Mouthwatering matchup

It appears that Manny Pacquiao’s camp won’t find it difficult signing up an opponent for the Filipino icon’s much-awaited return sometime late this year.

Rolly Romero, the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion, digs a potential clash with the recently-enshrined Hall of Famer.

“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?” Romero said in an interview by Boxingscene.

Romero’s name was among those that kept on floating in the aftermath of Pacquiao’s 12-round draw with Mario Barrios over the weekend at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Holding a 17-2-0 with-loss-draw card with 13 knockouts, Romero’s all-out, all-action style seems to be tailor-made for the 46-year-old Pacquiao.

“We can do it. Everything has to make sense. It’s going to be a fan favorite. That makes sense right there.”

“You know, it must be a blessing when legends are calling you out,” Romero said. “If a legend is asking to make a fight with you, that says something. And it’s not only because of the belt… it’s because I can sell the fight, too, and I’m on par with who he is. That speaks highly of how much potential I truly have.”

Asked about the Pacquiao-Barrios match, Romero swears that he gave the fight to Pacquiao.

“It was a close fight, regardless — not to take anything away from Mario Barrios. But I personally saw Pacquiao winning. A lot of people had Pacquiao winning. Barrios only clearly won the last three rounds. I feel like Pacquiao was winning the others, stealing some of them with these bursting moments to close rounds.”

Pacquiao is still in the United States recharging his batteries after a compact seven-and-a-half training camp.

Before leaving Las Vegas the day after the Barrios showdown, Pacquiao said he would be ready to enter the ring again as early as late-October.

“My camp will be longer this time. 12 weeks of training because it was clear that the Barrios preparation, though hard, was not enough.”

If only he did three more months of training, Pacquiao swears he could have knocked Barrios out.