Manny Pacquiao‘s return to the ring after four years was dramatic, emotional – and controversial.
The 46-year-old boxing icon fought Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on Saturday night, and despite showing flashes of his vintage brilliance, Pacquiao had to settle for a majority draw that left fans and analysts stunned.
Two of the judges scored the fight 114-114, while one gave it to Barrios, 115-113, allowing the defending champion to retain his belt. But Pacquiao made one thing clear after the final bell – he believes he won and wants a rematch.
“I thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao said. “Of course I’d like a rematch. I want to leave a legacy and make the Filipino people proud.”
Pacquiao admits training delays hurt his performance
The Filipino great, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in the Philippines earlier this year, acknowledged that his late start in training impacted his conditioning. He was sharp early, landing strong combinations and setting the pace, but he slowed noticeably in the middle rounds – a shift that gave Barrios a path back into the fight.
“I need to continue my training for longer going into a championship fight,” Pacquiao admitted. “Because of the election I started late, but it’s OK.”
Many fans, pundits, and even fighters felt the decision was unjust. Boxing promoter Lou DiBella said Pacquiao was “robbed of a legendary win,” while Alan Dawson called it a missed opportunity for a historic comeback.
Statistically, the match was close. Pacquiao landed 101 punches to Barrios’ 120, but led in power punches 81 to 75, suggesting his shots may have carried more impact.
Barrios, now 29-2-2, welcomed the idea of a rematch. “I’ll do the rematch. Absolutely. This was huge for boxing. I’d love to do it again.”
And so would Pacquiao – but this time, with more time to prepare and one goal in mind: to end his legendary career on his own terms.
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