Despite silencing all the criticism, Manny Pacquiao‘s comeback was far from ideal. Not only did the fight end in a controversial majority draw, but ‘PacMan’ failed to surpass his own record as the oldest welterweight champion. On the other hand, this was Mario Barrios’ second defense of the WBC welterweight title since he got the status. And interestingly, so far, both of these fights have ended in a majority draw.

Although ‘El Azteca’ has retained his title, his lackluster performance has sparked doubts about his capabilities. Similarly, the draw against him has cast uncertainty over Manny Pacquiao’s choice to remain active in the highly competitive welterweight division. Can he hold his own against the fiercest opponents? Eddie Hearn has a stark opinion on the matter.

Eddie Hearn gives Manny Pacquiao a brutal reality check

The Matchroom honcho was in a press conference after the Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois Wembley event when he learned the outcome of the Mario Barrios-Manny Pacquiao fight, and the interviewers needed no invitation to seize the opportunity. They immediately asked Hearn’s verdict on the result. “That’s got everything to do with Mario Barrios, with all due respect. Like, imagine what Brian Norman even would do to Pacquiao or Boots would do to Pacquiao,” Hearn stated in the press conference.

In simple words, Eddie Hearn believes that the draw happened because of Mario Barrios’ limited skills. If it were someone like Brian Norman Jr. or his fighter Jaron Ennis, Manny Pacquiao would have lost brutally. Hearn recalled Barrios’ last defense against Abel Ramos, citing that Ramos should have won that fight. “The guy Barrios just drew. I thought he lost the fight. I was there, I was ringside. It was awful,” he said.

It seems like that is a regular occurrence in Mario Barrios’ championship reign. Even after Manny Pacquiao’s draw, the consensus is that the Filipino icon should have won the fight despite the scorecards. Coming back to the pressing matter, Hearn hailed PacMan’s remarkable capabilities at the age of 46. However, the current WBC champion is not a true test of skills. “It’s not elite. It’s not world championship level. And you know, listen, respect to Pacquiao. I mean, he’s gone in there after what, 5 years out and got a draw with a world champion, but….” he concluded, implying that the living legend should not prolong his stay.

So, there you have it. According to Eddie Hearn, the Kibawe native should not be competing for the world titles anymore and should return to his retirement. However, there is one specific fight left for Manny Pacquiao, and if that happens, even Hearn won’t be opposed to it.

Another fight of the century?

Just a few days before the July 19th MGM Grand event, reports started emerging that Floyd Mayweather might be interested in running back his 2013 fight against Manny Pacquiao. To be honest, PacMan is the one who has been demanding a rematch for years now, even after ‘Money’s’ retirement in 2017. However, his demands fell on deaf ears, with Mayweather not even commenting on the matter.

Fast forward to 2025, and it came out that finally, even the 50-0 fighter will be up for a rematch, depending on the former governor’s performance on his comeback. And to say that Pacquiao looked impressive here wouldn’t be wrong. So, when the post-match conference started, the interviewers had an obvious question. It was Fight Hub TV’s Marcus Hayes who posed the question, “Manny, with the way that you performed tonight. Do you feel like this was enough to coax Floyd Mayweather out, and maybe you guys get a rematch right here in this same building? Do you feel like this version of you beats the version of Floyd Mayweather that exists today?”

Visibly exhausted, Pacquiao seemed quite frustrated with the question. After all, in the last few days, he has been constantly bombarded with it. However, this time Manny kept it straight. “If he comes out, then go sign the contract and we will fight,” declaring that he is all in. All that is left is Floyd Mayweather’s decision.

However, as always, he won’t hold out for anyone in particular. “I mean, let’s fight again if he wants. I have no problem with that. I’m active now. I don’t pick my opponent,” he said, claiming that he will go in the direction that makes most sense. Do you think it’s wise for Manny Pacquiao to stick around a bit longer?