Pacquiao's return to professional boxing after a three-year break raised eyebrows. Many wondered if he could still perform at his age after such a long time away. But the former eight-division world champion silenced the doubters by going the full 12 rounds in a competitive battle.
The judges couldn't separate the two fighters. One scored it 115-113 for Barrios, while the other two had it even at 114-114. Despite the official result, many fans felt Pacquiao should have gotten the nod.
Now, Pacquiao's got options. He could run it back with Barrios or look at other big names in the division. One potential matchup that's got people talking is a fight with Ryan Garcia.
Garcia's been tipped for big things in boxing. He's got wins over Javier Fortuna and Francisco Fonseca under his belt. But he's yet to claim a world title and suffered a surprise defeat to Rolly Romero in May.
James Toney, a boxing legend in his own right, thinks Pacquiao would handle Garcia easily. In an interview with FightHype.com, Toney said:
"Manny Pacquiao knocks him out. Ryan Garcia ain't ready for Pacquiao, man. Pacquiao's too fast, too strong."
Another name in the mix is Rolly Romero. Fresh off his win over Garcia, Romero's shown interest in facing Pacquiao. There's also talk of a rematch with Garcia, so Romero's got options too.
Whatever Pacquiao decides to do next, he's proved he can still hang with the best. At 46, that's no small feat. The boxing world will be watching closely to see what the Filipino icon does next.