Pacquiao challenges WBC champion Barrios

Former seven-division world champion Manny ‘Pac Man’ Pacquiao, 46, just challenged WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a match.

Not fighting since August 2021, after losing to WBA World Welterweight Champion Yordenis ’54 Milagros’ Ugas, ‘Pac Man’ wants to get back in the ring.

‘Pac Man’, one of the most loved and followed former champions of the Philippines, is not ready to call it quits. It would probably be a non-title bout, but it’s still pending with the people of Barrios.

In December 1998 ‘Pac Man’ won his first world title, knocking out WBC World Flyweight Champion Chatchai Sasakul, 32-1-1, in the eighth round, while behind on all scorecards , improving to 24-1.

After a defense, ‘Pac Man’ was stopped by Boonsai Sangsurat, 18-0, in eight rounds in Thailand. After winning the WBC International Super Bantam title, making five defenses, he stopped IBF Super Bantam Champion Lehlo Ledwaba, 33-1-1, in June 2001.

Moving up to featherweight, he stopped former champion Marco Antonio Barrera, 57-3, winning a title fight with IBF and WBA featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, 42-2, ending in a draw by split decision in June 2004.

He then lost to Erik Morales, 47-2, for two vacant junior titles. He won the rematch two fights later in a WBC title eliminator. In a third match, he knocked out Morales. Then he knocked out Jorge Solís, 34-0-2. He then won a decision over Barrera, winning a title fight with 48-3-1 WBC Super Featherweight World Champion Marquez by defeating him.

He then moved up to stop WBC World Light champion David Diaz, 34-1-1, in June 2008. He then stopped former champion Oscar De La Hoya, 39-5. He then won the IBO Super Light title, knocking out Ricky Hatton 45-1.

In November 2009, he stopped WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, 34-1. Two fights later, he won the vacant WBC Super Welterweight title, defeating Antonio Margarito, 38-6, in November 2010. He then defeated WBO World Welterweight Champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, 46-6- 4-1.

Then another showdown with Marquez, 53-5-1, winning by majority decision. He then lost a contested split decision to Tim Bradley, Jr., 28-0. Marquez then eliminated him in December 2012. In a rematch, he defeated Bradley. He then defeated Chris Algeri 20-0. Then in June 2015 he lost to Super World Welterweight Champion Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather, Jr., 47-0. In a third match with Bradley, he won again.

In November 2016, he defeated WBO Welterweight champion Jesse Vargas, 27-1. Then in Australia, he lost a controversial decision to Jeff Horn, 16-0-1. Then he stops WBA Welterweight champion Lucas Martin Matthysse, 39-4.

He then defeats Adrian ‘The Problem’ Bronner 33-3-1. In July 2019, he defeated Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman 29-0. Two years later, he loses to Ugas. His current record is 62-8-2, with 39 saves.

Now the 46-year-old ‘Pac Man’ is looking for a seventh division world title.