Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios

Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios, billed as Pacquiao Returns, was a professional boxing match for the WBC welterweight championship. The event took place on July 19, 2025, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Manny Pacquiao after losing the 2025 Philippine Senate election announced in May 21, 2025, that he is coming out of retirement at age 46. His last professional bout was with Yordenis Ugás in August 2021 with his opponent retaining the WBA super welterweight title. Pacquiao however did exhibition matches against DK Yoo and Rukiya Anpo.

Mario Barrios entered the bout as the WBC welterweight champion with the title on the line. Barrios gained the WBC interim title from Ugas in 2023 and had defended the title twice – defeating Fabián Maidana and drawing against Abel Ramos in 2024.

Barrios' trainer, Bob Santos said the boxer underwent a 14-week training camp in preparation for the fight against Pacquiao.

Mario Barrios' entrance song bout wasn't explicitly stated, but his entrances typically feature a blend of traditional Mexican music and cultural elements. According to reports, Barrios' ring walks are designed in collaboration with the Kalipulli group and artist Javier Zinzun Jr., incorporating Mexican drums, dancers, and traditional regalia to pay tribute to his Nahua and Apache ancestry.

In contrast, Manny Pacquiao's entrance song for the fight was a combination of The Script's "Hall of Fame" and "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor.

The match concluded in a draw. Judges scored the final round in favour of Barrios, which enabled him to retain the WBC welterweight title. After the fight, both boxers express interest in a possible rematch.

The judges’ decision sparked debate, with many pundits on social media feeling Pacquiao had done enough for a victory that would have made him the second oldest ever boxing world champion behind Bernard Hopkins.

The CompuBox stats reflected the close nature of the fight, with Pacquiao holding an 81-75 edge in power punches, while Barrios landed 45 jabs to Pacquiao’s 20. With a capacity crowd on their feet for every shot landed, Pacquiao showed early that he was stepping into the ring a better fighter than when he last competed in 2021.

Thomas Taylor served as the referee in the ring whilst the judges who scored the bout were Tim Cheatham (Las Vegas), Max DeLuca (New York) and Steve Weisfeld (New Jersey).

Pacquiao assessed his performance as satisfactory despite not winning against Barrios. The Filipino boxer says he plans his next bout to be sometime around December 2025.

The World Boxing Council (WBC) placed Pacquiao as the number one welterweight contender after the match.

Total, 16: Pacquiao 10 | Barrios 5 | Draw 1

Confirmed bouts:

^Note 2 For WBC super welterweight title

^Note 3 For vacant WBC interim light welterweight title

^Note 4 WBA featherweight title eliminator

^Note 5 For vacant WBC Continental Americas super featherweight title

^1 Inside Philippine territory only

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