Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios didn’t hold back their disbelief as they reacted to what’s about to unfold on July 19.

By returning to the limelight to fight Barrios for the WBC welterweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas—live on PBC Pay-Per-View via Prime Video—Paciao hopes to rewrite history once more. Nearly four years after his last appearance, the renowned eight-division world champion, who has confounded expectations throughout his illustrious career, said that the thought of getting back in the ring still shocks him. As he gets ready to pursue yet another milestone in a history already engraved in gold, Pacquiao said, "It feels surreal."

“I never imagined that I’m back,“ Pacquiao said at a press conference, "I always thought, even when I hung up my gloves, 'I can still fight, I can still feel my body, I can still work hard.”

"That moment when I announced hanging up my gloves four years ago -- I was so sad. I was crying, I cannot stop the tears coming out my eyes." Pacquiao added.

Manny Pacquiao maintains that a victory over Mario Barrios still has significance even if he has already established a career deserving of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, where he will be formally inducted this weekend in Canastota, New York. This isn't just another brawl, in his opinion. It's an opportunity to solidify his legacy and demonstrate that, even at this point, he can defy both time and expectations.

“It means a lot for me and my boxing career, breaking my own record,” Pacquiao said. “But my goal is to leave a legacy to the boxing fans because that can inspire the young generation who are dreaming to be a champion.”

Mario Barrios expressed how much he respects Manny Pacquiao. Admiration, however, won't divert his attention. He is aware of the seriousness of the situation and knows that he cannot afford to let emotion to get in the way of his title defense.

Barrios, who is 30 years old and has a 29-2-1 record with 18 knockouts, understands the potential significance of defeating a legend like Pacquiao. For the duration of his career, not just for this particular time. "It would be huge," he admitted, knowing that a victory on July 19 would propel him to a completely different level of the sport.

“A victory over the legend is huge for me,” he said. “It's huge for everything I'm working for, not only myself, my family, my daughter, and everything is on the line right now. I know it's a huge task at hand. He’s a legend for a reason.”

“Come July 19, a legend is going to be across from me trying to take my WBC world title. I have all the respect for him and nothing but good things to say about him outside of the ring, but inside of there, he's just another man trying to take what's mine. It's been a long road, but I'm here and I'm the champion for a reason and I'm going to show that on July 19.” Barrios said,  “This is crazy to put into words.”

According to Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs), this is the beginning of a new chapter rather than a final cameo. His bout against Mario Barrios will be his first since he lost to Yordenis Ugas via unanimous decision on August 21, 2021, while vying for the WBA super welterweight title. On July 20, 2019, he defeated Keith Thurman to become the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history, marking almost four years since his last triumph. If Pacquiao can pull off what many consider an upset, he now has a chance to break his own record—again—at the age of 46.

Even though Pacquiao has established a legendary reputation since going pro in 1995, he claims he is adopting the mentality of a hungry competitor. He is treating this as a genuine quest to recover gold rather than a farewell tour. The former Filipino pound-for-pound champion said that he has missed the intensity, the crowd's scream, and the grind, but he feels that the time away has helped him psychologically and physically refuel.

Barrios will be defending the WBC welterweight title for the second time in the forthcoming fight. As part of the undercard for the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul extravaganza, Barrios fought to a draw against Abel Ramos on November 15, after being promoted to champion in early 2024 after Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) decided to vacate. With Pacquiao on the other side of the ring, he now faces an unprecedented challenge: the opportunity to defend his title against one of boxing's most enduring heroes.

"I missed boxing, Pacquiao said. "Especially this situation, getting interviewed and training camp. I missed that. ... Boxing is my passion. The way I train, the way I work hard and pushing myself to the limit is to make sure that I can give a good fight to the fans."

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