Boxing

Manny Pacquiao Advisor Drops 1-Word Hint About Next Fight

There's one word that describes the next fight Manny Pacquiao will have.
Grant Young|
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Manny Pacquiao turned back the clock for his July 19, 2025, fight against Mario Barrios, which marked the first professional fight that the 46-year-old Pacquiao had in almost exactly four years (although his last win came in 2019).

Many people were concerned about Pacquiao not only taking a fight at his age, but coming out of retirement to fight a reigning, dangerous champion in Mario Barrios. However, Pacquiao quickly quelled any concerns once he stepped in the ring.

He was fluid, precise, and confident while going toe-to-toe with Barrios, and while the fight ultimately ended in a majority draw, many feel like Pacquiao did more than enough to get his hand raised.

While it would have been awesome to see Pacquiao win his 13th world title, it was a pleasure for fans to see Pacquiao in the ring at all, especially because of how good he looked. And in the aftermath of this fight, there's now a clear demand for Pacquiao to keep fighting — a demand that Pacquiao seemingly intends to honor.

Manny Pacquiao fights Mario Barrios at MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 19, 2025
Jul 19, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Manny Pacquiao fights Mario Barrios at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Manny Pacquiao's Adviser Sends Clear Message About Next Fight

Sean Gibbons, who is Pacquiao's main adviser, spoke with The Independent for a September 25 article. And he shared an interesting message when it comes to what Pacquiao is looking for with his next fight.

“All 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.

At another point in the interview, the article's author, Alex Pattle, wrote, "Gibbons insisted that Pacquiao... wants a 'meaningful' fight next."

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The fact that "meaningful" is used several times in the interview and was reiterated by Gibbons speaks volumes, and suggests that Pacquiao isn't going to take any regular fight for the payday.

Of course, Pacquiao has long been linked to rematching Floyd Mayweather. Gibbons also addressed this in the interview, saying, "Now Manny is back, so it’s up to Floyd. I love Floyd. He’s a great guy, but he retired or started doing exhibitions, while Manny is still a real fighter. To answer your question: only Floyd knows. Manny is always available if it makes dollars and makes sense.”

There are a lot of fascinating avenues Pacquiao can take for his next fight, and multiple that would quality as "meaningful".

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.