Eight-division world champion and former senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao returned to the ring with a majority draw against World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Mario Barrios today, July 20 — marking his comeback after a four-year hiatus.
After trading blows for 12 rounds in their welterweight bout, judges Tim Cheatham and Steve Weisfeld both scored it 114–114.
Meanwhile, judge Max DeLuca favored Barrios with a score of 115–113 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, making Barrios retain the WBC welterweight championship belt.
Pacquiao, boxing’s only octuple champion, opened strong with sharp combinations and quick hands — showing flashes of his old form despite the long layoff.
Midway through the fight, Pacquiao kept his tempo and took command with crisp three and four-punch combinations that edged him ahead of Barrios.
Barrios, with his reach as an advantage, landed stiff jabs to Pacquiao’s head and body, disrupting the Filipino’s work rate and keeping him at bay through the middle rounds.
But Pacquiao, ever relentless, continued to throw in the championship rounds. In the 10th, the two exchanged heavy leather — Pacquiao relying on his flurries, Barrios sticking to the jab and body attack.
Barrios pressed the action late, landing clean shots in the 11th. Still, Pacquiao coasted to the final bell, as Barrios failed to mount a decisive rally to close the show.
Despite the bout ending in a majority draw, Pacquiao improves to 62-8-3, with 39 knockouts.
After the fight, Pacquiao expressed surprise at the result, saying he “thought he won the fight” in what he called a toe-to-toe war with the 30-year-old Mexican-American champion.
“I was trying to find a way to finish the fight, but my opponent was so tough,” said Pacquiao. “He threw punches in combination and with defense, so it was hard.”
Pacquiao also expressed openness to a rematch but hopes for more preparation time, pointing out that he only began training after the midterm elections last May, where he failed to secure re-election to the Senate, finishing 18th with 10,397,133 votes.
