Manny Pacquiao quickly became the center of attention following his fight against Mario Barrios last Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Against all expectations, the 46-year-old put on a show, going toe-to-toe with the 30-year-old Barrios to secure a majority decision draw. However, the result ignited a firestorm, with numerous analysts raising eyebrows over the judging.

It was a majority draw decision in the ring, with two judges calling it a draw at 114-114, while the third saw it slightly in favor of Barrios at 113-115. Despite the outcome, a good number of fans and analysts felt Pacquiao had put in the work to snag the victory. Amid the buzz and debate, Pacquiao’s old foe Timothy Bradley stepped into the ring with a fresh perspective. In a surprising twist, Bradley stood by the draw despite the chorus of dissent, but he didn’t pull any punches when it came to calling out the lackluster performance overall.

“It wasn’t even a fight,” Bradley said about the bout on his YouTube channel. Branding the fight a sparring session, the 41-year-old said, “I would love to see both these guys’ contracts.” Bradley’s doubts about the fight stem from a lack of passion and intent from Barrios. He argued Barrios was holding back on purpose. “When he decided to come forward and let his hands go, it was easy,” he said. 

Turning to Pacquiao, who fought Bradley thrice, winning one and losing two, ‘Desert Storm’ downplayed the Filipino boxing legend’s performance, stating, “[Barrios is] considered one of the weakest champions at 147 lbs. Congratulations if that’s what it was all about.” Despite all the doubts and criticism, Bradley didn’t disagree with the judges of the fight, claiming, “The fight was a draw. Yeah, I don’t think either of these guys deserves to win.” 

Bradley resumed his criticism of Barrios, claiming that even though he defended his title, he won’t be able to hold onto it for long. He was especially unhappy because he felt Barrios was showing too much respect to Pacquiao during the fight. “You [were] supposed to take this legend out, bro. You [were] supposed to put this legend on your resume, bro… And you felt like he was your brother-in-law, bro,” he said in the video. 

Bradley then turned his fury back at Pacquiao, acknowledging that even though he was happy to see ‘Pacman’ fight again, he claimed, “He [doesn’t] belong inside the ring, man… Did he throw some combination? Yeah, but the combinations weren’t sharp like I used to see him, you know.” Whether or not Pacquiao belongs in the ring, the Filipino boxing legend seems to be plotting his next step in the sport. 

Rolando Romero answers the call to fight Manny Pacquiao

After the fight concluded, Pacquiao’s manager Sean Gibbons revealed that Pacquiao was no longer interested in a rematch with Barrios. Instead, ‘Pacman’ would like to face the likes of Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero. Since then, Romero has responded to the callout, claiming he would love to share the ring with Pacquiao. 

“A Hall of Famer on my resume, who wouldn’t want that? That’s the easiest way to get into the Hall of Fame, right?” he told Boxing Scene. “We can do it. Everything has to make sense. It’s going to be a fan favorite. That makes sense right there.” Romero is coming off a shocking unanimous decision win over Ryan Garcia last May. 

With Rolando Romero and Manny Pacquiao eyeing a potential showdown, it seems Timothy Bradley is firmly against the idea of ‘Pacman’ stepping back into the ring. He doesn’t even look like he’s all that into Barrios, but what’s your take on his thoughts about the fight and that draw decision?