Manny Pacquiao's Next Fight: Rumors Swirl About Potential Opponents and Return Date

Recently, Pacquiao made a video announcement on Instagram confirming his next fight date: 

"Hello to all my boxing fans. I’m excited to let you know that I will be returning to the ring January 24th in Las Vegas. It is going to be an exciting and special event," Pacquiao stated, while noting that an opponent would be named soon.

Now, rumors in the boxing world swirl on who "Pacman" will face next, with rumblings pointing to a potential title shot against current WBA welterweight champion Rolando "Rolly" Romero, superstar and WBA Lightweight titleholder Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Conor Benn, and even the retired legend, Vasiliy Lomachenko. 

The front-runner for the assignment appears to be Rolly Romero. Journalist Mike Coppinger revealed on an episode of “Inside The Ring” that the shortlist also includes Gervonta Davis and Conor Benn.

Rolando “Rolly” Romero

A fight with Romero would offer Pacquiao a chance to claim the WBA welterweight title, a belt Romero won by defeating Ryan Garcia in May, and was later elevated to full champion status. 

However, the WBA has now ordered Romero to make a mandatory title defense against the unbeaten Shakhram Giyasov, putting a potential Pacquiao-Romero fight into jeopardy, unless Giyasov agrees to a step-aside deal to allow the more lucrative matchup to proceed. 

Gervonta “Tank” Davis

A fight between Pacquiao and Davis would be a major pay-per-view event, pitting a legendary Hall-of-Fame boxer against the sport's most explosive and one of its most popular current champions. 

However, with Davis booked for November in an exhibition match with Jake Paul, a fight against “Pacman” in January would be unlikely. Add this to the fact that Davis fights at lightweight, and this fight would not make much sense for Pacquiao if his goal is to become champion at welterweight. 

Conor Benn

Benn was another rumored opponent for Pacquiao in his comeback bout according to Coppinger. Though his last fight was at middleweight, two whole weight classes above Pacquiao, he primarily fights in the same weight division as Pacquiao at welterweight. 

Like Davis, however, Benn's November rematch with Chris Eubank Jr. makes the January 2026 date potentially too soon for him to be a viable enough opponent. 

Vasiliy Lomachenko

The newest and most intriguing rumor has recently surfaced, suggesting that Pacquiao's team is considering Vasiliy Lomachenko as a potential opponent. A bout with the Ukrainian technical wizard and former three-division champion would represent a massive global event. It would also mean that Lomachenko would be coming out of retirement, pitting two highly skilled, formerly retired legends against each other.

The rumor also suggested that Pacquiao is reuniting with Top Rank promotion, a move that would make a fight against the promotional company's former star, Lomachenko, much easier to make. 

It should be noted that all of these potential opponents are still only rumored opponents, and that an official announcement has not yet been made. Whether it is the technically sublime Lomachenko, the brash champion Romero, or the controversial superstar Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Manny Pacquiao's return in January promises to be a must-see event.