Betting Odds Has Manny Pacquiao As a Huge Underdog As He Returns at Age 46 to Challenge Mario Barrios for a World Title
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV (May 14th, 2025)– Manny Pacquiao, invoking a World Boxing Council Emeritus Championship rule, which allows a retired former champion to come out of retirement if he returns in a world title bout, will face Mario ‘El Azteca’ Barrios for the undisputed World Boxing Council World Welterweight title on July 19, 2025.
The southpaw Pacquiao, 62-8-2 with 39 knockouts, age 46, four years inactive, General Santos City, Philippines, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on June 8, 2025, and then will face the WBC Interim Welterweight champion Barrios, 29-2-1 with 18 knockouts, San Antonio, Texas. Pacquiao has his own 13 world titles in eight weight divisions, but has not won a bout since winning a 12-round split decision over Keith Thurman at MGM Grand’s Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in July 2019.
From the prize ring to the political arena and back, Pacquiao must overcome ring rust beyond the occasional here and there exhibition to pull this off. Pacquiao does have the advantage of not getting hit in the head and the body for the most part, and having only one bout in six years, his titular loss to Yordenis Ugas, who then lost title bouts to Errol Spence Jr. (who Pacquiao was originally supposed to fight instead of Late replacement ugas) and Barrios.
In his last fight with Ugas in 2021, Manny Pacquiao blamed leg cramps for losing to Yordenis Ugas. The 42-year-old Filipino at the time, had been expected to beat the 35-year-old Cuban fighter, but was decisively outpointed over the course of 12 rounds.
Does Pacquiao have anything left, or will he be a shadow of his once glorious self? To this reporter, it is not so much the charming romantic idea of a Pac-Man comeback, it is the distraction of the political arena, which makes a potential training camp difficult. A fight like this needs focus and momentum. Another factor would be the presence of longtime Pac-Man trainer Freddie Roach or if he decides to use another trainer.
FanDuel has odds on the Pacquiao versus Barrios bout. Pacquiao is +470 while Barrios is -750. Sportsbetting.ag has +340 on Pacquiao, and -500 on Barrios. The odds against a Paquiao comeback are phenomenal, but who knows? Real Combat Media included his last fights and recent training footage below.
American and Peruvian Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Dr. Robert Prevost, overcame odds of less than one percent on Bet MGM to win the papacy as a dark horse longshot. The obscure Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, who spent most of his spiritual time in assignments outside of the United States, was not even included in the photo of American cardinals taken before the conclave which elected him. Pacquiao is a wild longshot at four years out, and six years from his last win, but could at least go 12 rounds if Barrios fights him on the side of caution. Pacquiao is a big draw, and betting odds could close to become closer as the fight date nears. Canelo Alvarez versus Terence Crawford has seen odds favoring Canelo to win with a -220, after Canelo’s unimpressive recent world super middleweight title win over William Scull, with Crawford the underdog at +170.
Pacquiao versus Barrios will be streamed on PBC Prime Video Pay-Per-View, and Pacquiao, always a mega box office draw, will be giving away 17 years in age. Pacquiao’s most recent outing against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in July 2024, scored a three-round draw as both participants went the exhibition distance, raised concerns the faded Pacquiao, his once-feared skills not memories, should no longer be in the boxing ring. Meanwhile, another retired champion, Amir Khan, who had an offer to come out of retirement to fight Pacquiao, said in a recent interview he was happily retired, yet stated that a fight arranged by Turki Alalshikh could bring him out of retirement.
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