One of the top referees in the sport has been assigned to officiate the ring return of a legendary Hall of Famer.

Thomas Taylor (California) will serve as referee for the Mario Barrios-Manny Pacquiao WBC welterweight title fight. Their scheduled twelve-round clash will headline a July 19 PBC on Prime Video Pay-Per-View event from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacquiao, 62-8-2 (39 KOs) – who entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame earlier this month - will fight for the first time in four years, though it comes in familiar surroundings. The occasion will mark his 23rd career bout in Vegas, though surprisingly his first with Taylor assigned as the third man in the ring.

It will mark the third time that Taylor will serve as the referee for a contest involving Barrios, 29-2-1 (18 KOs), who will attempt his second defense as full WBC welterweight titlist.

Taylor was assigned to Barrios’ lopsided points win over Yordenis Ugas to win the interim version of the belt in their September 2023 meeting at nearby T-Mobile Arena. Barrios was upgraded to full titleholder less than a year later.

The win over Ugas came more than two years after Barrios’ secondary WBA junior welterweight title reign ended in a June 2021 knockout defeat to Gervonta Davis. Taylor was the referee for that contest, which saw an unbeaten Barrios floored three times before their bout was stopped at 2:13 of the eleventh round.

Less than two months later, Pacquiao would encounter the end to his own title reign – and, at the time, his career as well. The legendary eight-division champion from General Santos City, Philippines lost his WBA welterweight title to Ugas via unanimous decision in August 2021.

Among the ringside officials that night was judge Weisfeld, whose 116-112 card for Ugas was in line with how most viewed the fight.

Weisfeld was also a judge for Pacquiao’s April 2016 rubber match with Tim Bradley and fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012). He was twice assigned to fights involved Barrios – his aforementioned victory over Ugas and February 2022 points loss to Keith Thurman at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

Judge Cheatham was also a ringside official for Barrios-Ugas and Thurman-Barrios. The Nevada-based judge also worked Barrios’ September 2019 narrow win over Batyr Akhmedov to win the secondary version of the WBA 140lbs title.

Pacquiao’s last two wins both came at MGM and included Cheatham among the judging panel. He claimed a unanimous decision over Adrien Broner in their January 2019 meeting, where Cheatham’s card of 116-112 was in line by ringside peers Glenn Feldman (116-112) and Dave Moretti (117-111).

Six months later, Cheatham (115-112) was one of two judges who had Pacquiao edging Thurman in their historic July 2012 WBA 147lbs title fight at MGM Grand. A 40-year-old Pacquiao claimed a split decision that evening to become the oldest fighter ever to win to win a welterweight title.

Judge DeLuca was an official for seven previous bouts involving Barrios, most recently his twelve-round, unanimous decision over Fabian Maidana last May 4 at T-Mobile Arena. His lone assignment involving Pacquiao came more than 20 years ag, when Pacquiao knocked out Manny Lucero in the third round of a July 2003 IBF 122lbs title fight in Los Angeles, California.

Should Pacquiao, now 46, defeat Barrios, he would break his own record by six years. It would come six years almost to the day of his abovementioned win over Thurman. He would also become the first boxer ever to win a major title after he gained Hall of Fame enshrinement.

The matter remains a tall order – literally and figuratively. Barrios – who, at 6’0” holds a seven-inch height advantage – is a -333 favorite to prevail, according to bet365 sportsbook.

Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on and .