‘Layoff from boxing was good for my body’: Pacquiao feeling rejuvenated as he prepares to end retirement

Manny Pacquiao says time away from boxing was good for him as he prepares to challenge Mario Barrios for his WBC welterweight title.

Manny Pacquiao will end his retirement on July 19 when he returns to the ring in a welterweight title fight against reining champion Mario Barrios. Following the official press conference for the fight, Pacquiao spent a few minutes fielding questions from boxing media about coming back to the sport and more. Check out a few excerpts of what Pacquiao had to say below.

Pacquiao on how he feels returning to the ring

“I’m excited and happy. I’m back...I feel the same [being back at Wild Card gym], I feel that hungerness of training, work hard, but there’s adjustment for body recovery. It’s not like before that’s just overnight. We’re taking time to let my body recover but training intense, hard work, discipline is still there.”

On having a poor performance against Yordenis Ugas the last time we saw him in a professional fight

“Last fight I had with Ugas — you know me, because I’m not really 100% focused on that fight because there’s a distraction. I encounter a lot of cases with Paradigm, Paradigm distracting me so much on that fight. They did a lot of things in training camp to distract me 100% but I study about it, thinking about it, God is good all the time.”

On those who would like to see him fight Gervonta Davis

“I like that. I like that but let’s finish first this one because this one is a taller champion like that, so I have a lot of things to do in training camp.”

On having four years off from boxing

“The four years layoff from boxing was good for my body because I’ve been boxing since 12 years old. When I was 12 years old then continued non-stop. So good for me, for my body to rest four years. Now I’m back, I feel so excited, excitement like I feel before, training camp, everything like that.”

On the best five fighters he’s ever faced

“Barrera, Morales, Marquez, De La Hoya, Cotto, Margarito.”

On why Floyd Mayweather doesn’t rank among his best opposition

“Floyd Mayweather, he’s running the whole 12 rounds and he won the fight. How is that? You know, I feel sorry to the fans because the fight is boring. Like, that’s not what the fans expecting [from] us.”