Eddie Hearn, promoter of Matchroom Boxing, assured that Mario Barrios will beat Manny Pacquiao "fairly easily" and will retain his World Boxing Council (WBC) world title on July 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

In an interview with Fight Hype, Hearn doesn't think Pacquiao has a chance against Barrios and once again criticized the Filipino for fighting for a world championship.

“Barrios isn't the best world champion, but I think he's better than what we saw last time when he boxed on the Mike Tyson undercard (Barrios finished in a draw with Abel Ramos), and I think he'll beat Manny Pacquiao pretty easily. I'm happy for Manny, but it should happen this way, and you'll see a legend in the ring, which I find pretty sad,” he said.

“But listen, if he wants to do it and has the will, I wish him the best of luck. But I don't think he should be out for five years, without fighting anybody, and then come back to the top of the rankings just because he's Manny Pacquiao. Make the fight, but it shouldn't be for the world championship, in my opinion. But I don't think he has a chance, even though Barrios hasn't been on a great level.”

Pac-Man met with trainer Freddie Roach in Los Angeles and is preparing for this new commitment. It should be noted that the former eight-weight division champion has not won since 2019 when he defeated Keith Thurman.

On the other hand, Mario Barrios did not look as good in his last fight with Abel Ramos and ended up drawing, although many believe he lost that match. Now the American can completely retire Pacquiao or fall to one of the biggest stars in the sport.

The Filipino Manny Pacquiao, 46, will seek to become world champion again against Mario Barrios. The boxing legend has a professional record of 62 wins (39 by knockout), 8 losses and 2 draws.

For his part, Mario Barrios, 30, retained his WBC welterweight title against Abel Ramos in November 2024. The American has a record of 39 wins (18 by knockout),two losses and a draw as a professional.