| Screenshot from YouTube
NEW YORK – The highly anticipated bout between Mario Barrios and Manny Pacquiao ended in a majority draw — Barrios retained his WBC welterweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
After 12 rounds, one judge, Steve Weisfeld from New Jersey, scored it 115-113 for Barrios, while the other two, Tim Cheatham from Nevada and Max DeLuca from New York, scored it 114-114, resulting in a majority draw. Pacquiao, returning to the ring at age 46 after nearly four years, showed flashes of his legendary speed and timing early on. Barrios, the younger and taller fighter, used his jab effectively to control distance and land clean counters.
In the early rounds, Pacquiao displayed his vintage speed, coming out aggressive, landing crisp jabs and combinations that had the crowd roaring. In the following rounds, Barrios began adjusting, using his reach to land clean jabs and counter Pacquiao’s flurries.
A tactical shift happened in the mid-fight. In Rounds 4-7, Barrios gained momentum, landing sharp counters and controlling distance with his jab. In Round 6, a stiff jab from Barrios snapped Pacquiao’s head back, signaling a shift in control.
In Round 8, Pacquiao surged with a flurry of punches, landing several clean left hands that rattled Barrios. By Round 10, Paquiao stunned Barrios with a combination, forcing a standing eight count – arguably the fight’s most dramatic moment. In the last round, both fighters traded shots, but Barrios landed a strong right hand and uppercut to close the bout.
Fans watching the bout in a house party in Queens, NY, –mostly Pacquiao fans — felt that Pacquiao’s early dominance and late-round flurries should have tipped the fight in his favor. They argued that Barrios was too cautious, showing excessive respect and failing to take action.
The pro-Pacquiao camp erupted with every punch he landed, while others pointed to Barrios’ cleaner counters and ring generalship.
As the Barrios-Pacquiao ended, conversations grew louder in the room, where Barrios earning a draw joins a list of controversial moments in Pacquiao’s storied career, where razor-thin margins and questionable judging left fans fuming and debating, including this one in Queens.
For example, they recalled the Pacquiao-Bradley bout in 2012, which Bradley won via split decision. Pacquiao landed more punches and controlled the pace, yet two judges gave it to Bradley. There was widespread outrage, even HBO’s unofficial scorer had Pacquiao winning 11 of 12 rounds.
Another bout, which was raised from memory during the conversation, was the Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn match in 2017, which Horn won via unanimous decision. Despite Horn’s aggressive style, many in the room felt Pacquiao landed cleaner shots and deserved the win. ESPN’s stats, they recalled, showed Pacquiao outlanded Horn in total punches.
Pacquiao’s bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015 was another highly controversial event. It was less about judging and more about expectations. Fans felt Pacquiao’s shoulder injury and Mayweather’s defensive style robbed the fight of drama. Pacquiao later said he fought injured, fueling debate over fairness and transparency.
Mayweather won by unanimous decision. While the bout broke pay-per-view records, many fans felt it didn’t live up to the excitement due to Mayweather’s defensive style and Pacquiao’s shoulder injury revelation afterward.
It was a dramatic clash of eras — Pacquiao’s legacy versus Barrios’ youth and precision. The million-dollar question is whether a rematch is in the future. Both fighters are open to it. “Of course I’d like a rematch, I want to leave a legacy and make the Filipino people proud,” Pacquiao said.
According to boxing promoters, a rematch could occur later this year or in early 2026, depending on the outcome of negotiations. It’s also seen as a way to settle unfinished business and possibly set up a future mega-fight, like the rumored Mayweather rematch.
“I’ll do the rematch. Absolutely,” Barrios responded. “This was huge for boxing. I’d love to do it again.”
Thomas Taylor, a seasoned official from California, refereed the bout. He has officiated multiple high-profile fights, including previous bouts involving Barrios. This was Pacquiao’s first fight with Taylor as referee, despite it being his 23rd bout in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas has hosted many of Pacquiao’s most iconic fights, and the MGM Grand is practically a second home for him in the boxing world.
