In a surprising turn, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, at 46, is ending his retirement to fight for another title on July 19 in Las Vegas against WBC champion Mario Barrios. This comes just after his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday as the headline name of the 2025 class.
Pacquiao’s illustrious career, which saw him retire in 2021 with a 62-8-2 record and 39 KOs, made him a global icon. He was known for seeking out the toughest opponents, a drive that propelled him from poverty in the Philippines to immense wealth and a role as a senator from 2016-22.
Joining Pacquiao in the Hall of Fame’s 2025 class were other notable fighters, including three-division champion Vinny Paz (formerly Vinny Pazienza), who famously returned to boxing after a broken neck, and Michael Nunn, a champion in the middleweight and super middleweight divisions. The women’s inductees included Yessica Chavez, Anne Sophie Mathis, Mary Jo Sanders, and Cathy “Cat” Davis, a trailblazer who became one of the first women granted a pro boxing license in New York after filing a sex discrimination lawsuit.
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