MANNY Pacquiao will end a near four-year retirement, a month after his impending induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, facing defending champion Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title on July 19.

That is per an ESPN report, with sources confirming that matchup will headline a Las Vegas bill with Sebastian Fundora vs. Tim Tszyu 2 as the chief support during the year's third PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view broadcast, again headed by TGB Promotions.

Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) last captured world honours in 2019, dropping and outpointing then-unbeaten titleholder Keith Thurman, and no doubt wants to emulate that success against a younger but similarly vulnerable Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) six years later.

A former senator in the Philippines, he's running for re-election - polls open Monday - after a six-year stint in office (2016-22) and an official fight announcement is expected after next week's results are finalised.

Sean Gibbons, Pacquiao's advisor and head of his promotional company, told The Ring last month that the Filipino icon would reassess his fighting career and available options soon after the votes are tallied. It appears that process has now been accelerated.

This development has not exactly been a well-kept secret, with talks of the Filipino legend's return surfacing in the back half of 2024, coinciding during the build-up to his three-round exhibition against former K1 super-lightweight kickboxing champion Rukiya Anpo in July.

Seen as an effective gauge of his levels in an unofficial stay-busy contest, Pacquiao was mooted to face Barrios before the year's end. Instead, the 29-year-old retained his title with a topsy-turvy 12-round split draw against Abel Ramos November 16.

Barrios, The Ring's No. 3-ranked welterweight, has also endured stretches of inactivity and only boxed four times since defeats by Gervonta Davis (TKO11) and Thurman (UD12) eight months apart, the latter coming in February 2022. He, much like Pacquiao, began at a considerably smaller weight division - debuting at junior featherweight in 2013.

Pacquiao, 46, drew the curtain on his professional career after a competitive but unanimous decision defeat by former WBA titleholder Yordenis Ugas in August 2021.

Originally set to face Errol Spence Jr that night, a torn retina injury from sparring prompted the Cuban to step into the breach on ten days' notice and reap the rewards.

Unsuccessful in his attempts to gain special exemption to compete at last summer's Olympic Games in Paris, the fire still burns within the eight-division world champion.

Last summer, he said there was a "lot left in the game", pointing to his inactivity as a blessing in disguise, allowing an extended opportunity to recuperate from consistent punishment as an active champion often withstands through training and bouts.