Manny Pacquiao may have returned to boxing last July to an unfulfilling draw against WBC titleholder Mario Barrios, but his championship aspirations aren’t finished yet. While it’s been rumored for some time now that Pacquiao might target another welterweight titleholder in Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, based on the premise that it’s a very winnable fight for him, Pacquiao’s advisor Sean Gibbons admits that it’s exactly the kind of fight they want.
“2026 will be a new year with new beginnings and hopefully a new opponent. I think the perfect time for Manny to make a statement to come back is January, and I think the perfect opponent is Rolly Romero.”
If Pacquiao, 46, manages to secure a fight with Romero it will put him right back in line for a chance to become the oldest welterweight champion in history. That in and of itself makes for a great story, even if Romero is widely considered to be perhaps an even weaker champion than Mario Barrios.
Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) is most recently coming off of a unanimous decision win over Ryan Garcia back in May that was probably his biggest win to date, even if not the most significant.