By Gerardo Romero
04 Jul 2024, 13:32 PM EDT
The president of the World Boxing Council (WBC), Mauricio Sulaiman, left open the possibility for the Filipino fighter and former world welterweight champion, Manny Pacquiao, to return to the ring with the objective of being able to compete again to lift the championship belt; this is provided that he is in optimal health and is previously approved by the organization to determine that he can still maintain a career as a professional boxer.
During an interview with Sky Sports, Sulaiman highlighted that Manny Pacquaio himself is very interested in starring in a fight against Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title and this was quite attractive to him as he was one of the most beloved figures in the ring during his time as a figure in the gloves.
“We have a great precedent of former champions returning as long as they successfully pass all the medical tests. As a former champion and as a legend, he has the possibility of fighting for the WBC championship,” the executive said in his statements.
It is significant that Pacquaio, 45, had his last professional fight in August 2021 after being defeated by Yordenis Ugas in a World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight super champion title fight, which subsequently marked his retirement to fully dedicate himself to his political career and other personal activities in the Philippines.
“Manny Pacquiao is eternal. He is a legend. I like the idea a lot. I think Manny Pacquiao can beat any boxer or can compete with any boxer today,” said Sulaiman about ‘Pac-Man’, who will star in an exhibition fight this July to try to show that he still has a lot of boxing to offer.
“Having him return to the WBC more than two decades after he won his first world championship, which was the WBC flyweight title, and then moving up to welterweight in 2024, would be sensational,” concluded Mauricio Sulaiman.
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