Pacquiao s valiant return ends in draw: Barrios retains title in Las Vegas thriller!

Las Vegas witnessed a dramatic and intensely fought welterweight championship bout as boxing icon Manny Pacquiao made a valiant comeback attempt, only to see Mario Barrios retain his WBC title via a majority draw. The 46-year-old Pacquiao, stepping back into the ring after a four-year absence, appeared to be ahead on the scorecards heading into the tenth round. However, all three judges ultimately scored the final three rounds in favor of his significantly younger opponent.

Of the three judges, two scored the contest as a draw, while the third controversially awarded Barrios a narrow 115-113 victory. Pacquiao had entered the fight with the ambition of breaking his own record as the oldest welterweight champion, a title he secured in 2019 at the age of 40.

Barrios, who came into the fight as the betting favorite, acknowledged the grueling nature of the encounter, failing to secure a convincing victory that many had anticipated. Post-fight, Pacquiao expressed his belief that he had done enough to win. "I thought I won the fight," he stated. "A close fight. My opponent was very tough. A wonderful fighter."

Barrios, for his part, showed immense respect for his legendary opponent. "It was an honour to share the ring with him," he commented. "This is by far the biggest event I've had to date, and we came in here and left everything in the ring. I have nothing but respect for Manny." He further praised Pacquiao's enduring qualities: "His stamina is crazy. He's still strong as hell and his timing is real. He's still a very awkward fighter to try to figure out."

In the night's co-main event, Sebastian Fundora successfully retained his WBC super welterweight title after his opponent, Australia's Tim Tszyu, did not emerge for the eighth round of their rematch. The outcome of the main event now opens the door for Conor Benn, who is eligible to challenge Barrios for what would be his first world title shot.