By REYNALD MAGALLON
Manny Pacquiao might have settled for a majority draw against Mario Barrios but his courageous performance earned him a big paycheck no matter what.
According to reports, the boxing Hall of Famer stands to earn an estimated $12 million or roughly around a hefty P685 million just by making his comeback fight after retiring and a four-year inactivity as a pro.
The only eight-division world champion might already be 46-years-old but he remained a box office attraction, thanks to his charisma and impact to the boxing fans all over the globe.
And that was very much evident to the projected additional $5 to $6 million pay cut on the pay-per-view revenue.
That could easily put Pacquiao’s estimated earning to more than P1 billion.
The Filipino boxing legend, however, earlier stressed that money was not the motivation for his return, saying he badly missed boxing and still craved the thrill and glory of fighting above the ring.
That certainly showed in his vintage performance that saw him push defending champion Barrios to the limit before yielding a 115-113 count in favor of Barrios and a tied 114-114 tally from the other two judges for the majority draw decision.
Showing impressive stamina for a 46-year-old, Pacquiao displayed the same speed and power once both admired and feared in the bout that went all 12 rounds.
The draw, however, denied Pacquiao of taking the belt from Barrios and resetting history as the oldest welterweight champion and the only active Hall of Famer to even win a title.
