Boxing

Mike Coppinger Names Gervonta Davis In Three-Man Shortlist To Face Manny Pacquiao

Gervonta Davis one of three possible next opponents for Manny Pacquiao.
Apratim Banerjee|
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Mike Coppinger has included Gervonta Davis in the list of Manny Pacquiao's potential next opponents. Pacquiao made his return to the ring in July at the age of 46 and managed a majority draw against WBC welterweight champion.

'Pacman' showed flashes of his patent brilliance. While he has certainly lost some weapons from his arsenal, Pacquiao arguably looked better than he did back in his 2021 fight against Yordenis Ugas. And since the Barrios fight, he has hinted that he would fight again.

A Barrios rematch remains an option, but Pacquiao is also keen to explore clashes against other big name superstars, including 'Tank' Davis. Rolly Romero has also emerged as a potential next opponent.

Mike Coppinger on Gervonta Davis and other options for Manny Pacquiao

Gervonta Davis
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Coppinger claims that Pacquiao vs Romero is not a done deal yet despite being rumored. He has inside information from Pacquiao's right hand man, Sean Gibbons, that 'Tank' Davis and Conor Benn are also on their radar. He said on the Inside The Ring show:

"Rolly deal is not done yet. And I spoke to his advisor, Sean Gibbons, who runs Manny Pacquiao's promotional company. He said the three names they're looking at are Rolly Romero, Gervonta Davis, and Conor Benn. So Conor Benn obviously is going to be fighting Chris Eubank Jr. in a rematch November 15th."
Sean Gibbons

Coppinger pointed out that Benn might return to welterweight following his rematch against Chris Eubank Jr at middleweight. 'Tank' Davis, meanwhile, will fight Jake Paul in an exhibition on Netflix on November 14.

Sean Gibbons thinks Rolly Romero is the perfect opponent for Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao is now 46, but his star power is still there. His return against Barrios generated massive interest and with a more popular dance partner, Pacquiao's next fight could become yet another mega attraction.

Pacquiao's advisor Gibbons reckons hard-hitting Romero is the perfect opponent for the Filipino. Romero is on an upward career trajectory after his impressive win against Ryan Garcia in May. Gibbons said:

"2026 will be a new year with new beginnings and hopefully a new opponent. I think the perfect time for Manny to make a statement to come back is January, and I think the perfect opponent is Rolly Romero."
Sean Gibbons
Rolly Romero speaks about Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez
IMAGO / Cover-Images

As per ESPN, negotiations are already underway for a January showdown between Romero and Pacquiao. Romero currently holds the WBA title at 147 lbs, meaning 'Pacman' would get another title shot.

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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.