LAS VEGAS. Manny Pacquiao defied age and expectations in his return to the ring on Saturday night, but ultimately fell short of reclaiming championship glory as Mario Barrios retained his WBC welterweight title with a majority draw.
Two judges scored the bout 114–114, while the third gave Barrios a narrow 115–113 edge. With the result, Barrios, 30, kept his title, extending his record to 29 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws.
Pacquiao, now 46 and recently inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, was attempting to break his own record as the oldest welterweight champion. His last title win came in 2019 against Keith Thurman when he was 40. This marked his first fight in nearly four years, following a 2021 loss to Yordenis Ugás.
The Filipino legend now holds a record of 62 wins, 9 losses, and 2 draws. Despite the result, Pacquiao hinted he might not be done yet. The largely pro-Pacquiao crowd in Las Vegas booed the decision, many believing he had done enough to win.
In the co-main event, Sebastian Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) successfully defended his WBC super welterweight title after Tim Tszyu (25-3) failed to continue beyond the eighth round. Fundora dropped Tszyu in the first round and overwhelmed him with 118 power punches, leading all three scorecards 69–63.
“It’s all about aggression,” said Fundora, who also made headlines this week after being accepted into Harvard. His dominant win follows a close split-decision victory over Tszyu in their first bout in March. Fundora was previously the WBO titleholder but was stripped of that belt for not facing mandatory challenger Xander Zayas.
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