Manny Pacquiao, at 46 years old, showed he's still got it. The Filipino boxing legend fought to a majority draw against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas last July.
The judges scored the bout 115-113 for Barrios and 114-114 twice, resulting in a draw that left many fans surprised and impressed by Pacquiao's performance.
Pacquiao hadn't won a fight in six years. His last victory came against Keith Thurman in July 2019, when he became the oldest welterweight world champion at 40. Since then, he lost to Yordenis Ugas in a WBA welterweight title clash in August 2021.
Many doubted Pacquiao could compete at this level due to his age and time away from the ring. But the Filipino icon proved the skeptics wrong, putting on an extremely competitive show throughout the 12-round bout. A lot of onlookers felt Pacquiao had done enough to win.
Barrios acknowledged Pacquiao's power and trickiness after the fight. He said:
"He still has a lot of crack… He was very explosive and very tricky and I wasn't trying to make a mistake by overcommitting on a shot that I wasn't sure of."
This cautious approach from Barrios likely contributed to the close nature of the contest.
Pacquiao's return to the ring at 46 has turned heads in the boxing world. His next move remains unknown, but multiple opponents are already calling him out for a fight. The boxing legend has proven he can still hang with the best, leaving fans eager to see what he'll do next.
