Sixteen months.
That's how long it's been since Manny Pacquiao last stepped through the ropes — that draw with Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title in July 2025.
Since then ?
A Floyd Mayweather rematch announced… then put on hold.
A fight with Joe Cordina on the Fury v Joshua card in Cardiff… then gone. "I know that Pacquiao will not be part of this show," said Eddie Hearn.
Now his manager Sean Gibbons says the plan is a tune-up in December or January.
"He needs to get into the ring and just shake it off because it has been a while since the Barrios fight."
Fair enough. We agree.
But then came the list for what comes AFTER.
"He could fight Conor Benn, he could fight Floyd, Ryan [Garcia], Conor McGregor, Paulie Malignaggi wants to fight him."
Conor McGregor ??
Paulie Malignaggi ??
One is a UFC fighter. The other hung up the gloves years ago and is better known behind a microphone.
This is an eight-division world champion. The greatest fighter Asia has ever produced. A man who turns 48 next month and STILL fought for a world title last year.
He doesn't need a circus.
Benn, at least, makes sense — and he says he's open to it in the first quarter of 2027.
So here's our call :
Get the tune-up done. Then give the fans a REAL fight.
Who do YOU want to see Manny fight next ? Tell us below 👇
Sources:
Boxing News, Tom Eaton (10 Nov 2026) — https://boxingnewsonline.net/news/update-on-pacquiao-next-fight/
TelecomAsia, Marina Magomedova (3 Nov 2026) — https://www.telecomasia.net/news/boxing/pacquiao-withdraws-fury-joshua-event/
ESPN (Oct 2026) — https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/50250841/joe-cordina-agrees-terms-fight-manny-pacquiao-eddie-hearn
December 24, 2024
Dear Partners,
I would like to take this moment to first wish you and your family a safe and blessed holiday season.
This annual report serves as a benchmark for our progress and a commitment to transparency in our operations. In 2024, a notable decline occurred in the number of professional boxing events held domestically. This downturn was primarily attributed to the cessation of grassroots events by VSP Promotions, a key promoter that played a crucial role in introducing new talent to the domestic professional boxing scene.
The challenges faced in organizing professional boxing events in Vietnam intensified in 2024 compared to the previous year, a reflection of the current market conditions. We anticipate this trend to persist in 2025 due to the continued existence of an unsupportive environment for event organizers, fostered by the local amateur boxing federation.
VBO organized the gathering of 10 commissions in Asia in 8/2024. It is our view that Asia has a fundamental challenge in how boxing is managed and supervised. Standardization and coherent cooperation models that have actionable and measurable outcomes will need to be developed in order to create more regional opportunities for the industry participants.
DOMESTIC REPORT 2024
INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2024
The VBO remains dedicated to securing international fight opportunities for Vietnamese boxers within safe environments. While the organization provides recommendations, the final decision to accept a fight rests solely with the boxers and their coaching teams.
OFFICIALS OF VBO REPORT 2024
VBO collects detailed performance data of each official in their assigned roles at every event. We compile these data for use towards training requirements to further improve their performance.
We hope that 2025 will bring more opportunities for the boxers between partnering countries and jointly continue to improve the quality of our officials. Have a wonderful holiday season! See you all in 2025.
Sincerely,
Lim Song
President of Vietnam Boxing Organization
