Manny Pacquiao falls short in comeback bid as Mario Barrios retains title with majority draw

Manny Pacquiao defied age and expectation on Saturday night, but even a heroic performance from the 46-year-old was not enough to unseat Mario Barrios, who clung to his WBC welterweight title via a controversial majority draw.

Two judges scored the bout even, while the third handed Barrios a narrow 115-113 win, allowing the American to retain his belt, though the verdict was met with resounding boos from a crowd largely rooting for the Filipino legend.

Back in the ring for the first time in nearly four years, Pacquiao showed glimpses of the speed, grit and ring IQ that earned him 12 world titles across eight divisions. But in his attempt to become the oldest welterweight champion in history – breaking his own record set in 2019 – the judges saw it a step too far.

It was an impressive outing regardless. Pacquiao’s last fight had come in 2021, a unanimous-decision loss to Yordenis Ugas. Against Barrios, the newly inducted Hall of Famer was active and aggressive, forcing the champion onto the back foot through much of the contest.

“I thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao said in an in-ring interview. “It was a close fight. My opponent was very tough. It was a wonderful fight.”

When asked how he carried the stamina of a much younger man, Pacquiao’s said: “We worked hard. Hard work and discipline, everything like that. I had to keep my body in shape as always.”

“Thank you to everyone who believed in me,” Pacquiao added. “Maybe this is not the end.”

Will he fight again?

“I think so. I think so. God willing,” Pacquiao said. “I only have two months training. What I need to do is, like, continue my training, like in a championship fight like this, I should train four months, three months and a half, so that the fight would be good. But because of the election in the Philippines, I start late for my training, but it’s OK. You know, I love the Filipino people, and I love to give honour to my country.”

Barrios, 30, entered as a solid favourite and extended his record to 29-2-2, but the nature of his second consecutive draw, after a split decision against Abel Ramos in November, raised fresh questions about his claim to the division’s throne.

“I thought I still pulled it out,” Barrios says. “But, you know, I still tip my hat to Manny.”

For the WBC welterweight champion, the draw is less about the result and more about the company he kept. “It was an absolute honor, you know, to share the ring with [Pacquiao],” he says. “To share the ring with somebody with so much experience, who has accomplished so much in this sport.

“Man, and shout out to all the Mexican fans here. Shout out to all the Filipinos, you know, for supporting this event. This is huge, by far the biggest event I’ve had to date.

“And you know, we still came in here. We left everything in the ring. Like I said, I tip my hat to Manny. Nothing but love and respect.”