Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, a long-time friend and former promoter of Manny Pacquiao, admitted he was deeply concerned before the fight. At 46 years old, after a long layoff since 2021, Pacquiao’s return against the younger, reigning WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios seemed like a risky proposition.
“I dreaded the fight before it happened,” Arum told FightHype. “I thought he could be in trouble. I didn’t want to see Manny, who I consider a great friend, get hurt.”
But once the bell rang, Pacquiao erased those doubts. In a gripping 12-round battle, he matched the pace, power, and skill of the 30-year-old champion, forcing the fight to end in a majority draw (114–114, 114–114, 115–113 Barrios). While the official decision left many in the boxing world believing Pacquiao deserved the win, Arum was left in awe of the Filipino icon’s performance.
“You have to give tremendous credit to Manny, at his age, for performing the way he did against a much younger man,” Arum said. “I think Manny would be competitive with any welterweight out there.”
Arum even believes Pacquiao would be a strong contender against Rolly Romero, the WBA welterweight champion, calling Romero “less of a boxer” than Barrios and an ideal opponent for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao himself reflected on the fight, saying he could have scored a knockout win if he had trained a full three months instead of two. His preparation was shortened to 7½ weeks due to his recent Senate campaign, but even so, his conditioning, timing, and relentless pace stunned critics and fans alike.
Looking ahead, Pacquiao — who will turn 47 on December 17 — has made it clear: if he steps back into the ring, he’ll commit to a 12-week training camp to fully prepare for another shot at championship glory.
After what he witnessed in Las Vegas, Bob Arum’s fears have turned into confidence: Manny Pacquiao is still a dangerous force in the welterweight division.
