Manny Pacquaio and Boxing Fans Robbed in Las Vegas
Manny Pacquiao was denied the chance to make history on Saturday night in Las Vegas, where the retired boxing legend aimed to regain his welterweight title from reigning champion Mario Barrios. Most of the 13,000 spectators crowding the MGM Grand Garden Arena felt similarly cheated, reacting with loud boos when the ring announcer declared: “The decision is a majority draw.”
The 46-year-old Pacquiao, who stepped away from the sport four years ago with a record of 29-2-2 and 18 KOs, established an early advantage in his return, delivering rapid combinations of punches that unsettled Barrios.
“I thought I won the fight,” he said afterward.
The three judges had different opinions. One judge had the fight 115-113 for Barrios, while the other two perceived it as a 114-114 tie.
Manny is down!
The judges announced Pacquiao in the lead as they entered the 10th round. In the last three rounds, the ex-champion hit just 101 of his 577 punches (17.5%) compared to Barrios’ 120 out of 658 (18.2%). Pacquiao had the advantage in power punches (81 to 75), though many weren't precise or impactful, whereas Barrios effectively utilized his jab and countered skillfully.
The ring announcer attempted to placate the unhappy fans by raising both fighters' hands high in triumph. However, the booing increased significantly after he clarified the consequences of the draw: “And, naturally, in that situation, the champion keeps his title.”
If Pacquiao had won, he would have etched his name in history as the second-oldest boxer to secure a significant world title — after Bernard Hopkins, who achieved this at 49 in 2014 — and as the first boxer to claim a major world championship following his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Pacquiao, who secured 12 world boxing championships over eight weight classes in 26 years, became the oldest athlete to claim the welterweight title in 2019, achieving this at the age of 40.
This marked Pacquiao's initial bout since 2021, when he was defeated by current welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas at T-Mobile Arena.
