Manny Pacquiao electrified Las Vegas once more, nearly 24 years since he debuted with a massive upset against Lehlo Ledwaba for the IBF junior featherweight title.
Pacquiao, 46, pushed WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to the edge in a pulsating and captivating title bout on July 19 at MGM Grand.
The Filipino boxing legend lost the fight on the judges’ scorecards in the final three rounds.
Two judges scored the bout 114-114, while the third judge saw it 115-113 for Barrios, who won all the last three rounds to retain his belt.
After the controversial decision, Pacquiao, who thought he won the fight, immediately called for a rematch.
“I need to continue my training for longer going into a championship fight,” said Pacquiao post-fight. “Because of the election, I started late, but it’s OK. Of course, I’d like a rematch. I want to leave a legacy and make the Filipino people proud.”
Barrios immediately welcomed it, though nothing official yet.
“I’ll do the rematch,” Barrios said during the post-fight interview. “Absolutely. This was huge for boxing. I’d love to do it again.”
Robbery Claims Make Strong Case for Rematch
Veteran boxing writer Dan Rafael, who has been covering Pacquiao since the early 2000s, could not believe the result.
“That’s just absolutely awful. Beyond awful. Complete fuckeration,” Rafael wrote on X.
Combat sports editor Alan Dawson said Pacquiao was robbed.
“Really feels like Manny Pacquiao just got robbed of a legendary win befitting of a legendary career,” Dawson wrote on X.
Two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter, who sparred with Pacquiao before, slammed the judges’ decision.
“Yea I knew the BS was comin. I’m sick!!” Porter wrote on X.
WBC featherweight champion Stephen Fulton made it clear who won in his book.
“Pac-Man won,” Fulton wrote on X.
According to Compubox stats, Pacquiao landed more power punches against the passive Barrios 81-75, but the Mexican-American champion worked his way back into the fight with his jabs.
Barrios more than doubled Pacquiao’s jabs, 45-20, and outpunched the older yet more energetic foe overall, 120-101.
Former IBO lightweight champion George Kambosos, Jr. said Pacquiao should have won the fight.
“I thought he won it!!!! Either way at 46, you’re an absolute legend. An inspiration. And an amazing human being,” Kambosos wrote on X.
WBC lightweight title holder Shakur Stevenson was also appalled.
“Decision was crazy,” Stevenson wrote on X. He earlier wrote, ” Pac Man [is] dominating to me.”
Pacquiao’s Rich Purse
Pacquiao’s ageless performance will earn him a cool $17 to $18 million, including pay-per-view shares, according to Marca.
It was a good payday for Pacquiao, who lost a good chunk of his wealth in the 2022 presidential elections and 2025 senatorial elections in the Philippines.
Pacquiao, who grew up in poverty, has an estimated $575 million in career earnings as a boxer — or $775 million adjusted for inflation, before facing Barrios, according to Sporting News.
Pacquiao has brought in nearly $1.3 billion in revenue in his pay-per-view fights, with $400 million coming from his highly publicized 2015 fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao raked in an estimated $130 million from the bout.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Pacquiao has an estimated net worth of $220 million.
On the other hand, Barrios will earn no more than $2.5 million. While the champion’s earnings pale in comparison to Pacquiao’s, it represents the biggest single-fight earnings of his career, according to Marca.
Pacquiao Reveals Next Move After Controversial Draw vs. Barrios