“I never chase greatness. I just work hard to be better than the Manny Pacquiao I was yesterday,” said the 46-year-old Filipino legend, addressing a packed audience as he was officially inducted into the prestigious International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) Class of 2025 on Sunday at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, New York. Manny Pacquiao emphasized that his journey was never about chasing fame or money, but about pushing himself to take on the toughest challenges and constantly evolve. Defying the odds has been a defining theme of PacMan’s illustrious career, marked by standout victories over much larger opponents like Oscar De La Hoya and Antonio Margarito. But when it comes to the toughest fight of his career, there’s only one fight that stands out above the rest.
Just hours before the ceremony, Manny Pacquiao sat down with Fight Hub TV to reflect on his storied career. In his usual humble fashion, he admitted he still finds it hard to believe how far he’s come in boxing, and says that it only motivates him to keep doing legendary things. So when asked to pick the one moment that stands out above the rest, Manny Pacquiao didn’t hesitate. “The one with [Marco Antonio] Barrera,” he answered after giving some thought.
In case you’ve forgotten, it was Manny Pacquiao’s 41st professional bout when he handed the Mexican great the fourth loss of his career with an 11th-round TKO in November 2003. That night, PacMan overcame an early knockdown in the first round, dropped Marco Antonio Barrera in the third, and watched the Mexican warrior get docked a point in the ninth. And, almost four years later, they met again in a rematch billed as Will to Win. This time, Barrera came in smarter and managed to go the full 12 rounds, but Manny Pacquiao still outboxed him with ease, claiming the WBC International super featherweight title. Marco Antonio Barrera briefly retired after the loss, only to return a year later against Sammy Ventura. So, what was it about the Barrera fight that stood out most to Manny Pacquiao?
LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 02: Manny Pacquiao throws a left at Floyd Mayweather Jr. during their welterweight unification championship bout on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
“Because the fight is open door to me that I can excel in boxing. I can fight any fighters in the world,” he explained. The fact that it was after his first win over Barrera that Pacquiao went on to fight big bouts with Juan Manuel Márquez, Érik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, and Shane Mosley only goes to show how accurate that admission is.
Despite earning a staggering $125 million in the 2015 mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., it’s the Barrera clash that he speaks of with the most pride. The Mayweather fight, on the other hand, left a sour taste. For years, fans waited for boxing’s two biggest names to collide, only for the eventual showdown to feel more like a chess match than a brawl. Mayweather landed just 148 punches across 12 cautious rounds, and while he won on the scorecards, Manny Pacquiao wasn’t impressed. Why?
“Floyd Mayweather was running the whole 12 rounds and he won the fight,” Manny Pacquiao told Elie Seckbach recently. “I feel sorry for the fans because the fight was boring. That’s not what the fans are expecting to us, as a fighter. As a fan, I want to see an exciting fight. Not a fashion show. Action!” But which fights did he actually enjoy the most?
Manny Pacquiao was never one to choose the easy fights
Following his first public face-off with Mario Barrios ahead of their WBC welterweight title showdown on July 19, Manny Pacquiao was immediately surrounded by a crowd of eager reporters. Among them was Elie Seckbach of ES News, who wasted no time, asking, “Who are the top 5 fighters you have ever fought?” After some thought, Manny Pacquiao ended up naming six: Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and Antonio Margarito. All Hall of Famers. All wars! But what made these fighters stand out to him? The answer may have been hidden in plain sight during his Hall of Fame induction speech yesterday.
“I never pick the easy fights. I choose the hard ones. I move up weight after weight not to protect a record, but to test my limits,” the 62-8 boxer declared. “And now when I look back, eight-division world champion, world titles in four different decades, oldest welterweight world champion in history. Those are not just opinions, they are facts.”
With that same fire, Manny Pacquiao gears up for a surprising return to the ring next month against Mario Barrios, a fighter 16 years his junior, by going full “Rocky” mode. That’s why this next fight isn’t just another comeback, it’s one more chance for PacMan to show the world that greatness isn’t defined by age, but by heart, discipline, and an undying love for the fight.
So now the question is: which Manny Pacquiao fight stands out as your favorite? And do you believe the Filipino icon still has what it takes to turn back the clock and take down Mario Barrios next month?
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