Revealed: Where Manny Pacquiao, 46, slots into rankings, as controversial comeback against 29-year-old champion gathers pace

Manny Pacquiao is simply a measurement person to his arguable comeback astatine the property of 46 aft re-entering the welterweight rankings. 

The legendary Filipino is acceptable to look a antheral astir 2 decades younger than him this summer, WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, 29. 

Pacquiao was past successful enactment successful 2021, losing connected points against Yordenis Ugas. He looked a shadiness of his erstwhile aforesaid successful that performance. 

So fans and pundits alike person been perturbed by the erstwhile eight-division champion's instrumentality to nonrecreational action, acrophobic helium volition get hurt. 

But it seems helium is pushing connected with the program and has slotted backmost into the rankings astatine No 5 in the 147lbs division.

Pacquiao has competed successful accumulation events since his past nonrecreational defeat, albeit astatine a wholly antithetic level. 

He produced a lacklustre showing against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo past July and determination are fears his assemblage simply cannot clasp up astatine elite level anymore.

But WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman precocious confirmed the comeback is on, saying: 'At this time, Mario Barrios is going to combat Manny Pacquiao successful July. 

'That’s a tremendous fight. Manny Pacquiao’s archetypal [world] rubric was astatine flyweight, with the WBC.

'And [now] helium wants to discontinue arsenic the WBC champion, truthful he’s warring successful the welterweight division.'

The antheral himself insisted past twelvemonth than helium tin inactive vie with the younger procreation contempt his age. 

'I made past astatine 40 beating Keith Thurman, and I consciousness astatine 45, I person a batch near successful the crippled arsenic I haven't taken a batch of punishment implicit the past fewer years,' helium told ESPN. 

Amir Khan is among those who fearfulness for Pacquiao and helium told Mail Sport: 'I mean, it shocked maine a small bit. 

'I cognize Barrios truly good — he's inactive young, helium inactive has that occurrence successful his belly, and helium volition springiness him large problems. Barrios has been looking truly bully successful his past mates of fights, whereas Manny evidently mislaid his past fight. 

'With Manny, I deliberation he's mode past that property wherever we don't privation him to get hurt. He's ever 1 punch distant from getting hurt. He's lone getting older. I'm definite he's astir touching 45 oregon something'.

'When told Pacquiao was really 46, Khan said: 'Wow. So astir 50. Older than I thought. So adjacent much to the point.'

Khan went connected to add: 'I'm definite helium wants to go a satellite champion. And yeah, looking astatine him and looking astatine styles — styles marque fights — helium has a bully accidental of winning. 

'But similar I said, he's ever 1 punch distant from getting hurt. So doesn't helium privation to conscionable bask himself now? He had a hard vocation each his life. Why not beryllium backmost and relax?'