After a return to the ring that culminated in a hard-fought majority draw against Mario Barrios, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has dispelled any doubts about the timing of his comeback. At 46 years of age, the Filipino icon not only reaffirmed his commitment to active boxing, but also hinted at his stance on the growing interest from the likes of Rolando “Rolly” Romero and Ryan Garcia, who have publicly expressed their desire to face him.
With Garcia and Romero locked in negotiations for an anticipated rematch later this year, Pacquiao has taken it upon himself to remind both fighters of the real prize at stake. The boxing legend took to his Instagram account to post a series of portraits. In two identical images, one of them in striking black and white, Pacquiao looked determined and ready for any challenge. The short but clear message that accompanied the images immediately caught everyone’s attention: “Still Here”.
The message for their next rivals
The phrase “I’m still here” not only clarified Manny Pacquiao’s intentions to stay active for a while longer, but also served as an implicit message to Garcia and Romero. While both are preparing for their rematch, “PacMan” made it clear that the real definitive fight, the one that could revive stalled careers, is a showdown with him. And the truth is that Pacquiao is not wrong. His comeback fight against Barrios was a demonstration that, despite his age, he still has the speed, finesse and ability to measure himself against young champions.
Romero and Garcia await Pacquiao
The desire to face Pacquiao is not new. Rolando Romero was the first to throw down the gauntlet, declaring in an interview with FightHype: “A Hall of Famer on my resume, who wouldn’t want that? That’s the easiest way to get into the Hall of Fame, right?”, reflecting his interest in a possible fight
Ryan Garcia was quick to follow suit. Although the boxer is desperate to avenge his shock defeat to the new WBA regular welterweight champion, he knows that the time to face the Filipino icon is limited. Therefore, he would be willing to postpone his revenge mission to face Pacquiao, whom he described as a better opponent than Barrios or “Rolly” himself.
“If Manny Pacquiao wants to fight me and make a lot of money in a big fight, then let’s do it. If not, it’s fine with me. I can fight Rolly in a rematch. Either way is fine with me,” Garcia told The Ring.
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