Mario Barrios Retains WBC Welterweight Title in a Majority Draw as Manny Pacquiao’s Return Disappoints

Manny Pacquiao faced off against skepticism, the odds, and even the passage of time on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Despite his efforts, he narrowly missed securing victory on the judges’ scorecards, resulting in a majority draw with Mario Barrios, which allowed Barrios to keep his WBC welterweight title.

Two judges scored the bout a draw, and Barrios was given a 115-113 victory on the third card.

Last month, Pacquiao was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and he aimed to top his own record as the oldest welterweight champion. He previously clinched this title at the age of 40 when he won a split decision against Keith Thurman in 2019. This bout was Pacquiao’s return to the ring after nearly four years, following a unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugás, marking a comeback for the 46-year-old boxing legend from the Philippines.

Barrios, hailing from San Antonio and 30 years old, was considered the favorite with -275 odds at BetMGM Sportsbook. He sought to rebound from a split-decision draw against Abel Ramos on November 15, yet his performance in the ring did not decisively reflect a clear-cut victory as he brought his record to 29-2-2. The outcome was met with booing from the predominantly Pacquiao-supporting crowd.

Pacquiao’s resume includes 12 world championships in eight divisions. He now is 62-9-2 and said right after the fight this likely wasn’t his last.

Sebastian Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) retained his WBC super welterweight title when Tim Tszyu (25-3) didn’t come out for the eighth round in the co-main event. Fundora floored Tszyu with a left hand in the first round and dominated the action with 118 power punches, according to Compubox, by repeatedly backing down the Australian.

“I’m the bigger guy,” said Fundora, who led 69-63 on all three judges’ cards. “Everyone says I’m a bully in the ring, so I thought I should start really bullying these guys. I just kept working on aggression my whole career and we’ve just been adding.”

It was a big week for Fundora, who was accepted into Harvard and then won the rematch with Tszyu. The first fight on March 30, 2024 was much closer, with Fundora emerging with a split-decision victory.

The Coachella, California, resident also had been the WBO champion, but that organization stripped him of his belt for not fighting mandatory challenger Xander Zayas.