Some nights, boxing writes its own script, and on July 19, 2025, the MGM Grand played host to one of its wildest. Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao, part-Southpaw superhero, part-forgotten fable, returned at 46 to defy both time and logic against Mario Barrios, the six-foot Texan with youth on his side, a gleaming WBC belt, and no reverence for legacy. Pacquiao made his entrance, radiating energy, with that iconic bob and weave still intact, draped in the colors that represent a nation’s pride. The cameras were rolling as the crowd erupted, old and new fans alike chanting his name and fueling the electric atmosphere. Barrios was able to snag a few rounds and at times set the tempo with his jab, but his attempts came too late and too inconsistently to take charge of the fight. After twelve grueling rounds, the judges’ scorecards revealed a result that left many in the arena and those tuning in at home scratching their heads.
And now, Keith Thurman, whose only professional loss came at the hands of Manny Pacquiao back in 2019, had a front-row seat, figuratively and financially, for Pacquiao’s return against Mario Barrios. Thurman, who bounced back from that defeat by outpointing Barrios in 2022, offered a telling verdict after the fight. Speaking to Fight Hype just a few hours ago, Thurman claimed he saw the result coming from a mile away. When asked why he had predicted a draw, he replied, “I said the casino don’t want to let Manny lose. And I knew it was rare, because Mario Barrios just came off of a draw, but I said man, I know.”
Thurman then pulled out his betting receipt, revealing what he had wagered, and how much he walked away with. When asked by the reporter, “You won $8,500?” Thurman responded with a grin, “Easy work. I don’t know. Maybe I know boxing, maybe I don’t.” He then went on to praise Barrios’ performance, saying: “Mario Barrios has a good jab. I said his strength is his poise. He stayed poised and was composed the whole time. His jab was really good tonight. I said he needs to make the old man use those legs, and he did.”
While Thurman acknowledged Barrios executed his strategy well, he also pointed out where Manny Pacquiao faltered. “Pacquiao, he was popping in, but he was getting caught a little bit on the way out,” he explained. “Look, I tried to explain boxing to you all. It don’t matter what you think—there are three judges, and they’re different every single day, every fight night. Those three judges, that’s all that matters. The fight’s over, and it is what it is.”
Still, not everyone agreed with the judges. Pacquiao’s longtime trainer Freddie Roach saw the fight differently. “I thought he won the fight eight to four, but that’s the way things go,” Roach said, before adding, “and we would like a rematch right away for sure.” Now, with Pacquiao signaling that he’s open to a few more fights, the big question is: what’s next for the Filipino icon?
Next time, Manny Pacquiao better watch his step
With Floyd Mayweather hinting at a comeback and Claressa Shields voicing her belief that he could still compete with “best men in the world right now,” speculation is running wild. Adding fuel to the fire, Manny Pacquiao himself has expressed interest in facing big names like Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia. So when Fight Hype asked Keith Thurman if Gervonta is still realistic options after Pacquiao’s performance, the former world champion didn’t hesitate. “Oh yeah, no. He [Pacquiao] can get hurt,” Thurman warned, clearly skeptical about Pacquiao going toe-to-toe with a younger, explosive fighter like Tank Davis.
When asked whether a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch would still generate interest, Thurman was quick to respond: “It will always make money. The two big names, you know it will make money.” But he also made it clear that Pacquiao would need to be sharper next time if he hopes to win. “I saw Pacquiao not fully Pacquiao,” Thurman explained. “He was trying it. He was doing his muscle memory stuff and he still was catching Mario Barrios a little bit, but he couldn’t press, press, press. He faded towards the end. But this was his first fight back, so maybe he does have the potential to get better conditioning and shake off the rust.”
With the bout declared a draw, Barrios retains the WBC welterweight title and has already expressed interest in running it back, saying he’d “love to do it again.” So that leaves Manny Pacquiao with some tough choices ahead. That said, should he chase a rematch and try to reclaim the belt? Or roll the dice on one last mega-fight with either Floyd Mayweather or Gervonta Davis?
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