WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios shadowboxes as he works out at Pound 4 Pound Gym on June 28, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Barrios is scheduled to defend his title against new International Boxing Hall of Fame member Manny Pacquiao, who announced he was coming out of retirement nearly four years after his last fight, on July 19 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines–Going toe-to-toe with one of the most decorated boxers in the history of the sport, Mario Barrios is undaunted by the stature of Manny Pacquiao.
Barrios has high respect for Pacquiao, whom he refers to as an “icon” and “legend” but cleared that the compliments end as soon as they step into the ring at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on July 19.
READ: Ex-rival picks Manny Pacquiao over Mario Barrios
WBC champ Mario Barrios has high respect for Manny Pacquiao but undaunted by his stature. “At the end of the day, he’s just another man fighting for my title.” | 🎥 from Mario Serrano @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/JonEQQb843
— Mark Giongco (@MarkGiongcoINQ) June 29, 2025
“Getting the fight, I was really blown away, but during training camp, I’m not training with the mentality that I’m fighting and getting into the ring with an icon, a legend,” Barrios said during a media workout on Sunday at Pound 4 Pound Gym in Las Vegas.
“At the end of the day, he’s just another man trying to fight for my title.”
Barrios (29-2-1, 18KOs) is staking his WBC welterweight title for just the second time since being elevated to full-fledged champion in May 2024, and he’s hell-bent on keeping it for as long as he can.
“I respect everything he’s done in the sport, even the person that he is outside of the ring, but come fight night all the respect is not gonna be there. It’s all smiles between the both of us right now, but on fight night we’re both getting in there with bad intentions,” said the 30-year-old Barrios, who is 16 years younger than Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39KOs).
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“He’s going in there trying to take my title and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t.”
Among the notable fighters Barrios had shared the ring with, they wouldn’t come close to Pacquiao–boxing’s only eight-division champion–especially as far as accolades go.
Barrios couldn’t care less.
“I’m treating this as any other fight. This one is no different. I know who I’m going against.”
