LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao appeared to make a triumphant return Saturday night to the venue where the majority of his important fights have taken place.

Much to the Filipino superstar’s disappointment, none of the three judges gave Pacquiao credit for beating WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. Pacquiao, 46, settled for a majority draw, which shocked the overwhelmingly pro-Pacquiao crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Judge Max De Luca scored Barrios a 115-113 winner. He was overruled by Tim Cheatham and Steve Weiseld, both of whom scored their 12-rounder 114-114.

Pacquiao led by the same score, 87-84, on the cards of Cheatham and Weisfeld through nine rounds. Cheatham and Weisfeld scored each of the last three rounds for Barrios, though, which was how they both scored it a draw.

“I thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao told Jim Gray during his post-fight interview. “It was a close fight. My opponent was tough. It was a wonderful fight.”

Pacquiao promised to continue fighting and wants a rematch, which Barrios said he would grant an iconic eight-division champion who ended a retirement that lasted almost four years.

“I thought I still pulled it out,” Barrios said. “But I still tip my hat to Manny. It was an absolute honor to share the ring with him.”

CompuBox counted 120-of-658 overall punches for Barrios, 19 more than it credited Pacquiao for landing (101-of-577). Pacquiao landed more power punches (81-of-259 to 75-of-235), according to CompuBox’s unofficial stats, whereas Barrios hit Pacquiao with more jabs (45-of-423 to 20-of-318).

The official result aside, Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KOs) disproved doubters that insisted he was entirely too old to beat a championship-caliber opponent at his advanced age.

Barrios, of San Antonio, Texas, is 16 years younger and six inches taller than Pacquiao. Combined with Pacquiao’s inactivity, those were the primary reasons Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) went off as almost a 3-1 favorite according to most sportsbooks.

Pacquiao announced his retirement in September 2021, five weeks after late replacement Yordenis Ugas upset him for the WBA welterweight title by unanimous decision. Ugas substituted for Errol Spence Jr. on less than two weeks’ notice after he suffered a detached retina while training.

The outcome Saturday night prevented Pacquiao from joining fellow legends Bernard Hopkins and the late George Foreman by becoming a world champion again well into his 40s.

Hopkins broke Foreman’s record when, at 46, he defeated Canada’s Jean Pascal by unanimous decision to win the WBC light heavyweight title in May 2011 in Montreal. Foreman was 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer to win the IBF and WBA heavyweight titles in November 1994 in Las Vegas.

Hopkins eclipsed his own record twice by winning two more light heavyweight titles at 48 and 49.

Pacquiao joined Hopkins and Foreman in the International Boxing Hall of Fame last month, six weeks before he battled Barrios.

Though he didn’t win, Pacquiao’s time-defying performance against Barrios occurred 12½ years after Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez knocked him unconscious in the sixth round of their fourth fight at MGM.

As Pacquiao and Barrios entered the 12th round, a venue full of Pacquiao’s supporters seemed sure that he was well on his way to winning.

A right and a left by Barrios made Pacquiao back up a little less than 40 seconds into the 11th round. Pacquiao came back to land a straight left with about 40 seconds remaining.

Pacquiao again landed the cleaner punches during the 10th round and appeared to start pulling away on the scorecards. Barrios couldn’t mount much offense against a shorter fighter who often left himself exposed.

Pacquiao built on the momentum he established in the eighth round by catching Barrios with a left-right combination that got the champion’s attention in the ninth round.

His right hook knocked Barrios off balance in the waning seconds of the eighth. He followed up with a straight left hand that sent his fans into a frenzy.

A stiff jab and a right hand by Barrios backed up Pacquiao a little more than a minute into the seventh round. Pacquiao caught him with a left, though, with about 40 seconds on the clock in the seventh round.

The action intensified late in the sixth round, as Pacquiao landed a right hook in an exchange. A jarring jab by Barrios backed up Pacquiao a few seconds before the the round ended.