Delhi, India, August 10 (HBTV): Manny Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KOs) made his return to the ring with a majority draw against Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs), a result that earned him recognition from the World Boxing Council. The Mexico City–based organization has released its latest welterweight rankings, placing the Filipino at No. 1.

The 46-year-old stepped into the ring for the first time since 2021, delivering a standout performance against the Mexican fighter. The judges’ scorecards read 114-114, 114-114, and 115-113 in favor of Barrios. As a result, Mauricio Sulaimán moved Pacquiao to the top spot in the rankings, with the aim of making his next fight a championship bout.

Pacquiao has been placed above strong contenders such as France’s Souleymane Cissokho (18-0), Mexico’s Raúl Curiel (16-0-1) and Ángel Fierro (23-3-2), Britain’s Conor Benn, and the Dominican Republic’s Rohan Polanco (17-0).    

A rematch with Barrios is a clear possibility, but it remains unclear whether Pacquiao will pursue that fight or step back into the ring seeking to become the oldest world boxing champion in history.

Who are the other welterweight champions?Alongside Barrios, the 147-pound division features other titleholders.   

The World Boxing Organization currently has Brian Norman as its standout fighter. The World Boxing Association had a vacant title, which was recently awarded to Rolly Romero. As for the International Boxing Federation, the situation is uncertain – the belt is without a champion after Jaron Ennis announced he would be moving up in weight.