On July 19th, despite a valiant effort against the WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao was unable to achieve his dream of a historic comeback. The fight which ended in a majority draw, restricted the Filipino icon from becoming the oldest welterweight champion, breaking his own previous record. As a result of the controversial outcome, PacMan’s quest to etch his name further into boxing history remains unfulfilled. However, in an unexpected turn, destiny may offer the iconic fighter another shot at glory, as Rolando Romero has already set his sights on a potential showdown next.

On paper, the WBA (Regular) welterweight champion (soon to be elevated to full champion status) seems like the perfect opponent for Manny Pacquiao. Even the eight-division world champion’s advisor, Sean Gibbons, named Rolly Romero as the favorite to challenge PacMan next. Upon learning about the challenge, in an interview with BoxingScene, the 17-2 boxer responded, “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 Pacquiao even interested in fighting the 29-year-old?

On Thursday, Elie Sekbach of ES News caught up with Manny Pacquiao. Sekbach wasted no time, asking about Rolly Romero’s claim that defeating the legend is the fastest path to hall-of-fame glory. The 46-year-old responded bluntly, delivering a sharp reality check to the Las Vegas-based boxer. “He wants a Hall of Famer on his resume? Let’s see if he can beat me,” Pacquiao declared confidently.

Considering how dominant the Kibawe-born fighter appeared against Mario Barrios, his confidence is well-founded. He demonstrated that his speed remains sharp, capable of competing with younger opponents. Moreover, with Pacquiao ready to step back into the ring, a chance to become a world champion again might just encourage PacMan to give it one more try.

Manny Pacquiao is not done yet

As soon as Mario Barrios’ fight got wrapped up, everyone had one simple question: Will Manny Pacquiao continue to fight? Well, we got that answer immediately after the event. As the former eight-division champion was walking out of the MGM Grand after his title fight, a group of reporters surrounded him immediately.

With the PacMan short on time, a reporter immediately posed the question: “But you feel good then, Manny?. So you—so definitely, Manny, you’re going to fight again. You decided?” As the 46-year-old was about to board his van, he didn’t say a word, but a ‘thumbs-up’ from him was enough to let everyone know his intentions.

Manny Pacquiao has repeatedly emphasized that he won’t be hasty and will proceed at his own pace. Yet, with potential bouts against Floyd Mayweather and Rolando Romero on the horizon, it seems the boxing legend could remain active in the ring for some time. What do you think?