whether his comeback in July would be 'one and done' or just the first step of a full-fledged return to the sport.
'It's hard to say,' he said when asked about future bouts. 'Now I'm back so one at a time, after this fight we can plan whatever we want.'
For some in boxing, however, Pacquiao's return to the ring represents an unnecessary risk.
British promoter Eddie Hearn was the latest to cast doubt on the wisdom of the Filipino's comeback earlier in June, predicting that the 30-year-old Barrios will be 'too young and too strong' for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao smiled when asked for his response to Hearn's remarks.
'Just watch on July 19th,' he said. 'It will be a good fight.' AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
International Business Times
2 hours ago
- International Business Times
Who Is Maria Harper? Dylan Harper's Mom Breaks the Internet with Her Stunning Appearance at Son's 2025 NBA Draft
Dylan Harper's mother stole the show on Wednesday night. After the former Rutgers standout was selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, social media was set ablaze as Maria Harper joined Dylan and his older brother, Ron Jr., for a post-draft interview with ESPN's Monica McNutt. Viewers were captivated by her striking presence. What caught many off guard was that Maria accompanied her son on camera, while his father — five-time NBA champion Ron Harper — remained seated in the audience. However, on Tuesday, Dylan explained that it made perfect sense: his mother had been his toughest motivator throughout his basketball journey. Right Person to Join Son In fact, Maria coached him all the way from first grade through the end of high school — a meaningful experience they both cherished. "His flat-out love for the game, his determination, hard work and humility, day in and day out," an emotional Maria told ESPN when asked about what had led her son to the NBA. Her brief appearance on TV sparked a frenzy among basketball fans, with thousands flooding social media in awe. "Dylan Harper's mom is top notch," one viewer wrote on X, while another said: "Dylan Harper's mom is about to go viral man." "Respectfully Dylan Harper's mom is an absolute smoke show," wrote another fan. Maria, who is of Filipino descent, moved to the United States when she was just 7 years old and was raised in Paterson, New Jersey. While Harper is the son of former Los Angeles Lakers star Ron Harper, it's his mother who has played a pivotal role in his journey to the NBA. Maria coached Dylan during his childhood and has a basketball background of her own, having played Division I hoops at the University of New Orleans. Maria and Ron first met in 1998 and married in 2005. They became parents to Ron Jr. in 2000 and welcomed their second son, Dylan, in 2006. Perfect Idol Maria Pizarro, now 50, and Ron Harper ended their marriage in 2012 after seven years together. They share three children, including Dylan and a daughter. In a 2023 interview with The Athletic, Maria spoke openly about the major impact she had on his development, both on and off the court. "I'm not big on girlfriends or house parties," she said. "We get up, we go to school, we have our activity, whether it's basketball or it's dance, we get our homework done, and that's about it. That's the tone that I set in the household." She said of her son's abilities: "What makes him good is that he's a Swiss army knife. He sees the floor like an eagle. He knows how to get his teammates involved. "He's a very capable scorer if you need him to be, but because he has a point guard mentality, he wants his teammates to succeed, even before himself." Harper is set to join up with Victor Wembanyama and his new teammates following a challenging year for the Spurs. San Antonio ended the season ranked 13th in the Western Conference, posting a 34-48 record. The team also faced difficulties when their iconic head coach, Gregg Popovich, had to temporarily step away after suffering a stroke midway through the season.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Sheehan captains Lions, Pollock at number eight for Western Force tour match
SYDNEY - Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan will captain the British & Irish Lions on debut in their tour match against Western Force in Perth on Saturday, while young England loose forward Henry Pollock has been named to start at number eight. Coach Andy Farrell has completely overhauled his team with only Sione Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne surviving in the starting line-up from the side that lost 28-24 to Argentina in Dublin last week. Beirne moves from lock into a back row also featuring 20-year-old Pollock and openside Josh van der Flier, while Australia-born Tuipulotu shifts from outside to inside centre in a midfield partnership with Garry Ringrose. Finn Russell starts at flyhalf in his first appearance on his third Lions tour and is paired with Wales scrumhalf Tomos Williams, who made his debut off the bench against Argentina. Marcus Smith, who played at fullback against the Pumas, drops to the bench with his England teammate Elliot Daly handed the number 15 shirt. Another Australia-born player, Mack Hansen, makes his first Lions start on the right wing with James Lowe replacing Duhan van der Merwe on the left. Sheehan and his Leinster teammates Ringrose, Lowe, Joe McCarthy and Van Der Flier will all play their first Lions match at Perth Stadium, having joined the squad late after their URC Championship triumph. "Dan Sheehan gets the opportunity to lead the side against Western Force, which is a great honour for him and his family - so congratulations to Dan as he captains the side on his Lions debut," Farrell said in a statement. A further four players -- lock Ollie Chessum, centre Huw Jones and props Andrew Porter and Will Stuart -- could make their Lions debut off the bench. The Force named a team studded with test players earlier on Thursday, their side reinforced at the last minute by the release from the Wallabies camp of playmaker Ben Donaldson. "We know the quality and experience the Force have and the opportunity to play against the Lions always brings out special performances from the Super Rugby sides, so we expect them to be at their best," Farrell added. 15–Elliot Daly, 14–Mack Hansen, 13–Garry Ringrose, 12–Sione Tuipulotu, 11–James Lowe, 10–Finn Russell, 9–Tomos Williams, 8–Henry Pollock, 7–Josh van der Flier, 6–Tadhg Beirne, 5–Joe McCarthy, 4–Scott Cummings, 3–Tadhg Furlong, 2–Dan Sheehan (captain), 1–Pierre Schoeman. Replacements: 16–Ronan Kelleher, 17–Andrew Porter, 18–Will Stuart, 19–Ollie Chessum, 20–Jack Conan, 21–Alex Mitchell, 22–Huw Jones, 23–Marcus Smith. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Wallabies playmaker Donaldson released to face Lions after Beale injury
SYDNEY - Western Force back Ben Donaldson was released from the Wallabies squad and flew to Perth on Thursday to prepare for this weekend's tour match against the British & Irish Lions after an injury ruled out veteran test playmaker Kurtley Beale. Donaldson was one of four Force players retained by Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt to prepare for Australia's only warm-up match for the Lions test series against Fiji on July 6. Beale, who famously slipped while attempting to kick a match-winning penalty in the opening match of the 2013 test series against the Lions, has been ruled out of Saturday's match by a hamstring strain. Donaldson, who is in the Wallabies squad as a flyhalf, will replace Beale at fullback with Alex Harford in the Force number 10 shirt alongside scrumhalf Nic White. Former Wallabies skipper White and Donaldson are joined by test players Matt Proctor, Hamish Stewart, Dylan Pietsch, Darcy Swain, Sam Carter, Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Tom Robertson in the starting team. Openside flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny is uncapped but was named in Schmidt's Wallabies squad for the Fiji test before being released back to the Force for the Lions match. The strength of the team should go some way to assuaging fears among the Lions management that without Wallabies players the tour games would be insufficiently competitive to prepare the tourists for the test series. Donaldson told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday he would have played against the Lions if he had been given the choice. "Any chance you get to play against the Lions, you probably take it with both hands," he said. "It would be extremely exciting, especially off the back of the year we had at the Force. We started really well, and then had a kind of frustrating and disappointing finish to the season. "Even to play in front of the fans, just to give them something to cheer about to finish the year, it would have been awesome." Lions coach Andy Farrell names his team to face the Force, who lost 69-17 to the Lions in 2013, later on Thursday. Force team: 15–Ben Donaldson, 14–Mac Grealy, 13–Matt Proctor, 12–Hamish Stewart, 11–Dylan Pietsch, 10–Alex Harford, 9–Nic White (captain), 8–Vaiolini Ekuasi, 7–Nick Champion de Crespigny, 6–Will Harris, 5–Darcy Swain, 4–Sam Carter, 3–Ollie Hoskins, 2–Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1–Tom Robertson Replacements: 16–Nic Dolly, 17–Marley Pearce, 18–Tiaan Tauakipulu, 19–Lopeti Faifua, 20–Reed Prinsep, 21–Henry Robertson, 22–Max Burey, 23–Bayley Kuenzle REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
