“I will campaign for fairness and the protection of boxers”

In the spring, after missing out on a new term in his country's Senate, Manny Pacquiao announced that he would be returning to the ring in mid-July. On July 19, the Filipino dueled with Mario Barrios and after 12 rounds, the two could not be tied, so the match ended in a draw.

Manny Pacquiao wants to build “bridges” between amateurs and professionals, East and West, generations and cultures

3 months after that time, Pacquiao announced that he has become the vice president of the International Boxing Association (IBA)an organization led by Russia's Umar Kremlev, which is in conflict with the International Olympic Committee.

“I will dedicate myself to building bridges – between amateurs and professionals, between East and West, between generations and cultures. I will work alongside the President to develop athlete-focused programs, promote boxing in Asia and beyond, and advocate for fairness and protection for boxers“, said the multiple world champion, quoted by L'Equipe.

The IBA is a controversial organisation, which in the past year has been at the center of the scandal surrounding Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, the boxers who competed in the Olympics, after they were banned from the 2023 World Championships because it was deemed that it would not be right for them to compete in the women's competition.

The dispute on this topic deepened the conflict between the IBA and the IOC, and currently the boxing tournaments at the Olympic Games are run by the World Boxing Association (World Boxing).

Manny Pacquiao's professional career began in January 1995 and spanned 30 years, during which time the Filipino became world champion in no less than 8 different categories.

In 2007, Pacquiao entered politics, serving several terms in the Senate and Parliament.