Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KOs) and WBC Welterweight World Champion Mario Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) fought to a majority draw after 12 rounds in the main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
The 46-year-old Pacquiao performed reasonably well against Barrios, and at the end of the fight, it appeared he had an opportunity to pull off the win, but he fell just short.
One judge scored the fight 115-113 for Barrios, which was overruled by two judges who both scored the fight 114-114.
“I thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao said. ”It was a close fight. He was very tough. I worked hard and stayed disciplined. I always keep my body in shape so that I can do this.”
This was a very close fight, and according to CompuBox stats, Pacquiao held an 81-75 edge in power punches, while Barrios landed 45 jabs to Pacquiao’s 20. Overall, Barrios landed more punches(120-101).
Photos from Esther Lin/Premier Boxing Champions
The 27-year-old Barrios, who finished strong, avoided the loss by winning the final three rounds on all of the judges’ cards to earn the draw and retain his title.
After the fight, both fighters left no room for doubt; they are hungry for a rematch.
“Of course I’d like a rematch,” Pacquiao said. “I want to leave a legacy and make the Filipino people proud.”
“I’ll do the rematch,” Barrios said. “Absolutely. This was huge for boxing. I’d love to do it again.”
In watching this fight, it appeared that if Barrios put more pressure on Pacquiao, he could have won, but he didn’t, and he has to live with the draw.
Look, Pacquiao, who last fought in 2021, wanted to get in the ring with Barrios for a reason. He knew Barrios was vulnerable, and Pacquiao almost pulled it off. Therefore, Pacquiao should want the rematch.
Regarding Barrios, this is the biggest fight that can be made for him, so he should want the rematch as well.
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