Manny Pacquiao looked ten years younger in a recent workout ahead of his return to action at Super RIZIN 3 this weekend.
The Filipino boxing legend faces Rukiya Anpo in Japan as the oldest welterweight champion ever pushes towards a final title shot. Pacquiao is on the verge of facing WBC champion Mario Barrios, a story World Boxing News broke first, dependent on the powers that be finding a place and time. Both Pacquiao and Barrios have agreed to fight. However, the ‘Pac-Man’ cannot afford to lose this weekend.
Pacquiao battles the taller, rangier Anpo in a ‘Special Standing Rules’ bout, knowing his combat career is over with defeat. If Pacquiao comes out on top, the Barrios fight becomes a real possibility for the final trimester of this year.
With just days to go, Pacquiao and his team documented his training camp. The 45-year-old is defying Father Time and somehow seems faster than ever.
The legend returns…#PacMan #PacquiaoAnpo#SuperRIZIN3
🎥 @MannyPacquiaopic.twitter.com/ZrMg5xcdNz
— World Boxing News (@WorldBoxingNews) July 26, 2024
Manny Pacquiao vs Mario Barrios
Meanwhile, WBN received an exclusive update from Barrios’ trainer, Bob Santos, regarding the potential Premier Boxing Champions Pay-Per-View clash on Prime Video.
“Time will tell, obviously,” Santos told WBN. “We know that Pacquiao wants to fight, and we [Team Barrios] want to fight. We also know that the WBC will approve the fight.
“Just from the reaction, we know many sports fans want to see the fight, so I think it’s just a matter of the exact date and where,” added the respected coach.
WBN understands the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is the preferred venue for Pacquiao vs. Barrios, with the T-Mobile Arena and The Sphere also in consideration. Following the announcement that Canelo Alvarez will fight on his usual date of September 14 and the fallout from Gervonta Davis vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko, there’s now a big gap between October and December.
A lot depends on whether ‘Tank’ can agree to a deal with another top name to secure his spot in Vegas. If that happens, possibly against Shakur Stevenson, Pacquiao’s fight will have to fit around Davis.
Furthermore, the whole plan hinges on Sunday, and Pacquiao avoids defeat against Anpo, which is highly unlikely given the skill sets of non-boxers and their poor results against professionals in exhibitions.
Pacquiao’s rival, Floyd Mayweather, has beaten his previous two kickboxing foes in less than a round. The consensus is that Pacquiao faces a far more formidable opponent than Mayweather, who had a sizeable advantage going into his RIZIN events.
Anpo is six feet tall and weighs more than Pacquiao, which will cause its own problems on fight night.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
