Manny Pacquiao announced his big return to a boxing ring after almost five years away. The 46-year-old boxer has shared on social media the process he has been going through and in the face of the various criticisms he has received, the Filipino responded with phrases from the movie Rocky Balboa, taking the mythical character as an example of self-improvement.
On July 19 in Las Vegas, Pacquiao will face WBC welterweight world champion Mario Barrios, a fight that generates a lot of expectation, but also several doubts, especially because of the Filipino’s physical condition, his age and the long time he was out of rhythm.
For Manny Pacquiao, this return to the ring will be more than just a fight, as the boxer is very excited to set an example of resilience and show that in the face of adversity you can fight and come back, as he has made known with videos and phrases on his social networks.
“Life hits you hard, but what matters is how many blows you can take and keep going,” is one of the messages Pacquiao has shared on his networks accompanied by photos and videos of his training. What is striking is that he is uploading content that refers to the movie Rocky, something that his fans have noticed and liked quite a lot.
What was Manny Pacquiao’s last fight?
Manny Pacquiao’s last fight was on August 21, 2021 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. On that day, the Filipino faced Yordenis Ugas, who won by unanimous decision in 12 rounds.
After that fight, Pacquiao decided to retire and devote himself to other pursuits, such as politics, where he was a senator and presidential candidate. His foray into that field did not last long and he was apparently already missing boxing because he looks very motivated for his new fight and return.
When will Manny Pacquiao return?
On July 19 this year, Pacquiao will take on WBC world welterweight champion Mario Barrios. The Filipino has stated that retiring in this way is one of his dreams and that he is very excited about it.
World Boxing Council (WBC) president Mauricio Sulaiman told the LA Times that Pacquiao asked him for help. “He called me and said ‘help me fulfill my dream of retiring with the WBC, which is where I started at flyweight’. In this way, the negotiations were carried out in a good way and the Filipino will have his great opportunity to do what he loves most.
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