WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios admitted he and his camp aimed to expose Manny Pacquiao’s age in their title bout—but the boxing legend didn’t budge.
“That was the plan coming here—try to make him feel old. But he’s got good legs and a lot of fight left in him,” said Barrios in his post-fight interview with Jim Gray, after settling for a majority draw against the 46-year-old icon.
The 30-year-old Barrios, who was 16 years younger and stood several inches taller than Pacquiao, was expected by many to dominate the fight. Instead, he had to rely on one judge’s 115-113 card in his favor, with the other two scoring it even at 114-114.
Barrios said he was stunned by the Filipino southpaw’s energy throughout the 12-round war.
“It’s crazy. His stamina—he could still crack; he’s strong as hell. His team is real and everything. He’s still an awesome fighter to try to figure out,” he added.
Barrios, who retained his belt via the draw, said he’s open to a second bout.
“This was huge for boxing; this was huge. I’ll let him do it again.”
Watch the full interview via Premier Boxing Champions.
Following the fight, the eight-division world boxing champion said he is open to boxing again.
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