Manny Pacquiao’s team is hard at work for a WBA light heavyweight title fight against Mario Barrios, and they’re feeling pretty confident about it. Pacquiao’s manager, Sean Gibbons, recently went to the WBC convention in Hamburg, Germany and made it clear that Pacquiao “wants to challenge Barrios.” At 45, Pacquiao’s window for true competitive action is closing, so Gibbons and company hope to get this fight over with sooner rather than later. “Manny was just in Dubai,” Gibbons said boxing scene, “And 2025 is probably his last year of real competitive boxing, and he would still like to fight Mario Barrios, and some people believe that Manny actually has a chance in that fight, and that was the goal to achieve.”
Barrios, who currently holds the WBA light heavyweight belt, has also caught the interest of Conor Benn. Benn was reinstated after his suspension after testing positive for a banned substance in 2022. Despite that interest, Pacquiao’s team believes Barrios is the best bet for a deal. One reason is that Barrios is backed by Premier Boxing Champions and Al Haymon, who have worked with Pacquiao numerous times in the past. “You’d look at Mario Barrios who’s with PBC, Mr. Al Haimon, who’s been in Manny Pacquiao’s last three or four fights,” Gibbons explained, “and he’s the only one who stepped up. There has been a lot of talk about it being done, but Al Haymon is the only one who has put his money where his mouth is and promotions.”
Another factor is timing. Pacquiao plans to run for re-election to the Philippine Senate, but he still has a few months to spare. According to Gibbons, “Manny came to Vegas (against Lehlo Ledwaba) and he can go out in Vegas. In other words, if they can get into this fight with Barrios, Las Vegas would be the ideal stage for Pacquiao to have one last big run. Gibbons called the next three or four months “the perfect time” to train, giving Pacquiao the preparation he needs for a serious challenge.