Manny Pacquiao going all in on boxing return, says he’s done with politics in Philippines
Former eight-division world champion returns to ring next month, but says Mario Barrios title fight not a one-shot deal
Manny Pacquiao says he is done with politics in the Philippines, and he’s back in boxing to stay.
The 46-year-old said his return was not for just one farewell bout either, the former eight-division world champion intends to fight on indefinitely.
And Pacquiao, who lost in his bid to reclaim his senate seat this year, said the “book of politics” was closed.
“It’s not even in my mind,” Pacquiao told Associated Press in Los Angeles. “I’m focusing on my career as a boxer again.”
That comeback starts on July 19, when Pacquiao returns from a four-year lay-off and attempts to break his own record by becoming the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history. The former Philippines senator and presidential candidate will take on WBC champ Mario Barrios in Las Vegas.
As Pacquiao’s fame and fortune grew in the previous decade, he added a second career as a politician to his already busy life. He was a senator from 2016 until 2022, when he finished third in the Philippines’ presidential election.