Most people you speak to today, be they boxing experts, both active and retired fighters, and fans, agree: living legend Manny Pacquiao should have had his hands raised last night in Las Vegas, this after the 46-year-old’s incredible comeback effort against defending WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. Instead, Pac-Man had to settle for a majority draw, with the scores being 115-113 for Barrios and two scores of 114-114.
Pacquiao Wins? Experts Disagree Judges
People like Jim Gray, Chris Algieri, Shawn Porter, George Kambosos, and many others believed Manny Pacquiao would win. While a report from Fox Sports is headlined as follows: “Incompetent judges torched as 46-year-old Pacquiao denied world title history.”
Speaking after his simply amazing, he’s-still-got-it performance, Pacquiao said he felt he won the fight by a margin of eight rounds to four. Echoing this at the post-fight presser was Manny’s long-time trainer, Freddie Roach. Pac-Man said that despite the disappointment of the draw, he is “back” and “still here.” That Pacquiao is, and there is already plenty of speculation regarding who he might fight next, a rematch with Barrios or someone else.
Pacquiao’s Return: Still Got It
“I thought that after the 12 rounds, I won the fight like – my analysis is I won 8 to 4,” Pacquiao said. “That’s my analysis for the fight. But the thing is, I’m surprised by the announcement. So, I did my best in the ring. The fans [were] happy with my performance. But it’s all right. Pac-Man is back, so I’m still here.”
Roach, who erroneously said Pacquiao scored a knockdown in round two, one that wasn’t called (the replays show Barrios did in fact slip, as referee Thomas Taylor ruled), had his fighter winning by the same 8-4 margin.
Freddie Roach: Pacquiao Won 8-4
“We had a great fight. Manny fought very well,” Roach said at the same post-fight presser. “And he even had a knockdown in there somewhere. But I thought he won the fight 8 to 4. But that’s the way things go, and we would like a rematch straight away.”
It seems as though, for Barrios, there is no bigger money fight out there for him right now, and that the still WBC champ will agree to face Pacquiao again. Who knows for sure, but with most people feeling Manny won last night, it seems there’s a great chance that rematch will happen.
Can Pacquiao win the WBC welterweight title next year, at the age of 47?
