Boxing took more from Manny Pacquiao than WBC title win — it robbed him of his last real shot

Yahoo

5 days ago

LAS VEGAS — Boxing's judges broke hearts again on Saturday.
I had long prepared to write another of boxing's sad stories. One of an older warrior learning early that time had defeated him. That he didn't have it in him to hang with a younger champion. I feared he'd get hurt. I feared he'd fall.
But, on Saturday night, Manny Pacquiao soared.
At age 46, he rolled back the clock as he took the fight to Mario Barrios with urgency, precision and Filipino pride. It was a performance for the ages. It belongs in the pantheon of extraordinary feats born from the Fight Capital of the World. Like Terence Crawford's all-time thrashing of Errol Spence, and like Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder's epic three-fight rivalry before him.
It is tough to fight well for 36 minutes. Tougher, still, to do so at an elite level against a champion. Yet Pacquiao managed that despite being in his late 40s, after four years away from the ring. This was a generational achievement akin to Bernard Hopkins and Archie Moore. This was a defiance of Father Time, and of an underdog who refuses to get old.
This was a boxing legend's "Rocky" movie coming to life before our eyes.
The 13,107 people who attended the iconic fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena felt the same. Las Vegas pulsed with "PacMan" fever all week. From the open workouts to the public weigh-ins, fans flocked to see their idol in the flesh. They came hoping to witness the improbable — and they did. Pacquiao bested Barrios by a 116-113 score, per Uncrowned's live scorecard on the night. He deserved the win, and the world title. He deserved to extend his own record as the oldest welterweight champion who ever lived.
But boxing doesn't always reward what's deserved. Sport is not built on sentiment. Results can be cruel.
And all those fans found that out the hard way. The three judges scored the Premier Boxing Champions main event as a majority draw.
Nobody left happy.
In the fight itself, Pacquiao's body looked strong at the weight. Yet his sharp, cut physique was a stark contrast to the wrinkles on his face. Like Mike Tyson against Jake Paul last year, Pacquiao started fast. Unlike "Iron Mike," though, this returning king didn't fade after the first round. He kept his rhythm going.
In his signature southpaw stance, he danced in and out, and smiled as he landed punches in bunches. He stood firm in the center of the ring, unafraid to engage.
Barrios showed flashes with his jab. But he didn't throw it early enough or often enough to seize control of the bout like the Hall of Famer had. He showed too much respect to a legend, and should have tried to bully him from the off.
Pacquiao flurried and it didn't seem to matter if the first punch missed, as his follow-ups found Barrios's chin. He forced swelling on the champion's face, which were wounds Pacquiao himself seemed to avoid.
Barrios's punches were slower compared to the speed Pacquiao exhibited, even deeper into the fight.
Barrios finally took heed of the calls from his trainer, Bob Santos, to spring into action in the 10th round. He had surrendered many of the prior rounds to Pacquiao. Though it was a strong rally, it was too little, too late to warrant even a draw — at least in a just world.
But that's exactly what the judges awarded to the WBC champion. It denied Pacquiao the 63rd win of his illustrious career — a career that began 30 years ago when Pacquiao was a scrawny teenager in the Philippines selling donuts on the streets.
This was a Pacquiao event like the old days. He brought a fervent crowd with him who applauded every punch, and cheered their man to a win. But that made the result even more unbearable. It only deepened a disconnect between what the people saw and what judges do.
Tim Cheatam and Steve Weisfeld scored a 114-114 draw. Max DeLuca somehow found seven rounds to Barrios for a 115-113 nod to the champ. These scorecards robbed Pacquiao of a legendary win befitting a legendary career. They also stole something more precious — time.
Pacquiao is not going to get that time — or this kind of shot — back. It was already a tough enough task to dethrone an active champion who is 16 years his junior. Now to have to do it again?
Yet he's emboldened all the same.
"I thought I won the fight," Pacquiao said.
"His stamina is crazy,' Barrios acknowledged. 'He's still strong as hell and his timing is real. He's still a very awkward fighter to try to figure out.'
Both fighters vowed to push forward for a rematch.
"Of course I'd like a rematch," Pacquiao said. It's a fight Barrios said he'd welcome. "This was huge for boxing," the champ said. "I'd love to do it again."
The age gap remains the same for a second fight, but by the time organizers book a rematch, Pacquiao could be 47.
Barrios, additionally, may not be as encumbered by the big stage as he was on Saturday night. He may start the fight with the same push in those final three rounds, when he rallied, no longer hypnotized by a living legend. A rematch could be even harder work for Pacquiao.
Regardless, boxing may have taken Pacquiao's win, but it couldn't take the moment.
That'll always be Manny's.