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July 19 is set to be a possibly epic day for boxing. Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois will go toe-to-toe once again, battling for the undisputed heavyweight belts at Wembley Stadium. Later that night, Manny Pacquiao will make a shocking return to the sport at 46 years old, taking on the much-younger world champion, Mario Barrios.
There's an air of intrigue for Pacquiao's return. No one knows how he will fare at such an advanced age, against a bigger and stronger opponent and after such a long layoff. Pacquiao has only taken part in two exhibition bouts since his retirement in 2021. It was floated around that him and Floyd Mayweather Jr. were in talks to hold an exhibition fight, but that never came to fruition. With everything that's happened, there's still a lingering resentment on Pacquiao's part as he prepares for Barrios.
Manny Pacquiao says Floyd Mayweather Jr. is "scared to death" of him
"PacMan" recently spoke to Covers.com for an exclusive interview. 10 years after falling to Mayweather in a fight he claims was hampered by a shoulder injury of his own, Pacquiao believes Mayweather is terrified of facing him again.
"I don't think Floyd Mayweather will fight me again. He's scared to death to fight again, that's what I'm thinking. It's a huge fight, but there's a lot of reasons or alibis he didn't make [the rematch]. Lots of excuses, I guess."
Manny Pacquiao supports Jake Paul's WBA ranking
Pacquiao didn't stop at Mayweather, though. He also spoke about the potential Conor McGregor bout that has been rumored. But perhaps more interestingly, Pacquiao spoke glowingly about Jake Paul.
Paul was recently penciled in at 14th in the WBA cruiserweight rankings, which has drawn a lot of crticism. But Pacquiao is on board with the organization's decision.
"I respect Jake Paul's passion to pursue his boxing career, he has a talent. He can fight, then, so why not?"
Pacquiao and Barrios will battle in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand on July 19.