DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/July 20) – Thirty-year old Mario Barrios of the United States retained his World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight crown against the 46-year old Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao of the Philippines, via a majority draw, the judges voting 115-113, 114-114, 114-114.
Returning after a four-year absence, Pacquiao fought with intensity and control, but the judges’ scorecards told a different tale: one saw it 115–113 in favor of Barrios, while the other two scored it 114–114, resulting in a majority draw that allowed the 30-year-old titleholder from Texas to retain his title.
“I thought I won the fight,” said Pacquiao, whose professional record now stands at 62–9–3 (wins, losses, draws) at the end of the match against Barrios (29-2-2) on Saturday night in Las Vegas (Sunday morning in the Philippines).
This was Pacquiao’s comeback fight since his loss to Cuban Yordenis Ugas in August 2021 via unanimous decision. Barely two months after his defeat, he filed his certificate of candidacy for President of the Philippines in the May 2022 polls. He lost.
“It was a close fight. My opponent was very tough. It was a wonderful fight,” he said during a post-game interview.
Pacquiao noted he had only two months of preparation following his campaign for a Senate seat. If he had more time for training, he said, it might have tilted things in his favor.
Pacquiao ran for Senator under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” in the May 2025 elections. Twelve seats were up for election but he failed to return to the Senate. He was Senator from 2016 to 2022.
“I tip my hat to Manny… it was an absolute honor to share the ring with him,” Barrios said.
Both fighters expressed interest in a rematch.
A segment of the crowd booed the judges’ decision.
In the first three rounds, Pacquiao went aggressive and used his footwork to catch Barrios off guard most of the time, immediately establishing his rhythm with jabs and straight rights to Barrios.
Barrios remained patient, offering limited offense early on but landed a clean right on Round 1.
However, in Round 4, Barrios wobbled Pacquiao with a stiff jab early on, hitting Pacquiao’s face.
Succeeding rounds 5 and 6 put Barrios on edge, connecting jabs to Pacquiao, which the “Pacman” seemed to struggle to react and respond.
In Round 11 however, Barrios abruptly landed a sharp combination early that forced Pacquiao to retreat. The defending champion attacked with more variety, including a flush left hand that caught Pacquiao’s jaw.
Pacquiao expressed strong interest in fighting again, stating he “absolutely” wants a rematch and views it as part of his legacy to inspire Filipinos.
Barrios was also open to a second bout, calling the fight “huge for boxing” and saying he would “love to do it again.” (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
