Earlier this month, news broke that Filipino boxing legend and pound-for-pound icon Manny Pacquiao is slated to face WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios at some point this summer.
Pacquiao, who is an eight-division champion, is currently 46 years old. His last fight took place on August 21, 2021, which was a unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas. About a month after that defeat, Pacquiao announced his retirement from boxing. He has not won a fight since a split decision victory over Keith Thurman on July 20, 2019.
While some are excited to see Pacquiao (who was once one of boxing’s most beloved active fighters) return to the ring, others are lamenting seeing another man who’s way past his prime competing.
One guy who falls in the latter category is boxing icon Oscar De La Hoya, who fought Pacquiao on December 6, 2008, and lost to him via technical knockout. During a May 12 interview with Seconds Out, De La Hoya opened up about Pacquiao coming out of retirement.
“I wish him all the best,” De La Hoya said. “Obviously the truth is the truth, he’s obviously not the same Pacquiao that fought me, that fought the greats. I wish him the best, be careful up there, he’s not young like he used to be. But I’m sure he still has that power, so anything can happen.
“But yeah, just be careful,” he added.
