Manny Pacquiao flexes during the official weigh-in ahead of his July 19, 2025, WBC welterweight title bout against champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (Photo from Esther Lin / Premier Boxing Champions)
Manny Pacquiao’s spirited July 19 majority draw with champion Mario Barrios has propelled him to the WBC’s No. 1 welterweight contender spot, keeping title shot hopes alive.
MANILA – Manny Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, has been officially named the No. 1 contender in the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) latest welterweight rankings, keeping him firmly in the conversation for another world title shot.
The WBC’s August 8, 2025 update lists the 46-year-old Filipino icon at the top of the contender list beneath reigning champion Mario Barrios. The move comes after Pacquiao’s July 19 comeback at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, where he fought Barrios to a majority draw. Judges scored the bout 114–114 on two cards and 115–113 for Barrios, allowing the champion to retain his title.
According to the updated standings, France’s Souleymane Cissokho, the WBC Silver champion, holds the No. 2 spot, followed by Mexico’s Raúl Curiel, Britain’s Conor Benn, and Lithuania’s Egidijus Kavaliauskas rounding out the top five.
The broader welterweight landscape remains in transition. The IBF title is vacant after Jaron “Boots” Ennis moved up to 154 pounds, while the WBA has elevated Rolando Romero to full champion status. Ring Magazine also confirmed Pacquiao’s new WBC standing and simultaneously placed Ennis at No. 1 in the junior middleweight division.
Pacquiao’s latest climb marks a rapid ascent in his comeback campaign, which began after a four-year layoff and his 2024 induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The Ring Magazine has also ranked him in its top ten welterweights following the Barrios draw.
The WBC has not yet announced its next mandatory challenger for Barrios. However, Pacquiao’s new position makes him a prime candidate for another marquee bout — possibly even a rematch — should negotiations align.
