Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao made a valiant return to the ring Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win, as his bout against reigning WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios ended in a controversial majority draw.
Pacquiao, 46, appeared to outwork and outpunch the younger, taller Barrios in several rounds, yet only one judge gave him the edge. Max De Luca scored it 115-113 for Barrios, while judges Tim Cheatham and Steve Weisfeld had it even at 114-114, allowing Barrios to retain his title.
“I thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao said in his post-fight interview with Jim Gray. “It was a close fight. My opponent was tough. It was a wonderful fight.”
Barrios, 30, acknowledged the intensity of the bout. “I thought I still pulled it out,” he said. “But I still tip my hat to Manny. It was an absolute honor to share the ring with him.”
Pacquiao led 87-84 on two scorecards after nine rounds, but both judges gave the final three rounds to Barrios, pulling the fight into draw territory.
According to CompuBox, Barrios landed more total punches (120-of-658) than Pacquiao (101-of-577), but the Filipino icon had the edge in power punches (81 to 75). Barrios relied heavily on his jab, landing 45 to Pacquiao’s 20.
Despite the result, Pacquiao defied expectations. The eight-division world champion had not fought since 2021 and was up against a younger, 6-inch taller opponent. Barrios was a nearly 3-to-1 favorite going into the match.
Pacquiao’s effort drew comparisons to fellow boxing greats Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman, who won world titles in their mid-40s. A win would have made Pacquiao the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history. Instead, he joins their ranks in another way — by continuing to compete at the elite level well into his 40s.
Earlier this year, Pacquiao was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame alongside Hopkins and Foreman. His performance Saturday, more than a decade after his knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in the same venue, was another testament to his longevity.
Pacquiao hinted at continuing his career and is eager for a rematch. Barrios, for his part, expressed openness to a second bout.
