Manny Pacquiao Announces Official Return Date After Mario Barrios Draw

Manny Pacquiao returned to the ring in July after four years of inactivity and managed a majority draw against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. 'Pacman', 46 at the time of the fight, jumped right among the sharks and proved he can still hang at the championship level.

It was clear that Pacquiao has lost a bit from his game, especially in his defense. However, he landed some impressive combinations on Barrios during the course of the fight and showed flashes of his past brilliance.

A Barrios rematch and a potential Rolly Romero showdown have since emerged as Pacquiao's potential next fight, and the Filipino has now announced his official return date to the ring.

Manny Pacquiao confirms return

In a video released by INDISTRY, Pacquiao said: "“Hello to all my boxing fans. I’m excited to let you know that I will be returning to the ring January 24th in Las Vegas. It is going to be an exciting and special event."

Regarding his opponent, 'Pacman' said:

"Stay tuned, more news to come on my opponent in the next few days. Thank you everyone.”
Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao will be 47 at the time of his next fight, but the Filipino remains a big draw and against a fellow superstar name, he can still pull in a significant audience.

Mike Coppinger's 3-man shortlist for next Manny Pacquiao opponent

Journalist Mike Coppinger has revealed that Gervonta Davis, Conor Benn, and Rolly Romero are the top three options for Pacquiao's next opponent. He said on Inside The Ring show:

"Rolly deal is not done yet. And I spoke to his advisor, Sean Gibbons, who runs Manny Pacquiao's promotional company. He said the three names they're looking at are Rolly Romero, Gervonta Davis, and Conor Benn. So Conor Benn obviously is going to be fighting Chris Eubank Jr. in a rematch November 15th."
Mike Coppinger

'Tank' Davis fights Jake Paul in an exhibition bout on November 14, meaning the January date remains a possibility. Benn, meanwhile, has a rematch against Chris Eubank Jr in November as well. Considering their gruelling first fight, January could turn out to be too soon a timeline for the Brit.

Romero last fought in May and beat Ryan Garcia. He is currently the WBA welterweight champion, meaning Pacquiao could once again fight for another world title by facing Romero. All three of those names are big stars as well and a Pacquiao matchup would secure plenty of fan interest.

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