Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios Result Sparks Controversy

Boxing great Manny Pacquiao made his return to the ring on Saturday after a near four-year absence from the sport and there is controversy surrounding the result of his bout with Mario Barrios.

With the WBC welterweight title on the line, Barrios and Pacquiao battled to a draw that allowed Barrios to keep his crown, with two judges scoring the bout a 114-114 draw, while the other scored the bout 115-113 in favor of Barrios.

Despite being 46 years old and not having fought in almost four years, Pacquiao looked like his vintage self at times and clearly gave the champion a run for his money, at the very least.

But the result has drawn the ire of many boxing fans and analysts, who feel that Pacquiao should have been crowed the winner.

"It is an extraordinary achievement for Pacquiao to have even heard the final bell, but he was deserving of a win," Allan Dawson of Uncrowned explained before noting that the outlet scored the fight 116-113 for Pacquiao.

"No fighter in boxing history has been robbed as many times as Manny Pacquiao," one fan wrote after the result came in.

"People accused Manny Pacquiao of taking a cash grab fight," another fan stated. "At the age of 46, Pacquiao just beat the WBC Welterweight (champion) Mario Barrios. No matter what the scorecards say, we witnessed greatness from Pacquiao."

And we would've witnessed history had Pacquiao been given the win. He would have become the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history, breaking the record he previously set at the age of 40 back in 2019.

The sport of boxing is no stranger to controversial finishes. It looks like we can add this one to the long list.

Now, it'll be interesting to see if Pacquiao gets a rematch, something he clearly deserves after what transpired on Saturday night.

Related: Manny Pacquiao Addresses Age Concerns Amid Return to Boxing