LAS VEGAS – What’s next for Manny Pacquiao after his “near” phenomenal comeback on Saturday (Sunday Manila time) at the MGM Grand here?
There are many great plans for the legendary boxer from Gen. Santos City after displaying almost the same fire, passion and courage in his fight against Mexican Mario Barrios that ended in a majority draw.
One is possible face-off with WBA welterweight champion Rolly Romero and the other is a duel with Gervonta Davis, the WBA titleholder at 135 pounds.
The 29-year-old Romero earned his strap after stunning Ryan Garcia via a unanimous decision last May while Davis retained his crown following a majority draw against Lamont Roach four months ago.
”Rolly is a tough, rugged dude, but slow on his feet. I think it’s a tremendous fight, gives another opportunity with the belt on the line and I guess the right style,” said Sean Gibbons, the top official of Pacquiao’s MP Promotions.
”Davis will give Manny for the first time in his career where he’s physically bigger and taller,” added the international matchmaker.
But the most appealing is a rematch with Floyd Mayweather – that is besides the projected return bout with Barrios, who eventually retained his WBC welterweight crown.
”He told the public that he’s back. I tell you what he did has never been accomplished, you don’t go out of the ring for four years and spent seven weeks training,” said Gibbons.
”If he had a pre-camp in the Philippines, he could had been a monster. So what he did was just exceptional. You just don’t do it at 46. People were stunned to see what Manny Pacquiao has accomplished,” added Gibbons.
With a praiseworthy output where the eight-division world champion visibly controlled the fight, the signs are crystal clear that Pacquiao won’t leave the sport any time soon.
Pacquiao could be back onto the ring on the last week of October at the earliest or in December at the latest, which will likely transpire again in this gambling haven.
”Pag-uusapan pa lang,” Pacquiao told sport scribes after his bible study inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
He also signed autographs and gamely posed for nearly 500 fans.
Surprisingly there was hardly a trace of his slam-bang affair with Barrios.
The Pacman and his entourage motored to his Los Angeles, California home Sunday afternoon (Monday morning, July 20, in Manila), scheduled to return to the country in the first week of August.
Gibbons couldn’t help but raise a howl on the judges’ decision on the fight, mincing no words and calling it a robbery.
”It’s either they’re inept, corrupt or they just saw it that way. Manny broke the record for the most fights here. Even if he comes back and do it again, this is the moment. I say he made history only to get robbed,” said Gibbons.
”The guy made history just doing what he did. He should have his hand raised, it’s the greatest story right now in sports worldwide,” added Gibbons.
Pacquiao won 62 of his 73 fights spiked by 39 knockouts apart from eight defeats and three draws, with the last defeat coming from Yordinis Ugas that prompted his retirement in 2019.
”The Ugas fight was very, very close, but here it’s a travesty not to give it to him. It’s just sad,” said Gibbons after two of the three judges saw it at 114-all while the other had it a 115-113.
Pacquiao was ahead in all scorecards after nine rounds before Barrios’ corner sounded the alarm, forcing the latter to level up in the last three rounds.
”I really think he needs to springboard from this. He’s hot. This is just 75 percent of Manny Pacquiao in his peak,” said Gibbons. (Contributed by June Navarro)
