THOSE GLOVES STAY ON
LAS VEGAS—Putting everything into equation, Manny Pacquiao still came out a winner in his return from a four-year retirement.
He definitely didn’t lose, either, as the 46-year-old legend battled a much younger and bigger champion in his prime in Mario Barrios to a majority draw on Saturday night before a capacity crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena here.
Despite falling short in his shot at breaking his own record as the oldest welterweight champion in history, Pacquiao showed that he is still a force 30 years since making his pro debut as a 16-year-old light flyweight.
He convincingly showed everyone that he still can go on.
“Of course I’d like a rematch. I want to leave a legacy and make the Filipino people proud,” Pacquiao, who landed more power shots than Barrios, said, even though his legacy has already been written years and years ago.
“I’ll do the rematch. Absolutely. This was huge for boxing. I’d love to do it again,” said Barrios, who churned out a draw for the second straight time in an eight-month span to keep his WBC welterweight crown.
Pacquiao’s power and tricky style—the elements that gave him a record eight division titles—were something that had Barrios in awe.
“His stamina is crazy. He’s still strong as hell and his timing is real,” said Barrios, who got the nod of one of the judges at 115-113 while the other two scored the bout even at 114-114. “He’s still a very awkward fighter to try to figure out.
“He still has a lot of crack, he’s still very explosive and very tricky,” Barrios went on.
There’s definitely no doubt that Pacquiao sold this match out and Barrios obviously wants something like this happening again.
Sean Gibbons, though, doesn’t see it that way.
“Manny Pacquiao beat Mario Barrios. What’s the need to fight him again?,” Gibbons said. “If Manny wants to fight again, there’s fighters like Rolly Romero, there’s fighters like Gervonta Davis.
“Not a knock on Barrios, I like him, I like everybody around him, but he doesn’t move the needle,” Gibbons went on. “He’s just a nice person. Nobody wants to see a nice person. You need a Rolly Romero, you need a Gervonta Davis.”
The 29-year-old Romero owns the WBA (regular) welterweight belt after beating Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision last May.
Davis, meanwhile, is the WBA champion at 135 pounds and last fought Lamont Roach in a bout that ended by majority draw four months ago.
Pacquiao is also keeping the door open on a potential rematch with rival Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Ever since their 2015 megafight won by Mayweather, talks of a potential second meeting have come up often.
“Let’s fight again if he wants. I have no problem with that,” Pacquiao said. “I’m active now. I don’t pick my opponent and I fight them all in my division.”
Turning 47 on December, Pacquiao said whether the rematch will happen or not is up to Mayweather, who has remained retired since stopping Conor McGregor in August 2017.
“Manny Pacquiao is back and the journey continues,” the Pacman declared.
