Lethal left hook

Just how dangerous is Rolly Romero for Manny Pacquiao?

Very dangerous.

While fight fans seem to make fun of his flat-footed and oftentimes seemingly robotic movements, Romero is no pushover.

Admittedly, I fear him more than Mario Barrios.

But while Barrios appears to be less powerful, Romero packs dynamite on both fists. His left hook is menacing and packed with bad intentions.

Romero is being talked about because he looks like the frontrunner to become Pacquiao’s comeback fight in January.

Pacquiao, in a video posted by Industry, said he is fighting on 24 January against a soon-to-be-named foe.

The identity of his dance partner will be known “in a few days,” according to the eight-division legend.

But because of the lack of pertinent details about the fight in 2026, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Based on what Pacquiao did against Barrios last July at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the Filipino southpaw has a strong chance of scoring a win and becoming a world champion once again at 47.

Pacquiao turns 47 on 17 December and will become the second oldest ever if he knocks the World Boxing Association welterweight crown off Romero’s head in this proposed fight in January.

Barrios is a harder rival to figure out given his immense size (height).

Romero, although just about the same age as Barrios, is tailor-made for Pacquiao.

Aggression and pressure are written on Romero’s calling card, making him the ideal and perfect opponent for the ageless Pacquiao.

On paper, Romero is an attractive adversary.

He carries a 17-2 win-loss card with 13 knockouts with his two defeats dealt by topnotch fighters like Pitbull Cruz (TKO 8) and Gervonta “Tank” Davis (TKO 6).

In his last outing, Romero knocked down Ryan Garcia before taking a 12-round unanimous decision win last May at Times Square in New York.

The victory earned Romero, a native of Las Vegas, the WBA 147-pound strap that he will risk in the event the Pacquiao match happens in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao is getting ready and once the fight becomes official, he is expected to travel to the United States next month for the birth of son Jimuel’s child and the aspiring fighter’s professional debut on 29 November at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

Knowing Pacquiao, he will be more than ready for Romero.

In his latest social media appearance, he looked for somebody who even hasn’t been in training.

Following the Barrios fight, Pacquiao swore the camp for that fight was very short.

“It was less than eight weeks. I even had to take a break and travel to New York (for the Hall of Fame enshrinement),” he lamented.

But now, things are different and working in his favor.

Let’s just hope that the Romero bout comes into fruition.