Rolly Romero wants a piece of Manny Pacquiao.
Earlier this month, it was announced that ‘Pac-Man’ would be coming out of retirement to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19 in Las Vegas.
With Pacquiao walking straight into a title shot after being retired for nearly four years, the reactions from fighters and fans all over the place. Some were understandably excited to hear that the 12-time world champion was returning to the squared circle, while others warned that the 46-year-old might be biting off more than he can chew at his age.
But for Romero, Pacquiao’s return to the ring means an opportunity to test himself against one of the greatest pugilists of all time.
“Ah, none of that matters,” Romero told The Schmo when asked if Pacquiao can beat Barrios and capture the WBC welterweight crown. “I’ll still fight him! I mean, he’s still fast. He looks really fast right now. He looks really, really fast right now!”
Rolly Romero is coming off a big win over ryan Garcia
Romero is fresh off a shocking unanimous decision victory over Ryan Garcia on May 2 in NYC. ‘King Ryan’ walked into the bout as a 3-to-1 favorite, with many believing he’d finish Romero inside the distance. Instead, the Vegas native delivered a lights-out performance, knocking down Garcia early in the second round and securing the biggest win of his career thus far.
As for Pacquiao, his title tilt with Barrios will be his first fight since a loss to Yordenis Ugás in August 2021. You’d have to go all the way back to July 2019 to find his last win, a split decision W over Keith Thurman.
