Manny Pacquiao's 'Frontrunner' For Next Fight Revealed

Manny Pacquiao's Manager Reveals Frontrunner for Next Fight

Pacquiao's advisor, Sean Gibbons, was recently interviewed by gamblingonline.net, which was then published in an August 27 article from DAZN. When Gibbons was asked who Pacquiao would likely be fighting next, he sent a clear message.

“All of the stories are out there and Rolly Romero is one of the frontrunners because Manny wants meaningful fights,” Gibbons said. “He wants to break his own records and make history, just like when he won the world title at 40 years old."

He later added, “Both Manny and Rolly are with PBC. We’ll make some decisions and evaluate what’s ahead for the rest of 2025 and into 2026.”

However, Rolly Romero isn't the only boxer who is in the running to face Pacquiao next, as Gibbons added, “A fight with Ryan Garcia has been discussed but he’s a complicated guy to deal with,” Gibbons added. “It’s not out of the question, but it’s difficult.

“Mario Barrios is a great guy, but unfortunately, he doesn’t sell. He’s not exciting and doesn’t bring the kind of energy Rolly Romero brings. Rolly brings chaos, unpredictability," Gibbons concluded.

Therefore, it doesn't sound likely that Barrios will be getting a rematch against Pacquiao, despite holding a belt.

There's no doubt that a fight between Rolly Romero or Ryan Garcia (whom Romero beat back in May) would be a massive money fight for Pacquiao, and would attract a lot of attention and intrigue.

Pacquiao has stated that he'd like to fight in December, but coming back in early 2026 might be more feasible at this point.