Manny Pacquiao showed his respect to the WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios and thanked him on social media for their fight last Saturday night. The 46-year-old Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 COs) said he felt ‘in the ring’ in the ring after four years of inactivity.
Fans believe Manny won
Manny chose not to discuss the results of their fight, which was a 12-round majority. Pacquiao said the media at the press conference after the fight that he felt he had won the fight 8-4, and that he wanted a re-broadcast.
Pacquiao’s fans agree. They felt that he had won the battle. However, the judges got it right. Barrios got better in six of the rounds. Pacquiao was exhausted after the ninth round, allowing Barrios to wipe the last three rounds of the fight.
What was disturbing was that after the fight, Pacquiao said he would be back and plan to continue. There is nothing positive that can fight Pacquiao that fights for him other than a payday against any of the top fighters. He does not have the youth to beat one of the good fighters at 147, 140 or even 135. He would lose against fighters outside the welterweight division if he fights against the top guys.
Advisor, Sean Gibbons, has since said he wants a bigger name for Pacquiao’s next battle that will bring in the PPV purchase. He calls Gerrvonta Davis and Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero.
It is generally believed that Pacquiao’s management deliberately chose Barrios because he is the most vulnerable champion at 147. For all the praise that Pacquiao received, it sounds bad that he has chosen what fans believe is the worst link between the welterweight champions instead of the best. They were able to WBO swelling champion Brian Norman jr. Choose chose.
Hearn’s warning: Ennis, Norman
Promoter Eddie Hearn said last Saturday that it would not end well for Pacquiao if he was against Norman Jr. Whether former IBF and WBA champion Jaron ‘Boots’ ended. Those guys don’t hold back with their blows as Barrios did strange.
They will drop off on Pacquiao and probably cut through him quickly. What we saw from Manny last Saturday, he would not last three rounds with Barrios or Ennis. He lost too much of his game to be competitive against those fighters/ not just them. Other welter weights are likely to dominate Pacquiao.
Thank you Lord for keeping us safe in the ring. I want to thank my wife, my children, my family, my team and everyone who supported me during this struggle.
For Mario Barrios, you are a real fighter. It was an honor to share the ring with you. Even after all these years I felt … pic.twitter.com/wzixtxpkfp
– Manny Pacquiao (@Mannypacquiao) July 21, 2025
Last updated on 07/21/2025
