Manny Pacquiao defied age and expectation on Saturday night, but even a heroic performance from the 46-year-old was not enough to unseat Mario Barrios, who clung to his WBC welterweight title via a controversial majority draw.
Two judges scored the bout even, while the third handed Barrios a narrow 115-113 win, allowing the American to retain his belt, though the verdict was met with resounding boos from a crowd largely rooting for the Filipino legend.
Back in the ring for the first time in nearly four years, Pacquiao showed glimpses of the speed, grit and ring IQ that earned him 12 world titles across eight divisions. But in his attempt to become the oldest welterweight champion in history – breaking his own record set in 2019 – the judges saw it a step too far.
It was an impressive outing regardless. Pacquiao’s last fight had come in 2021, a unanimous-decision loss to Yordenis Ugas. Against Barrios, the newly inducted Hall of Famer was active and aggressive, forcing the champion onto the back foot through much of the contest.
“I thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao said in an in-ring interview. “It was a close fight. My opponent was very tough. It was a wonderful fight.”
When asked how he carried the stamina of a much younger man, Pacquiao’s said: “We worked hard. Hard work and discipline, everything like that. I had to keep my body in shape as always.”
“Thank you to everyone who believed in me,” Pacquiao added. “Maybe this is not the end.”
Will he fight again?
“I think so. I think so. God willing," Pacquiao said. "I only have two months training. What I need to do is, like, continue my training, like in a championship fight like this, I should train four months, three months and a half, so that the fight would be good. But because of the election in the Philippines, I start late for my training, but it’s OK. You know, I love the Filipino people, and I love to give honour to my country.”
Barrios, 30, entered as a solid favourite and extended his record to 29-2-2, but the nature of his second consecutive draw, after a split decision against Abel Ramos in November, raised fresh questions about his claim to the division’s throne.
“I thought I still pulled it out,” Barrios says. “But, you know, I still tip my hat to Manny.”
For the WBC welterweight champion, the draw is less about the result and more about the company he kept. “It was an absolute honor, you know, to share the ring with [Pacquiao],” he says. “To share the ring with somebody with so much experience, who has accomplished so much in this sport.
“Man, and shout out to all the Mexican fans here. Shout out to all the Filipinos, you know, for supporting this event. This is huge, by far the biggest event I’ve had to date.
“And you know, we still came in here. We left everything in the ring. Like I said, I tip my hat to Manny. Nothing but love and respect.”
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Company%20profile
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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Company%20Profile
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
if you go
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Naga
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Predictions
Predicted winners for final round of games before play-offs:
- Friday: Delhi v Chennai - Chennai
- Saturday: Rajasthan v Bangalore - Bangalore
- Saturday: Hyderabad v Kolkata - Hyderabad
- Sunday: Delhi v Mumbai - Mumbai
- Sunday - Chennai v Punjab - Chennai
Final top-four (who will make play-offs): Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
