Manny Pacquiao Jr. could feature on his father’s comeback card against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, World Boxing News understands.
An exclusive update from Pacquiao Jr’s trainer, Marvin Somodo, at the world-famous Wild Card Gym put the current amateur boxer in the frame for a massive showcase.
Following mixed results in the vest and headguard, Pacquiao Jr. is going through drills under Somodo and Freddie Roach to hone his skills for a professional run. According to Somodo, that could happen sooner rather than later. And with legendary dad Manny Sr. eyeing a July blockbuster against Barrios for a world title, it’s highly likely that the pair would share a ring for the ‘Pac-Man’s’ final outing.
Junior has addressed the possibility previously when speaking to Elie Seckbach in Los Angeles. He was initially asked about Senior’s plans to fight again at 45 [now 46].
“We’ll see. He’s always active. He’s always in shape. Like he’s always running, playing basketball, playing four games, five games at a time, he’s in shape all the time,” Pacquiao Jr. told ES News.
When asked whether he could debut on the bill, he responded, “We’ll see, yeah. I’ll be ready.”
Coach Somodo oversees Pacquiao’s progress after the social media star suffered several setbacks in his unpaid career. Roach’s right-hand man is happy with how Pacquiao, 23, is developing.
“He is doing really well. His work ethic is really good. You see him every day in the gym and never complain,” Somodo exclusively explained to WBN. “We spar with world-class fighters, and he does well. His future depends on his performance when he turns pro. I believe he will do well, but only time will tell.
“Manny Jr. is training every day like my other professional fighters. We are hoping to get him a fight soon, but the main thing is improving him at the gym every day. Turning pro in the future is the plan for him, and once I see that he is ready. The plan is for him to become a professional boxer, but you never know.”
Pacquiao Sr. will have little input into his son’s preparations for a pro debut from January to May next year. The eight-weight legend will then have eight weeks to train for what is expected to be a clash with Barrios at the MGM Grand in the second half of July.
If victorious in his farewell Las Vegas bout, Pacquiao would walk off into the sunset with a world championship around his waist and beat his oldest welterweight titleholder record by six years.
It would be a fitting way to bow out for the first-ballot Hall of Famer with his son on the same card.
