Manny Pacquiao stepped back into the ring earlier this month, facing off against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 46-year-old Filipino legend's return ended in a majority draw, with two judges scoring the bout 114-114 and one giving a slight edge to Barrios at 115-113.
This fight marked Pacquiao's first appearance in the ring in nearly four years. His last bout was a unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas, where he lost his WBA welterweight title. Despite the long layoff, the eight-division world champion showed he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.
The draw with Barrios proved that Pacquiao can still hold his own against top-tier opponents. At 40, he became the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history, a testament to his enduring skills and determination.
Former opponent Keith Thurman has now called out Pacquiao for a rematch. In an interview, Thurman shared his thoughts on potentially facing Pacquiao again:
"Manny Pacquiao's his own referee. I don't know how much you know about Manny Pacquiao's history, he calls for breaks, he calls his own low blows, he'll deduct a point from you when he wants to so you gotta be careful with Manny Pacquiao being his own judge in there."
Thurman expressed mixed feelings about a potential rematch:
"You know it's hard, there's a part of me that would love an opportunity to get back in this arena to fight Manny Pacquiao again, for myself, for my record, for the fans, but you know I'm just going to look and see what comes next man, because I'm gonna be fighting this year guaranteed."
The history between Pacquiao and Thurman dates back to 2019 when Pacquiao dethroned Thurman for the WBA welterweight title. Since then, Thurman has been working his way back up the ranks. He recently stopped Brock Jarvis in the third round of their fight in Sydney.
Thurman's not putting all his eggs in one basket, though. He's also targeting a fight with rising star Jaron Ennis. As for Pacquiao, the draw with Barrios leaves his future in the ring open to speculation. Will he continue to chase titles, or will this be the last time we see the Filipino legend lace up his gloves? Only time will tell.
