Should It Have Been a Draw? Pacquiao VS. Barrios 🥊

11 days ago

You!? What's your take?

🥊 Final Result
The fight on July 19, 2025 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas ended in a majority draw. The judges scored it:

115–113 for Barrios

114–114 and 114–114 for the other two

Fight Narrative
Early Rounds
Pacquiao, returning at age 46 after a four-year break and fresh off his Hall of Fame induction, came out aggressive. He used fluid footwork, speed, angles, and sharp combinations to outpace and outwork Barrios, who struggled with the pace and intensity

Middle Rounds
Pacquiao maintained momentum, landing more punches overall. Barrios leaned on his jab and reach but remained cautious and reactive
Bleacher Report
Reddit
. Many viewers felt Pacquiao was clearly ahead through Round 9.

Final Three Rounds
Barrios surged late with crisp jabs and right hands, convincingly earning Rounds 10–12 on all scorecards

That late rally tipped the balance enough to force the draw.

Verdict — Should It Have Been a Draw?
The decision sparked outrage among fans and critics:

Many ringside spectators and boxing analysts felt Pacquiao won comfortably, noting his superior volume and activity

Online voices echoed that sentiment:

“Manny Pacquiao won that fight with ease… judges are hot garbage.”
“Majority Draw is such BS. Pacquiao won that fight.”
Bad Left Hook

Still, others acknowledged Barrios’ comeback in the final rounds as sufficient to force a draw.

My Take
From a technical standpoint:

Pacquiao: Higher punch output, sharper angles, and control for the majority.

Barrios: Effective jab and solid late recovery, but overall less dominant.

Given the scoring and traditional boxing scoring criteria (effective aggression, ring generalship, clean punching), Pacquiao deserved the edge. A close split-decision win for him would not have been unreasonable. But from a rules standpoint, the draw isn’t unjustified—those last rounds mattered immensely.

Who Should've Won?
If it were up to me and scoring based on full-fight context, I’d give the nod to Pacquiao. His early dominance and consistent output outweighed Barrios’ late charge. Many observers share this view, even if judges favored caution.

What’s Next?
Pacquiao expressed interest in a rematch, and Barrios seemed open. Given the fan backlash and high drama, a sequel bout feels likely—especially with Pacquiao’s competitive performance at 46.

📝 TL;DR
Official result: Majority draw

Controversy: Strong voices saying Pacquiao was robbed

Judge’s view: Barrios won final rounds, enough to even things

My verdict: Pacquiao deserved a narrow win based on body of work