Pacquiao wants to fight again. Can Romero or Mayweather be next?

LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao, 46, looked a lot amended successful his combat with Mario Barrios connected Saturday than helium did 4 years agone erstwhile he mislaid to Yordenis Ugas. Unfortunately, it wasn't capable for him to interruption his grounds arsenic the oldest combatant to triumph a welterweight satellite title, arsenic the combat ended successful a disappointing bulk draw.

Regardless of the outcome, Pacquiao defied the likelihood by being competitory with a champion 16 years younger than him and showing immoderate of the explosiveness and velocity that made him an eight-division satellite champion and 1 of the biggest stars successful the sport. Of bigger value is that Pacquiao stated that this wouldn't beryllium his past fight.

"Don't worry, the PacMan is back, and the travel volition continue," Pacquiao said astatine the post-fight quality conference.

And if helium does combat again, who should helium look next? Both Barrios and Pacquiao agreed aft the combat that determination should beryllium a rematch soon, but is that what the fans really want?

Seeing the Hall of Famer backmost successful enactment whitethorn person been exciting, but erstwhile the novelty wore off, it wasn't rather the benignant of barnburner that would warrant a instrumentality bout extracurricular of the thought of Pacquiao getting different effort astatine making history.

Instead, it was 2 fighters landing astatine a debased clip with Pacquiao landing 101 of 577 full punches (17.5%) and Barrios narrowly outlanding his older hostile 120-658 (18.2%). For this mentation of Pacquiao, it was a large show aft four years distant from the sport. However, the Pacquiao of a decennary agone would apt person had small occupation dispatching Barrios.

The world is that Barrios presented the clearest way to Pacquiao winning a satellite championship, and helium was incapable to propulsion it off. Although immoderate observers did consciousness that helium won the combat (ESPN had Pacquiao winning 115-113). However, determination are bigger and amended fights for the Filipino sensation too Barrios.

"I don't mean this successful a mean way, but f--- Mario Barrios," Pacquiao's manager Sean Gibbons told reporters aft the fight. "He's a bully feline and I similar the kid, but Manny deserves a bigger name. There are fighters similar Gervonta "Tank" Davis and [Rolando] "Rolly" Romero retired there."

The Davis combat seems similar a agelong changeable owed to "Tank" being successful a little value people (135 pounds), though it would beryllium a monolithic combat and rather a unsafe 1 for Pacquiao. But a combat with Romero surely feels some winnable and realistic for Pacquiao.

Romero is the WBA "regular" welterweight champion and is coming disconnected a stunning determination triumph implicit Ryan Garcia successful May. Romero doesn't person a wide adjacent opponent, and helium volition beryllium elevated to afloat champion erstwhile Jaron "Boots" Ennis formally vacates his rubric and moves up to 154 pounds. It's a little unsafe enactment than the victor of November's combat betwixt WBO champion Brian Norman Jr. and erstwhile undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney. Both are young, beardown and would contiguous important problems for an older Pacquiao.

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Manny Pacquiao awesome arsenic helium fights to bulk gully successful his return

In his instrumentality to boxing, Manny Pacquiao fought Mario Barrios to a bulk gully successful beforehand of a sold-out assemblage successful Las Vegas.

Pacquiao is funny successful warring again astatine the extremity of the year, truthful a combat with Romero lines up perfectly.

Ultimately, the determination volition beryllium Pacquiao's to make. Romero has dense hands but lacks footwork and defense. He is riding a question of visibility and would astir surely merchantability the combat successful ways that Barrios couldn't. The combat itself would beryllium action-packed with Romero trying to deed a location tally connected a fable and Pacquiao darting successful and retired with combinations.

It's either that oregon propulsion Floyd Mayweather retired of status for a rematch.

Don't laughter due to the fact that Pacquiao is dormant serious.

"If [Mayweather] comes retired of status and signs the contract, we'll fight," Pacquiao said. "Let's combat again if helium wants. I'm progressive now."

Boxing fans whitethorn not privation that rematch, but it's a viable enactment successful a satellite wherever Jake Paul fought Mike Tyson and pulled disconnected monolithic viewership numbers.

But until Mayweather formally announces that he's back, let's instrumentality with what's realistic for Pacquiao: Rolando "Rolly" Romero.