Then at 46 years old, Manny Pacquiao made history by fighting his way back to become the welterweight champion again. He then fought Mario Barrios in the same venue, but the bout was ruled a majority draw. The fight went the distance in twelve exciting rounds. It would be a historic night for Pacquiao, who was looking to become the oldest welterweight champion—and oldest man overall—to ever win a title in boxing and win his 13th world title.
In those first few rounds in the fight, Pacquiao showed his ring IQ and know-how. After ten rounds, he was ahead on all three cards. As the fight went on, Barrios, 30, stormed back in championship rounds. He squeezed past in one judge’s scorecard at 115-113. The other two judges disagreed, each scoring the bout a 114-114 draw. Barrios continued his journey on Feb. 8, when he successfully defended his WBC welterweight title. With this victory, his record improves to 29-2-2, 18 KOs.
Pacquiao said after the fight that he should have trained more in advance.
“I need to continue my training for longer going into a championship fight,” – Manny Pacquiao
His comeback was impressive in nature. Only a month earlier, he’d been enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. That’s exactly what Pacquiao wants. His desire to leave a legacy and make his fellow countrymen proud is palpable.
“Because of the election, I started late, but it’s OK. Of course, I’d like a rematch. I want to leave a legacy and make the Filipino people proud,” – Manny Pacquiao
Barrios too sounded excited about a possible rematch, acknowledging that the first contest’s outcome would be monumental for boxing.
“I’ll do the rematch. Absolutely. This was huge for boxing. I’d love to do it again,” – Mario Barrios
The fight not only highlighted Pacquiao’s enduring talent but Barrios’ determination to defend his title against one of boxing’s legends. Now it’s up to both fighters to determine their next steps. In the other corner, passionate supporters from both institutions hope to witness yet another spectacular installment of their bitter rivalry.
