Manny Pacquiao’s draw against Mario Barrios has unleashed a wave of reactions across the boxing world. The result left fans and pundits stunned, with many believing the 46-year-old legend had done enough to win. Even Yordenis Ugas, Pacquiao’s former opponent who retired him four years ago, was taken aback. “How is it possible that four years later, he comes against a kid 16 years younger and puts up another good fight? It was a very close fight,” Ugas remarked. Ultimately, his sentiment echoed what many others felt: Manny Pacquiao, once again, defied expectations.

Despite entering the bout as a heavy underdog, boxing’s only eight-division world champion continues to inspire belief. Even Roy Jones Jr. had predicted a Pacquiao win, and he wasn’t alone. Moreover, Teofimo Lopez, the reigning WBO super lightweight champion, who recently shared training sessions with Pacquiao, came away impressed by what the Filipino icon still brings to the table. Despite Barrios being the favorite, Lopez remains confident: ‘The Takeover’ believes ‘PacMan’ still has what it takes to get the job done.

In an interview with Fight Hype earlier this month, Teofimo Lopez praised Manny Pacquiao’s incredible form, saying, “What Manny Pacquiao is doing at this age, that’s different. High spirits, energized, motivated, and determined, and I look forward to seeing him raise his hands again, become world champion once again.” But when the fight against Mario Barrios was ruled a draw, Lopez didn’t hold back. Just hours ago, Only Full Fights shared an update on Instagram, where Lopez, speaking once again to Fight Hype, voiced his frustration, insisting the judges got it wrong and Pacquiao deserved the win.

“Pacquiao won that s—. I had it 10-2, 9-3,” Lopez said, firmly disagreeing with the result. “The amount of punches was connecting, and in the last 10 seconds, he was showing more aggressive punches.” But while a rematch with Barrios seemed like the obvious next step, Lopez had other ideas. Instead, he suggested a blockbuster rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. to avenge Pacquiao’s 2015 loss. “He should fight Mayweather,” said the 22-1 star. “Pacquiao has still got it. I don’t think he should [rematch Barrios]. I feel like Pacquiao did more than enough and outshone him.”

Moreover, in another interview with Fight Hype, Lopez doubled down. When asked who he thought won the fight, he responded, “Pacquiao, man.” And when asked if the win was close or wide, he didn’t hesitate. “Wide, Pacquiao. Wide, bro.” Interestingly, Lopez isn’t alone in his assessment. Manny Pacquiao’s longtime coach also believes the Filipino icon was robbed, further fueling calls for justice.

Freddie Roach fires back after Manny Pacquiao – Mario Barrios draw.

While Mario Barrios managed to secure a few rounds and occasionally controlled the pace with his jab, his efforts came too late and lacked the consistency needed to truly sway momentum. And finally, after twelve grueling rounds, the judges’ scorecards told a story that many in the arena, and those watching at home, found hard to believe.

Two judges ruled the fight a 114-114 draw, while the third gave Barrios a narrow edge with a 115-113 score. The outcome triggered immediate backlash. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s longtime trainer and seven-time BWAA Trainer of the Year, was quick to call for a rematch. “We had a great fight. Manny fought very well, and he even had a knockdown in there somewhere that they didn’t count,” Roach said during the post-fight interview. He continued, “I thought he won the fight eight to four, but that’s the way things go. We would like a rematch right away, for sure.”

Moreover, Manny Pacquiao echoed Roach’s sentiments, stating, “I thought I won the fight,” and affirmed that he plans to continue his boxing journey, with a rematch against Barrios on his radar. Had he been awarded the win, Pacquiao would have become the second-oldest fighter in history to claim a major world title. Instead, the draw allowed Barrios to retain his WBC welterweight crown, and he, too, expressed interest in running it back. That said, the question is: should Manny Pacquiao chase a rematch with Barrios, or would a blockbuster sequel with Floyd Mayweather, as Keith Thurman suggested, be a bigger draw both financially and historically?