HAMBURG, Germany – With the 62nd annual WBC Convention underway, fight manager Sean Gibbons is in town to make a case for 2025 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Manny Pacquiao to face Mario Barrios.
Conor Benn is also here chasing the Barrios fight, but it is a contest that has been on Gibbons’ radar for Pacquaio for months.
Pacquiao, the 45-year-old Filipino legend, last boxed in 2021, losing a decision to Yordenis Ugas at the T-Mobile in Las Vegas while Texas’ Barrios had a hard-fought draw with Abel Ramos last month on the undercard of Jake Paul-Mike Tyson.
“Manny was just in Dubai, and 2025 is probably his last year of real competitive boxing, and he’d still love the Mario Barrios fight, and some people believe Manny really has a shot in that fight, and that’s been the goal to make,” said Gibbons. “So hopefully we will see what happens here at the WBC Convention, but he started with the [W]BC [international title]. What a way to go out, fighting for a ‘BC title.”
With Benn keen to return to boxing in the UK in March, for the first time since two failed tests for clomifene and a well-documented battle to clear his name, Gibbons will be pressing the claims of Pacquiao, who, it was announced last week, will be inducted into the IBHOF in Canastota, New York, in June.
“Manny is running for senate next year in the Philippines, so during that time – you can’t campaign all day long – he’ll have time to train, prepare, and July would be a perfect time,” Gibbons explained. “The senate election is May 11, and the actual senate doesn’t start until the last week of July. So the timing will be great. It will be a little weird going into the Boxing Hall of Fame and fighting, but it will be typical of Manny’s life.”
Despite money pouring into boxing from the Middle East, Gibbons believes Pacquiao’s farewell could come on The Strip in Las Vegas, a city he has lit up many times in the past.
“You would look at Mario Barrios being with PBC, Mr. Al Haymon, who’s done Manny Pacquiao’s last three or four fights, and he’s the only one who’s stepped up. There’s been a lot of talk about doing stuff, but Al Haymon’s the only one that’s put his money where his mouth and promotions are. So if the Barrios fight happens, it will be under the banner of PBC. I would think Las Vegas would be the perfect way for Manny to go out. Manny came in in Vegas [against Lehlo Ledwaba]; he can go out in Vegas.”
