Manny Pacquiao’s much-anticipated return to the boxing ring ended in a razor-thin loss, as Mario Barrios held on to his WBC welterweight crown via majority decision at the MGM Grand Arena on Saturday night (Sunday in Manila).
“I thought I won the fight. It was a close fight,” said the 46-year-old Pacquiao, after judges scored the bout 115-113 and 114-114 (twice), tipping the decision in favor of the younger Barrios.
Despite the setback, Pacquiao—boxing’s only eight-division world champion—delivered a performance far stronger than his last outing in 2021, when he lost to Yordenis Ugas. This time, he went the distance with Barrios, showing flashes of his trademark speed and aggression.
“I was more tactical in this fight than my last time fighting. I needed to be more active and throw more punches, because that’s my style,” Pacquiao explained.
Barrios, however, kept his composure and executed a disciplined strategy. Using his jab to control the distance and land clean combinations, he managed to frustrate Pacquiao’s offense and prevent a decisive momentum swing.
Still, Pacquiao’s grit and resilience at 46 earned respect from the crowd—and from Barrios himself.
“He was very tough,” Pacquiao acknowledged. “I had to find a way to finish the fight better but my opponent is so tough. He threw a lot of good combinations and had defense. It was a tough fight.”
The boxing icon’s record now stands at 62 wins, 8 losses, and 3 draws, with 39 knockouts—yet his comeback proved that the fighting heart that built his legendary career remains very much alive.
