Boxing

Manny Pacquiao Eyeing ‘Dream’ Gervonta Davis Fight, Per Longtime Advisor & Right Hand-Man

Manny Pacquiao wants to take on Gervonta Davis after Mario Barrios.
Apratim Banerjee|
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Manny Pacquiao is set to return to action on July 19, taking on Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title. The 46 year old has raised eyebrows with his return after a four-year hiatus.

Pacquiao last competed against Yordenis Ugas in 2021, while his last win dates back another two years further, against Keith Thurman. Pacquiao's return, though, doesn't look like a one-off. Instead, he wants to take on a big name after the Barrios fight. And that name is Gervonta Davis.

'Tank' Davis currently holds the WBA lightweight title and is set for a rematch against Lamont Roach next. Their first fight ended in a controversial majority draw. Speaking about Pacquiao's ambition to fight Davis, his right-hand man Sean Gibbons said:

When he beats Mario Barrios, line them up. His dream fight is Gervonta Davis. He loves that fight. He tried to get that fight for a couple of years. Gervonta kept talking about how he didnt want to fight him at 145. Then he goes and gets smoked by Lamont Roach. So Manny Pacquiao can get this belt, and it’s going to be a wonderful ride out.

Manny Pacquiao is widely considered one of the greatest boxers to ever live. He has had a massive 72 professional fights and boasts an incredible record of 62-8-2. 'Pacman' has won world titles in eight different weight divisions, a record hard to match for modern day boxers.

Gervonta Davis, meanwhile, is often considered one of the faces of boxing. Of his 30 wins, 28 are by knockout, meaning 'Tank' always puts on a show. Davis vs Pacquiao could have certainly been an exciting fight when Pacquiao was in his prime, but could he really hold his own versus a fighter like 'Tank' now?

GERVONTA DAVIS (30-0-28) of Baltimore, Maryland defeats FRANK MARTIN (18-1-12) on June 15, 2024.
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Either way, both fighters need to handle business first in their next outing.

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Apratim Banerjee
APRATIM BANERJEE

Apratim is a Boxing and Soccer reporter for On SI. He has been in the industry for five years, having also worked for The Sporting News, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, and more. After coming from an engineering background, he started pursuing a career in sports media. Apratim also holds an MSc. Sport Marketing degree from Loughborough University London and is a keen practitioner of social media and digital marketing. In his spare time, Apratim likes to play an array of sports and practice calisthenics. He is also an avid enthusiast of improving his martial arts skills.