If Manny Pacquiao misses the Rollie Romero fight, who could he face next?

Manny Pacquiao He is scheduled to return to the ring in January after impressing in his comeback fight earlier this year.

The 46-year-old returned from four years away to draw with WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in July, just shy of breaking his own record as the oldest titlist at 147 pounds.

Pacquiao is still dreaming of another world title shot and looks set to face WBA belt holder Rollie Romero on January 24 in Las Vegas.

However, Romero has now been ordered to face his mandatory opponent Shakhram Giyasov, which could scupper his plans to face Pacquiao.

The Filipino veteran may now need to look for alternative opponents if he misses out on fighting Romero.

Who could be on his hitlist? Let’s take a look at five possible options.

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gervonta davis

lightweight world champion gervonta davis Has been linked with fighting Pacquiao for some time.

The 30-year-old is scheduled to face Jake Paul in an exhibition bout next month and he is more interested in chasing major paydays rather than defending his title these days.

He has hinted at moving towards retirement after facing Paul, but the prospect of a clash with Pacquiao could force him to reconsider his plans.

Pacquiao and Davis are the two biggest names boxing And if they agree to fight each other they will be paid well.

Pacquiao hasn’t made the lightweight limit since 2008, but given the attractive financial reward for both men, it shouldn’t be difficult to agree on a catchweight with Davis.

If Davis survives his clash with Paul, he could be a realistic next fight for Pacquiao.

Connor Benn

Connor Benn There is another name who could join the competition with Pacquiao.

Ring Magazine reporter Mike Coppinger last week referred to Benn as a future opponent for ‘Pacman’ and that the fight may be possible sooner than expected.

Of course, Ben must first resolve his differences with Chris Eubank Jr. The pair are set to meet in a rematch on November 15 after their thrilling first battle earlier this year.

If the second installment of their rivalry is as brutal as the first, Benn will need some recovery time, while even if he has an easier road this time against Eubank Jr., it would be too soon of a change for Benn to return to the ring in early 2026.

Therefore, a January fight with Pacquiao may be off the table. But Pacquiao may be willing to push back his return date, which could bring Benn into the conversation as a suitable target.

mario barrios rematch

Pacquiao’s longtime advisor, Sean Gibbons, was not keen on a second fight with Barrios after the first contest.

The fight was entertaining without any fuss, but Gibbons questioned Barrios’ star power as he believed Pacquiao had done enough to get his hand raised.

He made it clear that Pacquiao would instead target Romero, but that may no longer be possible.

Pacquiao might now be interested in seeing a rematch with Barrios. The current WBC champion has drawn his last two fights and had previously lost to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman.

Barrios has looked very beatable in recent years and Pacquiao has already shared 12 rounds with him.

He may find that he only needs to make small adjustments to defeat Barrios a second time and capture championship gold once again.

Ryan Garcia

Garcia recently revealed that he wants to fight Barrios himself, but he may soon fall behind Pacquiao in the pecking order.

Alternatively, Garcia and Pacquiao could agree to face each other. Like Davis, Garcia is one of the biggest names in boxing and a fight against Pacquiao would generate a lot of interest.

There is some uncertainty over how good Garcia is after being beaten by Davis and Romero.

he influenced against Devin Haney Last year he had defeated his opponent thrice. However, Garcia later failed a drug test, and the result was changed to a no contest.

After being out of the ring for a year, Garcia returned in May and put in a poor performance when outpointed by Romero. It could be argued that he doesn’t deserve a fight with Pacquiao on the back of that outing.

Still, money talks and a fight with Garcia would secure a substantial payday for Pacquiao.

Garcia has expressed interest in fighting the legendary eight-weight world champion, while Pacquiao believes it is a very winnable fight. This is a showdown that could make sense for both sides.

Brian Norman Jr. vs. Devin Haney Winner

If Pacquiao wants to go a different title route, he may set his sights on the WBO belt.

Brian Norman Jr. is scheduled to defend his title against Devin Haney on November 22 in Saudi Arabia.

Norman Jr. is still only 24, but he has enjoyed a stellar 2025, winning twice inside five rounds.

Haney is also only 26 but has already won titles in two weight classes and will try to win three next month.

The winner of Norman Jr. vs. Haney would arguably cement his place as the premier welterweight in the world, and it would be a huge risk for Pacquiao to fight either man.

He is almost twice his age and somewhat older than him, but Pacquiao has refused to shy away from challenges in his career. He could accept one more before putting on his gloves.

Pacquiao will prove to be an underdog against Norman Jr. or Haney, yet he has upset situations before. He proved against Barrios that he can never be completely written off and feels he still has enough potential left in him to topple the best of the current generation of welterweights.

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