PACQUIAO RETURNS TO RING JANUARY 24 WITH WBA CHAMPION ROMERO IN SIGHT

Learning from his July comeback fight that ended in a draw, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to have a longer training camp for his next bout

PUNCH. Manny Pacquiao fights Mario Barrios at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

STEPHEN R. SYLVANIE/IMAGN IMAGES/REUTERS

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao is returning to the ring on January 24, 2026, in the United States.

Boxing’s lone eight-division world champion announced his second comeback bout in Las Vegas on social media on Tuesday, October 7 (Wednesday, October 8, Philippine time).

Although Pacquiao, already inducted into the sports Hall of Fame, did not mention his opponent, Rolando Romero looms large.

The video announcement was posted by Indistry Media, a global streaming network and entertainment agency. 

Pacquiao, who’ll be 47 years old on fight night, wants another crown, and Romero’s World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight belt is a logical target.

A few hours after Pacquiao’s announcement made the rounds, Ring Magazine posted a video of Romero throwing combinations to an imagined foe in the streets of London.

Viva Promotions then posted a photo of Pacquiao showing off his still well-chiseled physique.

“Hello to all my boxing fans. I’m excited to let you know that I will be returning to the ring January 24 in Las Vegas,” Pacquiao said in the video. “It is going to be an exciting and special event. Stay tuned. More news to come on my opponent in the next few days.”

After virtually four years of inactivity, Pacquiao sought Mario Barrios’ World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title last July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Despite only six months of intense training, Pacquiao did so well that sports pundits thought that he won. Barrios pulled off a majority draw.

Learning from that experience, Pacquiao said he would have a longer training camp, at least eight weeks, for his next bout.

Pacquiao is expected to return to the United States in November as Manny Pacquiao Promotions is making its initial foray in California on November 29, 2025, with his son, Jimuel, making his professional debut.

- ROY LUARCA

DAVID BENAVIDEZ TO REMAIN AT 175, TARGETS WORLD TITLE SHOT

 

Esther Lin/Premier Boxing Champions

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman reports that David Benavidez’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, has informed him that his fighter has chosen to stay at 175 and keep his WBC interim and mandatory position.

Benavidez will vacate his WBC interim 168-lb title, which was useless given that the World Boxing Council wasn’t showing signs of ordering a fight between him and WBC champion Canelo Alvarez.

The unbeaten Benavidez is the mandatory challenger to face the winner of the October 12th fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Those two will meet for the undisputed 175-lb championship at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Benavidez’s decision to give up his WBC interim and mandatory spot at 168 comes after today’s news of undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez defending against Edgar Berlanga next on September 14th in a dual network broadcast at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Berlanga recently became WBA 168-lb mandatory earlier this year on February 24th, defeating Padraig McCrory. Benavidez had already been waiting for a title shot as Canelo’s WBC mandatory for two years since his win over David Lemieux on May 21, 2022.

With Terence Crawford’s name repeatedly mentioned as a potential opponent for Canelo’s fight in the first quarter of 2025, it was evident that Benavidez would be passed over again and would continue to be indefinitely.

Financial Rewards At 175

Benavidez can make a lot of money fighting the Bivol vs. Beterbiev winner in 2025. The only uncertain thing is whether those two champions will choose to fight a rematch, which would likely happen in the second happen in the first half of next year.

- Sean Jones

WBC WORLD CHAMPIONS