Manny Pacquiao didn’t have much going for him heading into his fight against Mario Barrios. Fresh off a loss in the Philippine presidential election and nearly four years into retirement, the 46-year-old eight-division world champion was widely counted out ahead of Saturday night’s bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas—his 16th at the venue. The consensus? He was too old, too rusty, and had no business in the ring with a reigning champion who’s 30. But Pacquiao had an ace up his sleeve.

Unshakable determination! He launched into training camp while analysts, experts, and even fellow fighters doubted his chances of dethroning Barrios for the WBC welterweight title. Then, under the bright lights and in front of a crowd of over 13,000 fans, Pacquiao defied the odds, trading blow-for-blow and often outboxing the younger champion. Many believed he’d done enough to win, but the judges called it a majority draw. Still, renowned trainer Teddy Atlas couldn’t help but heap praise on the legendary ‘Pacman.’

“There [are] only a few special fighters who have gone toe to toe with Father Time,” the veteran trainer and ESPN analyst wrote on Instagram while sharing a picture from the fight. “[And] gotten a win. Manny might be on the list.” Interestingly, had ‘Pacman’ won the fight, he would have been the second-oldest fighter in history behind Bernard Hopkins to win a world title. While that didn’t happen, Pacquiao has proven that he still has what it takes to compete against the best in the sport. Pacquiao initially spoke about a rematch, with trainer Freddie Roach supporting the call. 

Regardless, Atlas’ praise for Pacquiao is especially significant thanks to what he had to say ahead of the fight. “I’m very concerned,” he said about the Barrios fight. “I don’t want to stop anyone from making a living or making money. But I’m very concerned with a guy… now that he has to fight at 46 and after 72 fights.” While Pacquiao has clearly managed to change Atlas’ mind, someone very close to him thinks this is the end of the line. 

Manny Pacquiao should retire, says son after the Mario Barrios draw

With Manny Pacquiao’s impressive return to the ring, his eldest son, Jimuel Pacquiao, feels it’s time to hang up the gloves for good. While everyone sings praises for the 46-year-old for his abilities and demands a rematch, Jimuel urged caution before moving forward. “Right now, he should focus on getting rest,” Jimuel told Fight Hype after the bout.

“But he is 46 now, so for me personally, I love him. I just want him to be safe, I don’t want him to take any more punishment,” he continued. Jimuel’s concern for his father’s health dates back to before the fight, when he voiced his concerns over his father’s return. “Even me, as his son, I love him, he’s my dad. There’s also concern there, you know?”

Despite that, it doesn’t look like Manny Pacquiao is in the mood to stop after he gained momentum among the fans and experts. Only time will tell what the future holds for the Hall of Fame Boxer, but what do you think? Should Pacquiao continue fighting?