By Chris Robinson

At 46 years of age, Manny Pacquiao is still going strong.

On July 19, the world of boxing was once again witness to Pacquiao’s greatness and longevity, as he dueled with WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Throughout the contest, Pacquiao showed deft movement, threw sharp punches, and fought with vigor and spirit. He appeared to build up a very commanding lead, but, to Barrios’ credit, the champion did close the fight strong in the championship rounds.

After 12 rounds of action, Pacquiao landed 101 out of 577 for 17.5% while Barrios connected on 120 out of 658 (18.2%) shots.

One scorecard favored Barrios, 115-113, while the other two tallies of 114-114 left the result being a majority draw.

While you can argue over who deserved to win the match, there is no denying just how special it was to see a man in his mid-40s compete at such a high level in his fourth active decade as a fighter.

There are now rumors that Pacquiao may face off with WBA welterweight champion Rolando Romero next.

Romero injected some much-needed life into his career by defeating rival Ryan Garcia in April, and was elevated from ‘regular’ champion to full champion by the WBA after Jaron Ennis elected to move up in weight and vacate the title.

Pacquiao vs. Romero would be another very interesting and most likely competitive fight for the Filipino legend.

And if we do happen to see that fight made later this year, don’t be surprised if Pacquiao finds a way to once again defy the odds and surprise the masses.

*** Photos courtesy of Esther Lin / Premier Boxing Champions

Chris Robinson can be reached at crobinson@hustleboss.com