Manny Pacquiao has been ranked as the WBC's No. 1 contender after his July return to action and draw against WBC titleholder Mario Barrios.
What happened?
Manny Pacquiao went even with Mario Barrios over 12 rounds, as seen by two of three judges in the majority draw.
Why it matters for Manny Pacquiao
This ranking puts Manny Pacquiao in prime position for a rematch with Mario Barrios or a potential fight against WBA titleholder Rolly Romero.
Manny Pacquiao is 46 years old and has a record of 62-8-3, with 39 knockouts.
What comes next?
Manny Pacquiao plans to fight again, and a rematch with Barrios would make sense, but Rolly Romero has also been mentioned as a potential next opponent.
The fight against Barrios was Manny Pacquiao's first since a 2021 loss to Yordenis Ugas, and he still hasn't won a fight in this decade, with his last win coming in July 2019 against Keith Thurman.
Manny Pacquiao will turn 47 in December, and it's likely that his next fight will be after that.
Jaron 'Boots' Ennis is now ranked as the WBC's No. 1 contender at 154 lbs, a division he has yet to fight in after vacating his welterweight title belts to move up in weight.
Josh Kelly appears to be the current front-runner for Ennis' next opponent, but it's unclear when those bigger fights might actually start happening.
Manny Pacquiao's ranking as the WBC's No. 1 contender is a logical move given his performance against Barrios.
The draw against Barrios was a close fight, with two of three judges scoring it a draw, and even those who thought Barrios won didn't think he dominated Manny Pacquiao.
Manny Pacquiao's next fight will be highly anticipated, and it will be interesting to see who he faces next.
The WBC ranking is just one of the many sanctioning body rankings, but it's still a significant development in Manny Pacquiao's career.
Manny Pacquiao's fans will be eager to see him back in the ring, and his ranking as the WBC's No. 1 contender is a positive sign for his future in boxing.