It had been over four years ago since his last fight. In August 2021, a then 42-year old Pacquiao lost a unanimous decision to World Boxing Association welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas.

 By all accounts, it looked like the sun had set on Pacquiao’s spectacular career in the ring.

That was until Saturday. Pacquiao, now 46, made a sensational return to sport he loves. He traveled to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada, and took on 34-year old World Boxing Council welterweight champion Mario Barrios. 

Fighting a current champion who is more than a decade his junior was quite a risky proposition for Pacquiao. Especially considering that PacMan has been inactive the past four years. Nonetheless, Pacquiao gave a great account of himself and battled Barrios to a majority draw. It was such a close and competitive bout, talk is swirling about a possible rematch.

I would love to report to you what actually happened during the match, but there is one problem. I didn’t see the fight. Several restaurants, including a very well-known and popular sports hangout spot, did not air the fight. I think this is downright ridiculous.

Manny Pacquiao is easily one of the top fighters of all time, and one of the greatest competitors of his generation. PacMan returning to the ring is akin to The Beatles, or Elvis, getting back on stage for one last concert.

That said, you would expect the match would be shown somewhere in town, especially at a nationally recognized chain known for airing big time sporting events.

Had I known about the Pacquiao blackout in Victoria ahead of time, I would have just ordered the fight myself on Pay-Per-View. These local restaurants must have made the business decision that the extra $75 to air the fight was not worth it.

Not going the extra mile to service the sports-loving customer was a bad look for several restaurants in the area. Yours truly certainly wasn’t happy about it.

Robert Brewer is a sports reporter for the Victoria Advocate. He can be reached at robert.brewer@vicad.com.