46-year-old’s attempt to claim the 13th world title ends in a draw against WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios.
However, he didn’t lose either.
Ultimately, the 46-year-old Pacquiao and the 30-year-old Barrios ended up in a majority draw on Saturday, with scoring showing one judge siding with Barrios by a margin of 115-113, while the remaining two judges called it a 114-114 tie.
The result allowed Barrios (29-2-2, 18 knockouts) to keep his WBC welterweight belt.
“I felt like I won the fight,” Pacquiao commented afterwards.
“I mean, it was a tight fight. My opponent was very tough. It was a great fight. It was good.”
Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KOs) already owns the record for the oldest welterweight champion, having taken the belt via split-decision over Keith Thurman in 2019.
The Filipino icon was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last month. Pacquiao came out strong in Saturday’s battle, showing more energy against his younger opponent.
Eventually, though, CompuBox figures showed Barrios landing more punches (120-101) and dishing out more jabs (45-20), although Pacquiao managed to land 81 power punches compared to Barrios’s 75.
Pacquiao was ahead on all three scorecards after 10 rounds, but Barrios took all three rounds on each card, staving off the upset. Age and stamina were clearly factors for Pacquiao after the contest.
“I need to continue my training for a longer period going into a championship fight,” Pacquiao admitted, who lost his bid for a seat in the Philippine Senate in May. “Because of the election, I started preparing late, but that’s okay. Certainly, I want a rematch. I want to leave a legacy and make the Filipino people proud.
“Please don’t mention that to Barrios.
“He has incredible stamina,” the champion noted. “He’s still very strong and his timing is excellent. He’s still quite the unconventional fighter to figure out.”
As for a rematch, Barrios is ready to step back into the ring.
“I’m in for the rematch. Definitely. This was a huge moment for boxing. I’d love to do this again.”
