Manny Pacquiao is truly back and is training like he wants to stay here for a long time. Despite the constant barrage of promotion-related tasks during his every training session, the Filipino icon is not even a bit distracted. That was clearly visible when, on Friday, Teofimo Lopez joined him for an intense training sprint.
Teo joined Pacquiao and middleweight prospect Eumir Marcial at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Gym in LA. After their roadwork, the trio trained together, and the WBO Super Lightweight champion even met with the legend to pick up some techniques. Pacquiao’s quickness and work ethic evidently amazed The Takeover, who couldn’t help but give props to the 46-year-old.
After the training session, the Brooklyn native, as a true fan boy, posted a picture with the living legend on his ‘X.’ The image showed Teo and trainer Freddie Roach gesturing toward Pacquiao, highlighting him as the main character. However, it was the caption that caught everyone’s attention. “LEGACY CONTINUES @MannyPacquiao #Boxing,” Teo wrote, with the backdrop of the Philippine and American flags, alongside Pacquiao’s “8 World Champion” shirt, symbolizing his cultural significance and historic achievements.
The 27-year-old was not done, as later he asked the only eight-division champion to sign his Kobe Dodger 8s shoes. As Pacquiao signed the sneakers, Teo stood by his side, beaming with a grin that created a heartwarming moment.
LEGACY CONTINUES @MannyPacquiao #Boxing pic.twitter.com/92hH43bfnW
— Teofimo Lopez (@TeofimoLopez) June 27, 2025
It was a wholesome meeting between the past, maybe present, and the future of the light welterweight division. However, if Pacquiao’s comeback campaign continues after Mario Barrios, we might see them dueling it out in the ring.
Manny Pacquiao’s massive plans for the future
Even though the eight-division world champion has clearly stated that he will think about the future after the WBC welterweight title clash, the questions have not stopped. He constantly gets barraged with questions regarding his future, and finally, a few days ago, during his media workout, PacMan broke down, revealing his vision.
Manny Pacquiao stated, “I feel like I could do this for another couple of years. But I’m just taking it one at a time,” claiming that he is only thinking ahead to the task at hand. Should the Filipino star triumph over Barrios, he would become the second-oldest world champion, trailing only Bernard Hopkins and the oldest welterweight world champion in history. Yet, Pacquiao has his sights set on claiming the top spot.
“My goal is to be the oldest champion and retire as a champion,” he declared. Acknowledging the significance of the July 19 clash, the 46-year-old added, “This fight is very important to me because it’s history. I believe I’d be the first Hall of Famer to win another world title. And I’d also break my own record as the oldest welterweight world champion.”
A few weeks before the media workout, Pacquiao answered a similar line of questions where fights against the likes of Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis, and Teofimo Lopez were teased. Interestingly, the 46-year-old clearly did not outright deny those plans, claiming, “One at a time,” with a big smile on his face, leaving everyone curious.
So, perhaps the Pacquiao-Lopez training session holds more significance than it seems. For now, details are unclear, but clarity will come once the legend completes his title bout. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts down below.
The post Teofimo Lopez Issues Two-Word Statement on Manny Pacquiao’s Sweet Gesture Ahead of Comeback appeared first on EssentiallySports.