Fourteen Years After Loss, Ex-Opponent Calls Out Manny Pacquiao for Rematch

On July 19, despite a valiant effort against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao fell short of achieving his dream of a historic comeback. The bout ended in a majority draw, denying the Filipino legend the chance to become the oldest welterweight champion, once again. As a result of the controversial outcome, PacMan’s quest to further cement his place in boxing history remains unfulfilled. However, in an unexpected twist, fate may be presenting him with another shot at glory, as one of his former opponents, inactive for the past nine years, is now calling him out for a rematch.

Back in 2011, Manny Pacquiao was riding a 13-fight winning streak following his third professional loss to Erik Morales. During that run, he knocked Shane Mosley down once in the third round and defeated him via unanimous decision. Mosley, on the other hand, was coming off a disappointing draw against Sergio Mora and was expected to rebound, but instead suffered a lopsided loss, with the judges scoring it 107-120, 108-120, and 108-119, all in Pacquiao’s favor. Mosley went on to fight six more times before retiring after a decision loss to David Avanesyan in 2016. So, what does he want now?

It has been 14 years, 2 months, and 14 days since their first encounter, and Shane Mosley now believes he can still defeat Manny Pacquiao, who recently went toe-to-toe with WBC world welterweight champion Mario Barrios, a fighter 16 years younger than him. Yesterday, BLK PRIME Boxing shared an Instagram post captioned, “@shanemosley calls out @mannypacquiao for a 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 🤝👊 #PacquiaoMosley.” In the clip, a reporter asked Mosley, “Just a couple of days ago, we saw Manny Pacquiao fight to a draw for a world title. I know you saw the fight. Did he inspire you? You think, ‘You know what, let me do a little better than Manny?’”

Expressing his excitement, Shane Mosley responded, “Well, I mean Manny did get in the ring with the world champion, and he did a great job. But I am excited to get in the ring with Manny next.” And mind you, this is not the first time ‘Sugar’ has shown interest in fighting Manny Pacquiao. With Mike Tyson stepping into the ring at 58 against Jake Paul last year, Mosley, now 53, feels it’s still a safe age for him to fight. Speaking to Seconds Out just a few days ago, Mosley made it clear that if Pacquiao wants an opponent closer to his age, he is ready to step up.

“The motivation is to prove people wrong. To let them know that I’m the best. Sugar Shane Mosley is still here. I’m not an old grandpa, I’m still available and ready to fight,” Mosley said. He even added, “Actually, I want to fight Manny Pacquiao next, and then the winner fights Floyd Mayweather. I want to show the world I’m still here. You can’t get rid of me. When I want to leave, I’ll leave. I’m not ready to leave. I love boxing … 100% percent.” But would Manny Pacquiao fight him next? It doesn’t look like he will.

Manny Pacquiao’s answer to a world champion’s challenge

On paper, the WBA (Regular) welterweight champion, Rolando Romero, soon to be elevated to full champion status, appears to be the ideal opponent for Manny Pacquiao. Even Pacquiao’s longtime advisor, Sean Gibbons, has named Rolly Romero as the frontrunner to face the eight-division legend next. Upon hearing about the potential matchup, Romero responded in an interview with BoxingScene, saying, “A Hall of Famer on my resume, who wouldn’t want that? That’s the easiest way to get into the Hall of Fame, right? We can do it.” But is Manny Pacquiao actually interested in taking on the 29-year-old challenger?

On Thursday, Elie Sekbach of ES News caught up with Manny Pacquiao to get his thoughts. When asked about Romero’s claim that beating him would fast-track anyone to the Hall of Fame, the 46-year-old icon didn’t mince words. With a confident smile, Pacquiao issued a sharp response: “He wants a Hall of Famer on his resume? Let’s see if he can beat me,” he declared.

Given how impressive Manny Pacquiao looked against Mario Barrios, his confidence seems justified. His speed and sharpness showed he can still hang with younger opponents, and the possibility of reclaiming a world title could be enough to motivate him for one more run. That said, who do you think Manny Pacquiao will fight next? And do you think PacMan could secure an early-round victory if he chooses a rematch with Shane Mosley?