Manny Pacquiao’s Boxing Future Faces Trouble After Rolly Romero’s Concerning Update

Fresh off his shocking yet dominant win over Ryan Garcia in his debut welterweight fight in May, Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero still doesn’t have an opponent lined up for his next fight. Talks of a Garcia rematch surfaced but quickly fizzled out, and the 29-year-old even hinted at facing boxing’s only eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, before Pacquiao’s controversial draw with Mario Barrios.

Since then, Pacquiao’s adviser Sean Gibbons has revealed that the Las Vegas, Nevada native is the frontrunner for Pacquiao’s next fight. “All of the stories are out there, and Rolly Romero is one of the frontrunners because Manny wants meaningful fights,” said Gibbons. “He wants to break his own records and make history, just like when he won the world title at 40 years old.” However, Romero just shared a troubling update about the fight. 

Rolando Romero refuses to fight the former undisputed super welterweight champion

Romero went live on Instagram recently, where he answered questions from his fans. One asked, “Will you fight Charlo 154?” The WBA welterweight champion responded, stating, “Nah, I wouldn’t fight Charlo. I don’t really care about fighting anybody right now.” This means a potential fight against Manny Pacquiao isn’t happening any time soon. With three months left in 2025, the bout will likely get pushed back to next year. 

Meanwhile, Jermell Charlo hasn’t fought since his one-sided beatdown against Canelo Alvarez in September 2023 and seems to have vanished from the face of the earth. Charlo doesn’t make public appearances, nor is he active on social media. However, he has been watching his critiques, and revealed recently. “My two-year layoff was not by choice,” he wrote on Instagram. “I been sitting back watching, letting ‘em talk, but now it’s my turn.”

While Charlo has hinted at his return, it’s unlikely that he would return to super middleweight. Instead, he would most likely head back to super welterweight. “I’m back sharper than ever, and I’m coming for everything they thought I lost. I’m him,” he added. Regardless, coming back to Manny Pacquiao, Rolando Romero isn’t the only opponent he has thought about. 

Manny Pacquiao spoke about the possible Gervonta Davis fight

Before his fight against Barrios, Pacquiao acknowledged the buzz around a potential showdown with Gervonta Davis but insisted his focus was on WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. “I like the Davis fight, but let’s finish Barrios first,” Pacquiao told The Ring. “It’s nothing personal. I am just doing my job. One at a time. We’ll talk about it after the fight.”

Even Pacquiao’s advisor was on board with the fight before the draw against Barrios. “As for what’s next if Pacquiao beats Barrios, if you look at who’s the biggest draw in American boxing, and who puts the most butts in the most seats, it’s Gervonta Davis,” he said. “For the first time in a long time, Manny would actually be a taller and bigger fighter than his opponent.”

However, since Pacquiao’s team has shifted focus to Romero, and Gervonta Davis is busy with Jake Paul in November, Romero appears to be their only option. Would you like to see this fight happen?