Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios battled to a majority draw on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The 12-round title bout ended with judges scoring it 114–114, 114–114, and 115–113 in favour of Barrios, allowing the American to retain his belt.
Pacquiao, aged 46 and fresh off a four-year retirement, came out aggressive. He landed 81 power punches and showed flashes of his trademark speed and footwork.
He led on all three scorecards after 10 rounds.
Barrios, 30, rallied late. He won the final three rounds on all scorecards, using sharp jabs and pressure to close the gap. He landed more total punches (120–101) and more jabs (45–20), according to CompuBox stats.
“I thought I won the fight… it was close, but I did enough,” Pacquiao said after the bout.
Barrios responded with admiration: “His stamina is crazy. He’s still strong as hell, and his timing is real. He’s still a very awkward fighter to try to figure out.”
Pacquiao’s Comeback and Legacy
Pacquiao was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame just last month. He was attempting to break his own record as the oldest welterweight champion, having won the title at age 40 in 2019.
The crowd at MGM Grand was heavily pro-Pacquiao and booed the decision. Many fans and pundits had Pacquiao ahead on their scorecards.
Barrios, now 29-2-2, had also fought to a draw in his last bout against Abel Ramos. Pacquiao, now 62-8-3, said he started training late due to his recent political campaign in the Philippines but still felt strong.
“I want to leave a legacy and make the Filipino people proud,” he said. “Of course, I’d like a rematch.”
Barrios agreed: “I’ll do the rematch. Absolutely. This was huge for boxing. I’d love to do it again.”
Rate, Like 👍, Comment💬, share this article, Follow us on our social media handles, and Submit your own story to get featured and earn rewards!
