Manny Pacquiao’s comeback world title fight with Mario Barrios will still go ahead, despite losing his position in the WBC rankings.
Pacquiao will return at the age of 46, to take on an extraordinary clash with current WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in Las Vegas on July 19.
Incredibly while sanctioning the unlikely contest, the boxing legend was placed at an unwarranted No.5 in the division’s rankings, without throwing a punch since 2020.
The Filipino was even above Yordenis Ugas, who beat him five years ago and sent him into retirement, a decision which he has since reversed.
But WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman admitted there had been an error and his inclusion was a mistake.
He has now officially been withdrawn from the latest WBC ratings, and has not even been listed in the top 40 of the division.
The decision may come as a surprise to Pacquiao, who is challenging for the famous green belt held by Barrios.
But after much backlash from the boxing fraternity, the WBC have made the right decision in the eyes of many.
WBC chief Sulaiman explained that Pacquiao ultimately was sanctioned to take a shot at the belt given his legendary status.
“The World Boxing Council regulations allow legendary boxers who receive a license from a boxing commission and who pass all their exams to compete for the title,” he said.
“We made a mistake in ranking him number five, and that caused confusion among the media and fans, obviously saying, ‘Why is he ranked if he hasn’t fought?’
“What happened is that permission was granted, the fight was authorised, and we’ll talk again on July 20 to see how it went.”
GettyPacquiao will challenge for the WBC belt despite the blow[/caption]Should Pacquiao defy the odds and become world champion aged 46, he simply won’t need a ranking.
If he wins, it will see him become the oldest king of the 147lbs division in it’s history.
Barrios is the favourite to retain his crown however, and has towered over the icon in their face-offs so far.
Pacquiao looked a shadow of his former self in a previous exhibition return against Rukiya Anpo last year.
And as a result many are concerned for his health and wellbeing, despite passing medical checks.
But incredibly former rival Ugas believes he will be a real threat to Barrios despite his age.
Pacquiao struggled in his last fight and is an underdog again this time outGETTY“It could be a lose-lose situation. If he wins, people will say, ‘Pacquiao was old.’ If he loses, they’ll say, ‘You lost to an old man,'” he said.
“Barrios is taking a big risk. I fought Pacquiao when he was coming off a huge win.
“He had just beaten the top welterweight at the time in 2019. This time it’s harder.
“Pacquiao’s coming off a four-year layoff and a loss. We’ll see. It’ll be a good fight, though.”
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