FILIPINO boxing legend Manny Pacquiao placed a new battery in the grandfather clock and proceeded to roll back the hands of time in the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, last night. In the end, Mario Barrios kept his WBC welterweight title by majority draw, but Barrios could not wrestle the narrative away from the seemingly ageless returning hero.
Some 16 years Pacquiao’s junior, Texan Barrios, 30, received a 115-113 scorecard from Max DeLuca, while Tim Cheatham and Steve Weisfeld locked the pair in at six rounds apiece, 114-114, after 12 spirited rounds of endeavour.
Despite pre-fight reports from the Philippines suggesting that the people who once so fervently followed their iconic champion into every battle had grown weary of his cause (with some stating they weren’t even aware of this fight), the crowd in Las Vegas showed differently.
Pacquiao fever was alive and well as they welcomed him with gusto, roared his every feint, punch and roll, before showing their displeasure at the outcome.
Pacquiao will inevitably box again. After this display, how could he hang up the gloves? Predictably stating that he thought he did enough to win, while also crediting the strength of youthful Barrios, Manny used his speed and in-and-out flurries to offset Barrios early on.
Barrios’ jab was working well, but Pacquiao’s fast hands set him apart in the middle rounds, leaving the champion with work to do down the stretch if he was to retain his strap at 147 pounds.
Mario was able to land those elusive heavier shots in both the 11th and 12th rounds, closing up the scorecards and enabling him to keep a firmer grip on his belt. “It was an absolute honour to share the ring with him,” Barrios said afterwards.
The build-up had been entirely cordial, with the champ even appearing a little starstruck at the magnitude of this opportunity. Even when he attempted to add a little bite (“If he’s hurt, I’ll have to finish him”), Barrios struggled to inject the venom required.
Boxing with long-time trainer Freddie Roach in his corner, now 69-8-3 (39 KOs), Pacquiao’s insistence on inspiring his people shows no limits.
It will actually be bizarrely intriguing to see where he goes next. Perhaps a rematch with Barrios, 29-2-2 (18 KOs) could be on offer. Pac certainly seemed open to that prospect, and who would rule him out getting over the line this time?
