In Northern Ireland, they are already ‘cooking up’ what could be one of the biggest fights of 2026. Manny Pacquiao is the focus of this issue. Organizers from a British sports events company spoke about the chance that the Filipino boxing legend will be invited to the city of Belfast to face a welterweight champion that half the world is talking about at the moment.
It should be remembered that last July, Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao’s return to professional boxing four years after his last fight was a complete success. Contrary to what many believed, the Filipino pugilist gave a very good exhibition in his return to the ring to face Mario ‘El Azteca’ Barrios. The final result at the MGM Grand Garden Arena was a draw by decision of the judges.
Lewis Crocker would be Manny Pacquiao’s opponent
Northern Irish boxer Lewis Crocker has the world at his feet after claiming the International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight title in September. Crocker’s manager, Jamie Conlan, stated that he had approached Pacquiao’s team in the hope of matching them. Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith revealed that there had been no talks on their part to stage Pacquiao-Crocker.
It could be interesting to bring Manny Pacquiao to Windsor Park
“I met with Lewis (Crocker) and Jamie (Conlan) earlier in the week,” Smith told BoxingScene. “They came into the office, we were discussing what’s next. There are lots of opportunities, the IBF ordered a final eliminator between Paddy Donovan and Liam Paro today as well, which means that by the middle of next year the winner of that will be a challenge for the IBF title. But first and foremost, we’re going to have a fight for Lewis.”
He continued: “There are great options and hopefully we will hear soon. It could be interesting to bring Manny Pacquiao to Windsor Park. Of course (we are interested), it’s a huge name,” he continued. “You know, you could argue that he beat Mario Barrios in his fight last time. He didn’t get the decision, it was close, but yeah, Manny Pacquiao, there’s nothing bigger than that, right?“
Rolly Romero vs. Manny Pacquiao: What happened to the fight?
A possible fight between Pacquiao and Crocker would make more sense, as two days ago it was reported that Rolando Romero will have to defend his world title before thinking about a possible clash with the Filipino. The World Boxing Association confirmed that the welterweight champion will have to face the number one challenger, Shakhram Giyasov, in a mandatory fight that must be completed before November 13.
In fact, the situation changed for Romero after his victory on May 2 in Times Square, when he defeated Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision and was recognized as the absolute champion, after Jaron Ennis moved up to super welterweight and vacated the IBF and WBA titles. Since then, the 29-year-old boxer has positioned himself as one of the new figures in the division.
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