Mayweather or Romero? Who Should Pacquiao Choose For 2026?
The new year is now just around the corner. While Filipino combat sports fans are celebrating the year that was, there’s a huge reason to fast-forward the clock to 2026: Manny Pacquiao potentially returning to the ring.
In mid-October, it was reported by Mike Coppinger of Ring Magazine via X/Twitter that a rematch between Pacquiao and the still-undefeated Floyd Mayweather is “being explored” as a potential Netflix boxing event. Around that same period, the only eight-division champion in boxing history revealed during the pre-fight press conference for “Thrilla in Manila: The 50th Anniversary” that he was deep in negotiations for a title bout with WBA welterweight king Rolando “Rolly” Romero.
Both Mayweather and Romero have a case to be made as to why they deserve to go toe-to-toe with Pacquiao, but the immediate question on everyone’s mind is this: who’s the better option?
To answer that question, we’ll be looking into two key points. First is how Pacquiao stacks up against both men based on their fighting styles, and the other is marketability — which fighter makes the most financial sense for Pacquiao. After that, we circle back to the main question and put together a definitive answer.
Styles make fights
Pacquiao has given the boxing world plenty of reason to be excited for his 74th career bout when he stopped Father Time dead in its tracks in his wondrous 12-round showing against WBC welterweight champ Mario Barrios this past July. Granted, the final decision was a majority draw that allowed the Mexican-American to retain the gold. However, many pundits and major boxing personalities were convinced that Pacquiao had thoroughly outclassed his unusually gun-shy foe.
Taking that into consideration, a championship tilt with Romero should be nothing short of exciting. The Las Vegas, Nevada, native is coming off his best performance yet this past May in the form of a unanimous decision win over Ryan Garcia, which featured a second-round knockdown of the 27-year-old courtesy of a monstrous left hook, for the crown he now holds.
However, it should also be noted that his wide-stanced, heavy-punches-only style cost him dearly in TKO losses to Gervonta Davis in May 2022 and Isaac Cruz in March 2024. “Tank” and “Bulldog” share a similar profile to Pacquiao, in that they are both shorter and more explosive than Romero.
Given that Romero tends to leave himself open to quick counterhits and throws his punches wide, Pacquiao will surely find himself having a whale of a time peppering him in the opening rounds with his patented awkward-angle punches and quick combos. But if the fight enters the final third, Romero’s advantage in youth and overwhelming aggression could make this an interesting one.
Additionally, Pacquiao has the advantage of experience on his side, with Romero having only fought in 19 bouts, while the former has 73 on his resume. This part usually gets overlooked, but the Filipino icon’s advantage in experience may be the great equalizer, and even fuel him to victory.
As for a second chapter with Mayweather, it will surely have a similar cadence to their May 2015 megafight.
To help refresh your memories, Pacquiao, 36 at the time, entered “The Fight of the Century” with a bum right shoulder that he reinjured in the fourth round, which severely limited him. Meanwhile, “Money”, then 38, leaned on his Philly Shell defensive style (also known as the “Shoulder Roll”) to exploit his fellow legend’s all-out offense throughout all 12 rounds to take home the unanimous decision (116-112, 116-112, 118-110) win.
Though much older now, there’s no telltale sign that the result would be different in a second go-around — that’s despite Mayweather not fighting (professional or exhibition) since August 2024. But still, Pacquiao, now 47, might think he has a better chance against Mayweather, who will turn 49 in February 2026, following his phenomenal outing versus the 30-year-old Barrios.
If Pacquiao truly wants to prove that the aging lion still has sharp claws and silence his critics for the nth time in his illustrious career, a showdown with the much-younger Romero for the WBA welterweight crown is the way to go.
The pre-fight war: who’s got the marketing/promotional edge?
One of the more underrated aspects of prizefighting is for the fighter to learn how to market themselves in the lead-up to fight night.
Former MMA megastars Chael Sonnen and Conor McGregor are the best examples. Along with their world-class skills inside the cage, “The American Gangster” and “Notorious” were simply electrifying on the microphone to the point that fans (both hardcore and casual) wanted to shell out however much money it takes to watch them compete, regardless of their opponent.
The same can be said for boxing, and Floyd Mayweather has the overwhelming advantage here.
While not as enthralling or smooth on the mic as some of the most elite combat sports athletes, Mayweather’s “I’m better than you, and you know it” persona has been rubbing people the wrong way for as long as he’s been a pro. Many love that about him, but just as many, if not more, despise him for it.
One thing is for sure, though: if his name is on the marquee, expect the dough to come rolling in.
As soon as it was rumored that he and Manny Pacquiao were gearing up for a second fight, the press was quick to capitalize on it by producing every type of article under the sun. It dominated the forums, message boards, and social media — no surprise there. Factor in that their first meeting had about 4.4 million PPV buys (equivalent to about $400 million) plus a live gate of around $72 million, and it would be fair to estimate that their second encounter draws around a similar audience.
(Fun fact: the split was 60-40 in favor of Mayweather’s camp, so do the math there.)
Obviously, that’s the no-brainer money fight (no pun intended), but Rolando Romero being Pacquiao’s dance partner might be just as interesting to fans.
Much like his contemporaries who have drawn on McGregor’s brazen bravado promotional style to help secure and push their own fights, Romero has been throwing his name around as a potential dance partner for the Filipino hero for quite some time. While not as aggressive and vulgar as former Pacquiao foes like Antonio Margarito, Brandon Rios, and even the late great Ricky Hatton, just to name a few, Romero’s unyielding pursuit of a “Pac-Man” bout already has fans excited to see him eat his words.
Never discount the fact that people would willingly part with their hard-earned cash to see the “obnoxious, loud-mouth” get his just desserts — whether it’s real animosity or just perfectly crafted boxing marketing.
Another point to consider here is that Romero is just not on the same level as Mayweather in terms of being a box office attraction. According to various sources available online, his biggest single-fight purse came from the Ryan Garcia bout: $5.5 million. If he faces Pacquiao, his take-home will likely exceed that (factoring in both his hypothetical purse and PPV share).
Let’s be real. Mayweather-Pacquiao II is going to make serious bank, there’s no doubt about that.
The one thing going for Romero here is that he will be a fresh opponent for Pacquiao, and that may be enough to draw a huge crowd, not as earth-shattering as the other option, but still sizeable nonetheless.
RELATED: READ our cover story feature of Manny Pacquiao here.
What’s the best option for Manny Pacquiao at this point in his career?
That is a fully-loaded question — not just for Manny Pacquiao but more especially for boxing fans.
A rehash with Floyd Mayweather when they’re both on the extremely wrong side of 40 and well past their primes, fans would be quick to throw accusations at the two legends of them simply looking for a quick and massive payday instead of having a point to prove. In this scenario, Mayweather stands to lose more if Pacquiao were to somehow come away with a win and blemish his perfect 50-0 record.
Based on their initial encounter, there’s likely no chance that it happens. But with undisputed pound-for-pound greatness and perpetual bragging rights on the line, the mere thought of a second chance to take Mayweather’s undefeated record might be too enticing for Pacquiao to turn down.
On the other hand, going the Rolando Romero route is by far the most exciting and intriguing option in terms of in-ring competition.
As mentioned earlier, the odds are leaning towards Pacquiao’s way (even at 47) due to his vast experience in the ring that perfectly complements his still-respectable in-ring abilities. All of those things combined could find the 147-pound WBA champion on the wrong end of the scorecards or maybe even a highlight reel knockout.
However, Romero poses a threat that should not be overlooked. If he opts to channel the fighting spirit and high-pressure style of Timothy Bradley in that fateful June 9, 2012, upset against Pacquiao, the upstart just might shock the world and proudly hand the boxing great his ninth career loss.
All things considered, the best and most sensible option for Pacquiao is to focus his efforts on a Mayweather rematch and minimize the risk of any lingering or potential boxing-related injuries. That would be the safest route for a man nearing his 50s.
The pride of Saranggani province and the Philippines has nothing left to prove in the ring. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame earlier this year. Pacquiao has done more than enough for himself and, by extension, the country inside the ring.
But knowing what we know about Pacquiao’s pride as a fighter? Don’t be surprised if it gets announced sometime in January or February that he’s signed on to challenge Rolando Romero for the WBA welterweight title.
