Manny Pacquiao looks back at the clock but settles with Mario Barrios | Boxing

When the last bell rings, Manny Pacquiao Everything has been done except to win the battle. He outscored the title by knocking out a 16-year champion Saturday night in Las Vegas, but the scorecard told a different story.

Pacquiao returned to the field with a dynamic return as he beat WBC middleweight champion Mario Barrios by majority vote in a four-year layoff match. One judge scored 115-113 in Barrios and another scored 114-114, and the 30-year-old Texan was able to keep his belt with the narrowest profits. (Guardian scores Pacquiao 115-113)

“I thought I won the battle,” Pacquiao said afterwards. “It was a close fight. My opponent was very tough. It was a wonderful battle.”

It turned out to meet the storm of the Pro-Pacquiao crowd inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which spent most of the time roaring in support of the 46-year-old man from the Philippines. For most of the rounds, it looks like they will witness history again.

Starting from the first round of the tour, Pacquiao fights with surprising urgency, using angle and volume punches and his signature hand speed to offset Barrios’ height, youth and four inches to reach the ascending advantage. He won a string of jabs and the first frame of his left hand, and cheered loudly with each punch on his landing.

Although Barrios began to find his home with his poke and right-handed the second time, Pacquiao restored control on the third time and restored control with a sharp pace and faster hand, determining the pace of the movement. He rushes to his left hand, buzzes in sixth place, and shoots the Champions Square again and again. “His endurance, he can still crack it,” Barrios said. “He’s still as strong as hell. His timing, rhythm, everything. He’s still a very awkward warrior trying to figure it out.”

Pacquiao’s performance, especially from the sixth to the ninth round, has the feeling of time twisting. He pulls in and out of range with smooth footwork and mixes together like a man of age. By the end of the 10th, Pacquiao seemed to be in the lead on the scorecard. Even Barrios seems to admit that he has to dig deeper to close the gap. “It doesn’t have to stay away from me,” Barrios said. “I just know I have to try to strengthen it to really consolidate the victory.”

To its credit, Barrios did that. He apparently won Game 11, landed his best combination of the night and forced Pacquiao into a rare retreat sequence. On the 12th, he kept the pace high, traded shots and ended strong – enough to sweep the final three rounds on all three official cards and keep the WBC title at 147 pounds. “I thought I still took it out,” Barrios said. “But I still lean towards Manny. Sharing the ring with him is an absolute honor, and people who have a lot of experience in the sport have achieved a lot. We left everything on the ring. There is nothing else but love and respect.”

This battle marks the first since Pacquiao His unanimous decision on Yordenis Ugás loss In 2021. Last month, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and few people hope he will compete again at this level, let alone push the ruler to the edge. “I have more experience,” Pacquiao said. “I’m more tactical fighter than before. I’m not as careless as I was when I was young. Now I’m more careful.”

This maturity is shown in his footwork, selective bursts and senior Nous, including moments when he himself seems to be picking for a battle. But even Pacquiao admits that his comeback training camp was rushed. “I only have two months of training,” he said. “What I need to do is continue my training. In a championship battle like this, I should train for four months, [or at least] Three and a half months. But due to the Philippine election, I started to be late. But that doesn’t matter. I love the Filipino people and I love to win honors for my country. ”

Pacquiao’s career record is now at 62-9-3 with a 39 knockout match, saying he’s “absolutely” considering fighting again and making it clear that he wants to play again. “Yes, of course,” he said. “This is the only legacy I can leave behind. Give inspiration to the people of the Philippines, wherever you are, be proud of it.”

After Barrios’ second straight draw, his ledger moved to 29-2-2, which seemed open to the idea. “Absolutely. It’s huge for boxing,” he said. “He and I were able to bring here today and I would love to do it again.”

Pacquiao has been forty years since his professional debut, proving once again that this age is just a number, and even in a draw, greatness still has the power to inspire. “This is the inspiration for the old boxer,” Pacquiao said. “If you have discipline and hard work, you can still fight. I am so grateful to God because without God, Manny Pacquiao wouldn’t be here. God is the source of all the strength and good health I have right now.”