Boxing

New Manny Pacquiao Training Footage Sparks Concern Among Boxing Fans

Newly released training footage of Manny Pacquiao has the boxing community worried about what's to come.
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

Ever since it was announced that boxing legend Manny Pacquiao would be coming out of retirement to return to the ring to fight reigning WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in the coming months, boxing fans and analysts alike have been questioning this decision and voicing their concern about the 46-year-old trying to make his comeback.

It would be one thing if Pacquiao were coming out of retirement for another low-stakes exhibition bout, which is what he did against Rukiya Anpo back in July 2024. However, this time, he's fighting a world champion who is still in his prime and will do everything in his power to separate Pacquiao from consciousness.

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Manny
MANNY PACQUIAO ON X

On May 15, the Boxing Kingdom X account posted a video of Pacquiao training before this Barrios fight, captioning the post:

🚨 Return of the Legend!

First Footage of Manny Pacquiao training for his professional boxing comeback has been released.

Fans are making their concern about this footage apparent in the comments, with the original post garnering nearly 100 of them and reposts and additional footage amassing thousands more.

"He got tired, first time I've ever seen him get fatigued hitting the bags, bad sign, but good luck to him, legend," one fan wrote.

Another added, "I hate to see him coming back I hope he don’t get hurt frfr".

A third fan replied by posting a GIF of Pacquiao knocked out cold during one of his fights, as if forecasting that this would happen to him once again against Barrios.

Since it seems clear that Pacquiao is serious about this bout, fans can only hope and pray that he comes out healthy on the other side.

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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.