Manny Pacquiao appeared to make history on Saturday in his much-criticized comeback bout against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, who is 16 years his junior. But the judges had other plans. Despite winning on the majority of scorecards from fellow fighters and boxing analysts, the Filipino legend’s return from a four-year retirement ended in a controversial majority draw, allowing Barrios to walk out of Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena with his WBC title intact. Still, regardless of how the July 19th bout ended, a well-known name in the welterweight division seems more than eager to face Manny Pacquiao next. Who?

It’s Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, of course. “I mean, he’s still fast. He looked really fast right now. He looks really, really fast right now. No?” Rolly had said a few months ago about the 46-year-old. Had Pacquiao secured the win, he would’ve become the second-oldest fighter in boxing history to claim a major world title. Even so, the eight-division world champion still seems to have plenty of options to prove he’s not done yet, with talks of a Floyd Mayweather rematch and even a potential showdown with Gervonta Davis floating around. However, none of the camps have confirmed anything, nor have the fighters shown the same enthusiasm to fight Pacquiao as Romero has, especially following his win over Ryan Garcia at the Fatal Fury event in May.

Though Manny Pacquiao wasn’t familiar with the 17‑2 boxer and initially responded, “Who?” when asked if he’d be interested in facing Rolly Romero, the 29‑year‑old remains undeterred. Now, Romero has summed up his chances of fighting Pacquiao in a single line: “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?” he responded to boxingscene on Monday upon learning that Manny Pacquiao’s advisor Sean Gibbons has named him the favorite to face PacMan next.

“We can do it,” Romero stated. “Everything has to make sense. It’s going to be a fan favorite. That makes sense right there.” Brash and resilient, Romero claimed a lightweight belt in 2021 before suffering a knockout loss to the unbeaten Gervonta Davis in 2022. He rebounded by stopping Ismael Barroso in 2023 to win a 140‑lb title, only to lose that belt by TKO to Pacquiao protégé Isaac Cruz in 2024. He then defeated Ryan Garcia to claim the vacant WBA (Regular) welterweight title. As of now, he is all set to be elevated to full champion status once Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis moves up to 154 lbs.

“You know, it must be a blessing when legends are calling you out,” Romero said. “If a legend is asking to make a fight with you, that says something. And it’s not only because of the belt … it’s because I can sell the fight, too, and I’m on par with who he is. That speaks highly of how much potential I truly have.”

But will Manny Pacquiao hang up his gloves, or will he continue fighting?

Is Mayweather next? Manny Pacquiao breaks the silence with one word

It took just one simple gesture from the Filipino icon to confirm. After the July 19th fight, a group of reporters caught up with Manny Pacquiao as he exited the arena. The former world champion was surrounded by fans eager for autographs and selfies. With limited time, PacMan kept his responses short. Just as he was about to board his van, a reporter asked, “But you feel good then, Manny? So you—so definitely, Manny, you’re going to fight again. You decided?” Without saying a word, Pacquiao raised his hand with a firm thumbs-up.

In earlier interactions, the 62-8-3 boxer made it clear he isn’t rushing into any decisions and is taking things one fight at a time. As for what’s next, his post-fight press conference offered a strong clue; he directly called out Floyd Mayweather, urging him to “sign the contract.” The gesture, paired with his recent comments, suggests that Pacquiao still has unfinished business in the ring and remains open to high-profile matchups.

So, will Pacquiao take the rematch with Mayweather? Or will Pacquiao instead pursue another title shot, this time against the WBA welterweight champion Rolando Romero? What do you think?