Manny Pacquiao wants an immediate rematch against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios after their title bout ended in a controversial majority draw.
But Pacquiao’s business manager Sean Gibbons is not interested and has a grander plan for his next fight.
“I don’t mean this in a mean way, but [expletive] Mario Barrios,” Gibbons told reporters after the fight. “He’s a nice guy and I like the kid, but Manny deserves a bigger name. There are fighters like Gervonta “Tank” Davis and [Rolando] “Rolly” Romero out there.”
Davis is the bigger name, hence the more lucrative fight. But it’s going to be a dangerous fight for the 46-year-old Filipino boxing icon who defied Father Time in his comeback bout after nearly a four-year retirement.
The major issue that might keep a Pacquiao-Davis fight from happening is the weight class.
Davis is the reigning WBA lightweight champion. Pacquiao hasn’t fought in the lightweight division since 2008 when he knocked out David Diaz to win the WBC title.
However, they may agree to a catchweight which is not new to both Pacquiao and Davis.
Pacquiao was even dubbed the “catchweight king” for his wins over Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto at catchweight bouts.
On the other hand, Davis knocked out Ryan Garcia in 2023 in the lone catchweight fight of his career.
Meanwhile, Romero is a more realistic and easier fight for Pacquiao.
The 29-year-old Romero won the vacant WBA welterweight (regular) title after beating Garcia via unanimous decision in May.
According to ESPN, Romero will be promoted to full champion once Jaron “Boots” Ennis formally vacates his title and moves up to 154 pounds.
Still a Box Office Draw
Pacquiao electrified the sold-out MGM Grand in Las Vegas with his spirited fight against the much younger Barrios, who is 16 years his junior.
His ageless performance will earn him a cool $17 to $18 million, including pay-per-view shares, according to Marca.
It was a good payday for Pacquiao, whose career earnings were hit with his back-to-back losses in the 2022 presidential elections and 2025 senatorial elections in the Philippines.
With Pacquiao out of politics, his full focus is back to boxing.
“Don’t worry, the PacMan is back, and the journey will continue,” Pacquiao said during his postfight press conference.
Pacquiao, who grew up in poverty, has an estimated $575 million in career earnings as a boxer — or $775 million adjusted for inflation, before facing Barrios, according to Sporting News.
Pacquiao has brought in nearly $1.3 billion in revenue in his pay-per-view fights, with $400 million coming from his highly publicized 2015 fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao raked in an estimated $130 million from the bout.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Pacquiao has an estimated net worth of $220 million.
On the other hand, Barrios will earn no more than $2.5 million. While the champion’s earnings pale in comparison to Pacquiao’s, it represents the biggest single-fight earnings of his career, according to Marca.
Pacquiao’s Old Foe in Awe of His Ageless Performance
Getty Mario Barrios slips in front of Manny Pacquiao during their WBC welterweight title fight ending in a majority draw at MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Yordenis Ugas, who fought both fighters in the past, marveled at Pacquiao’s ageless performance.
“Damn, but I’d heard all along that the Pacquiao who fought me was finished, dead, nothing,” Ugas wrote on X. “How is it possible that four years later he comes against a kid 16 years younger and puts up another good fight?
“It was a very close fight. But Pac-Man is incredible. Without a doubt, one of the best fighters in history.”
Ugas was the last boxer Pacquiao faced before he retired. The Cuban boxer defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision in 2021 but lost to Barrios in 2023.
Pacquiao’s Manager Floats 2 Bigger Names Than Barrios for Next Fight