Boxing

Manny Pacquiao's Son Concerned About 46-Year-Old Father Fighting Again

The son of Manny Pacquiao opened up about his worry about his father entering the boxing ring again.
Grant Young|
Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino boxer seen during a press conference on July 21, 2023.
Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino boxer seen during a press conference on July 21, 2023. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

46-year-old boxing legend Manny Pacquiao will be coming out of retirement to fight reigning WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios at some point later this summer. While this fight is sure to attract a ton of eyeballs and attention, many of these eyeballs are worried about what they're going to see once Pacquiao faces the champion.

Pacquiao hasn't fought in a professional bout since August 21, 2021, when he lost to Yordenis Ugas via unanimous decision. He didn't look very good in that fight, with his age being apparent. He also fought in an exhibition against Rukiya Anpo back in July 2024, and looked even worse in that contest.

Neither of these fighters is at the same boxing level as Mario Barrios. And with Pacquiao's advanced age, this fight has raised red flags from the boxing community.

Nobody has more of a right to worry about Pacquiao's return from retirement than his 24-year-old son, Jimuel (who is potentially making his professional debut on his father's card this summer). And when speaking with FightHype on May 18, Jimuel Pacquiao got honest about his concern.

"I mean, it makes sense," Jimuel said about people having concerns about his father fighting against Barrios. "He's 46 now. And even me, as his son, I love him, he's my dad. There's also concern there, you know?

"But I believe in him. He has shown us that he stays in shape year around and all that. So weight is not gonna be a problem, fitness is not gonna be a problem," he added.

Jimuel isn't the only person who's hoping that his father will exit the ring still healthy against the Barrios.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.