Don’t be fooled by this. Former eighth division champion Manny Pacquiao has had a very busy year. In addition to drawing his fight against Mario Barrios – a fight that many felt Pacquiao should have won – the Filipino legend announced that he now has a modern promotional company where he will promote emerging talent in the United States. And on top of that, the fighter known as Pac-Man is eager to get back into the ring, this time reportedly facing Rolly Romero in a truly intriguing fight.
After all, Romero surprised Ryan Garcia when the two men fought last spring. Ramiro, who was known as a brawler and little more, put on a great boxing performance that night. Still, his strength, showmanship and brawling ability make him the perfect opponent for Pacquiao. On the other hand, Ramiro would also be a threatening opponent. Pacquiao is obviously not looking for a lucrative exhibition fight or anything like that. He wants to take on some bigger names. According to reports, Pacquiao wants to face the colorful Romero early next year.
This is large news for Ramiro, who doesn’t look like a rematch with Garcia will be happening anytime soon. Pacquiao is, of course, notable, a man whose fights attract a lot of eyes and attention… and, of course, dollars. However, in some ways, Ramiro would be in a no-win situation against Pacquiao because if he won, he would be accused of fighting the older Pacquiao, but if he lost, he would lose a lot of respect in the eyes of the fans. Ultimately, this is a very promising, but also very threatening proposition for Romero… if the fight actually becomes a reality.
“We would like to fight again before the end of the year, but the timing didn’t work out for us,” Pacquiao advisor Sean Gibbons told ESPN. “Twenty-twenty-six will be a modern year with modern beginnings and hopefully a modern opponent. I think the perfect time for Manny to announce his comeback is January and I think the perfect opponent is Rolly Romero.”
The fact that Romero will have a 17-year advantage over Pacquiao must really give him hope. Given the fact that Romero isn’t a half-bad fighter, there’s no guarantee who will win this fight if it becomes a reality. Just ask Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia.
“I think one or two more fights,” Ramirez told Fight Hub TV when asked about his long-term plans. “I have been practicing this sport for a long time.”
Ramirez, 33, said that while he still wants to continue his career for now, he is already thinking about how his career will end, not how long it can be extended. Ramirez said he has achieved key goals in the sport, including becoming world champion in two divisions, but still wants to perform at the highest level before he retires.
That pursuit begins with Benavidez, a fight that Ramirez believes will define his status and push his name further to the top of the sport.
“I will beat him. That’s my plan, to fight Opetaia,” said Gilberto about his desire to fight former IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia.
It’s a shoot-for-the-stars plan for Ramirez, but you can’t blame him for wanting to fight Opetaia. The biggest obstacle is not only the fight itself, but also where Jai Opetaia currently sits. Jai is now the face of Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
At the same time, Ramirez hinted at one last twist before his retirement. When asked about moving up again, he left the door open to a possible heavyweight fight, even admitting that he may not be the biggest fighter in the division.
“Why not?” Ramirez talked about moving up to heavyweight. “That would be amazing.”
If Zurdo loses to Benavidez, his plan for Opetaia will likely evaporate and he may just go straight to the heavyweight event for one last payday before he suspends them.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reports focus on the most crucial fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
The final decision may come after the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao rematch drama ends.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Mayweather and Pacquiao were set to fight professionally more than 10 years after their first meeting, with the event streaming live on Netflix and taking place on September 19 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
In recent weeks the duel was in doubt, after Mayweather stated that the fight would instead be an exhibition, while Pacquiao continues to insist that it must be a fully sanctioned fight.
Since it is currently unknown whether this will actually come to fruition, this has probably given the clearest signal that this will no longer happen.
Conversation with FightHypepromoter Eddie Hearn said he thinks Netflix can now focus on the WBC welterweight title fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn, essentially replacing the Mayweather-Pacquiao event.
“It’s all a mess. I’m surprised Netflix got into this whole circus… Netflix is modern to boxing, but they need to be a little more solid in the routine because you can’t actually call the fight and it just falls by the wayside and it just doesn’t look great.”
“NO [I don’t believe it will happen]not now. Netflix is only going to do so many fights and the Benn-Garcia fight is now said to be on September 12 or whenever that happens, so obviously this is the fight to replace Mayweather-Pacquiao.
“If it happened Mayweather-Pacquiao, they are committed to that fight, but if it doesn’t happen they will want another fight and from the sound of it it will be Garcia vs. Benn.”
The world title fight between Garcia and Benn has been widely discussed this month, and if Hearn is right, it could spell the end of any hopes of Mayweather and Pacquiao fighting again.
“I think my size and youth should be a gigantic advantage. It gives me an even better chance to win,” Nakatani told The Ring.
Inoue’s reluctance to make the jump to 126 pounds at featherweight may be the most truthful admission of his physical limitations.
Inoue has fought fighters who hydrated to be hefty, but Nakatani is elevated. At 5’7″ or 5’8″, he has the skeletal leverage of a natural featherweight or super featherweight.
Most of Inoue’s opponents end up with confined time as they have to rush to hit him. Nakatani can theoretically sit outside and throw a punch without putting his chin in the red zone.
The numbers support this belief on paper. Nakatani will enter with a three-inch height advantage, a slight reach advantage and a five-year age difference. He also has natural size from climbing three weight classes, which he plans to exploit for the full distance rather than chasing an early finish.
“This fight will 100% be a war and I think I will win by decision once I overcome everything Inoue throws at me,” Nakatani said.
In his December victory over Sebastian Hernandez, Nakatani was forced into a fierce fight in which both men landed heavily, taking 273 punches in a back-and-forth fight that went the distance. He showed toughness, but also suggested he could get hit when exchanges open up.
It’s not that Inoue is afraid of fighting a bigger opponent, but more that he is a perfectionist who knows that when you lose your physical advantage, you have to rely completely on your endurance. Nakatani is the first fighter in a long time who can actually make Inoue look petite in the ring.
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