By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Four years after his retirement, Filipino professional boxer Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao made a comeback in his fight against WBC welterweight world champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas on Saturday (Sunday, Manila Time).
The two boxers traded jabs and punches across 12 rounds of their highly anticipated showdown, with PacMan banking on his speed and flurry of punches to claim the title from Barrios in a bid to become the first boxer to come back from retirement and win a world title after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 2024.
Winning this match would enable the 46-year-old boxer to reclaim the title of the oldest welterweight champion—a title he once held after defeating American boxing champion Keith Thurman via split decision in 2019.
However, the eight-division world champion’s battle with his American opponent ended in a majority draw, with a judge awarding the fight 115-113 in favor of Barrios, while the other two cards scored 114-114.
“I thought I won the fight. I mean, it was a close fight. My opponent was very tough. But it was a wonderful fight,” Pacquiao said afterwards.
“He threw punches in combination with defense, so it was hard,” the world-renowned Filipino boxer added.
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