EXCLUSIVE | World Boxing News can reveal that Manny Pacquiao Jr. fighting on his father’s July 19 undercard is no longer certain.
WBN first reported that Pacquiao Jr. would make his professional debut on the undercard after a discussion with trainer Marvin Somodo.
Back in December, Somodo hoped to have Junior ready to turn over in 2025.
Manny Pacquiao Jr’s pro debut uncertainty “He is doing well. His work ethic is really good. You see him every day in the gym and never complain,” Somodo told 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 hope to get him a (professional) fight soon, but the main priority is improving him at the gym every day.
“Turning pro in the future is the plan for him, once I see that he is ready. The plan is for him to become a professional boxer, but you never know.”
Junior answered a direct question on the possibility of sharing a card with his father with ES News.
“We’ll see,” said Pacquiao Jr. “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.
When asked about fighting on the card, he added, “We’ll see, yeah. I’ll be ready.”
Junior trains with Pacquiao Sr. WBN then broke the news exclusively in May 2024 that Pacquiao would return in a world title fight. After months of negotiations, Mario Barrios’ challenge for the WBC welterweight championship made it over the line.
Conversations with Premier Boxing Champions insiders since then made it seem as though Junior featuring on the card was a no-brainer and a foregone conclusion.
Pacquiao Jr. began training with his dad at Freddie Roach’s world-famous Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles ahead of the event.
So far, PBC has confirmed four bouts, including the Pacquiao vs Barrios main event.
Pacquiao vs Barrios new poster
Pacquiao vs Barrios undercard taking shape Sebastian Fundora vs Tim Tszyu II co-features, with Brandon Figueroa vs Joet Gonzalez and Isaac Cruz vs Angel Fierro II making up the Pay Per View portion of the MGM Grand Card.
WBN added Pacquiao’s compatriot Eumir Marcial to that list, with another Filipino star, Mark Magsayo, also hoping to have a stay-busy bout finalized for the prelims.
That would make up six or potentially seven or eight fights on the bill. Pacquiao Jr. could still be one of those.
Jr. could delay pro debut However, WBN has learned that Pacquiao Jr. sharing a bill with his dad is no longer a formality.
“I’m not sure if Manny Jr. is fighting on that card or not,” MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons told World Boxing News.
As Pacquiao’s right-hand man who is constantly in the gym alongside the boxing legend, Sean would know if Junior was likely to feature or not at this point.
Things could change as training continues, and we await the official announcement.
