Manny Pacquiao‘s return to the ring ended in a majority draw with WBC Welterweight World Champion Mario Barrios. Mike Tyson has weighed in on the result.
Pacquiao stepped back through the ropes at 46-years-old and after four years of inactivity in an attempt to break his own record as the 147 division’s oldest ever champion.
During the 12 rounds there were flashes of the old ‘PacMan’s movement and combinations, however neither he or Barrios managed to get a strong foothold for an extended period. Barrios, though his performance was widely criticised, outlanded the challenger by a small margin.
The cards read 115-113 for Barrios and two 114-114s, meaning the American retained his title. Many big names in boxing have made it clear in the aftermath that they felt Pacquiao did enough to win, included the likes of Shawn Porter, Devin Haney, Andre Ward and James Toney. Others, namely Bob Arum, Teddy Atlas and Tim Bradley, feel the draw was fair.
When asked for his opinion, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson – who made his own comeback last year, losing to Jake Paul in an underwhelming eight-rounder – appeared to agree with the former camp, saying the result was a ‘tough break.’
“He had a tough break. Mario’s a great fighter, just a bad day for him.”
Though a rematch seemed the best option for Pacquiao, his team has made it clear that they will also look at Rolando Romero and Gervonta Davis as potential routes. Ryan Garcia has thrown his hat in the ring, too, leaving the Filipino fighting legend plenty of options.