Seriously… What Are We Doing Here?
Manny Pacquiao is 46 years old. He hasn’t fought in nearly four years. The last time he stepped into a ring, it was August 2021, and he was soundly beaten by Yordenis Ugas — a replacement opponent, no less. There’s no nice way to say it: he looked old, slow, and completely past it.
So how has he somehow landed a WBC world title shot against Mario Barrios on 19 July 2025?
This isn’t some farewell fight in Manila or a nostalgic exhibition with bigger gloves and friendly rounds. This is for a world title in one of boxing’s deepest divisions. If that doesn’t make you shake your head, you haven’t been paying attention.
This Is Not a Sport. It’s a Popularity Contest
In boxing, you don’t need momentum, form, or merit to get a title shot. You just need name value. Pacquiao brings that in spades — he’s an icon, a future Hall of Famer, and a global celebrity. But that’s all he brings in 2025. He hasn’t fought in nearly four years. He’s not ranked. He hasn’t beaten a top-tier opponent in half a decade.
Meanwhile, fighters like Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, Eimantas Stanionis, and even Conor Benn have been grinding away in real fights, staying active, and actually taking on risk. Where’s their shot?
The truth is, Pacquiao didn’t need to work his way back up because the WBC isn’t interested in rankings — they’re interested in revenue.
Let’s Talk About the Welterweight Division
Welterweight isn’t some barren wasteland in need of a big name to rescue it. The division is full of talent. You’ve got a mix of world-level contenders and young killers waiting to break through. Any of these names could have delivered a meaningful, competitive fight with Barrios — and they’d have deserved the chance.
But instead of rewarding actual form, the WBC handed the golden ticket to someone whose last relevant win came before COVID.
Pacquiao is one of the greatest to ever do it — but his greatness doesn’t entitle him to shortcuts forever.
For more honest takes like this, check out CMBoxing’s latest post on the comeback and join the conversation we should be having.
This Isn’t a Fight, It’s a Transaction
Let’s be honest: this is about cash. Mario Barrios gets a payday. Pacquiao gets another headline. The WBC cashes a fat sanctioning fee. The broadcasters get nostalgia-fuelled PPVs. Everyone gets paid — except the fans, who are sold the illusion of a meaningful title bout.
It’s not that Pacquiao isn’t capable of making a return. It’s that he hasn’t earned this kind of return. A world title shot is meant to mean something — but clearly, it doesn’t anymore.
This is not a fair fight. It’s a brand deal.
The Cost of Cheapening a Belt
World titles are meant to be the pinnacle. The prize at the end of the road. You fight eliminators, climb the rankings, take risky fights — and maybe, just maybe, you get the call.
But Pacquiao gets to skip the whole process because of who he used to be?
That sends the message loud and clear: in boxing, meritocracy is optional. What matters is how many tickets your name sells.
So where does that leave fighters on the rise? Are they supposed to just wait in line forever while the next legend decides they fancy one last payday?
If It Goes Wrong, It Gets Ugly
Let’s say Pacquiao gets hurt. Let’s say his timing is off, his reflexes gone, his legs not there. Let’s say Barrios — bigger, fresher, and with something to prove — steamrolls him. What then?
Do we chalk it up to “respect the warrior” and move on? Because the truth is, fights like this are dange
rous. Not just for Pacquiao’s health, but for boxing’s image.
If he loses badly, it’s a sad end to a glorious career.
If he wins, it exposes the current champion as a paper belt holder.
If it’s close, everyone just shrugs and moves on because the whole thing was a spectacle anyway.
Final Round: This Is Why Boxing Loses Fans
The Manny Pacquiao title shot in 2025 is everything that’s wrong with boxing.
It ignores the rankings.
It undermines the sport’s integrity.
And it makes a mockery of the idea that world titles are earned.
Fans aren’t stupid. We can see what this is. It’s not a sport — it’s a circus. And it’s exhausting to watch the same rubbish play out year after year.
Sound Off, Fight Fans
Is this a fairytale comeback — or an embarrassing farce?
Let us know in the comments, hit share if you agree, and head to CMBoxing.co.uk for more blunt, BS-free boxing coverage.
Because someone needs to call this sport out when it stops making sense — and we’re happy to throw the first punch.