Pacquiao-Paro fight looms after Mayweather rematch stalls

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

A new champion has been linked to Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.

A week after Pacquiao’s camp confirmed the fallout of the proposed rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr., newly crowned International Boxing Federation welterweight king Liam Paro entered the picture and is currently looking to lure the eight-division champion into a deal.

George Rose, Paro’s promoter, announced that they want Pacquiao as his next opponent, with the planned showdown likely to take place in Australia.

“Manny is the fight we want to make for Liam,” Rose said.

“Imagine Manny coming back to Australia. Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Rolly Romero all hold world titles, but we don’t have to do a unification. Imagine doing a card with Manny, it would be sensational.”

The Australian pugilist is coming off an impressive win over Lewis Crocker last week, dictating the pace from the get-go to grab a unanimous decision victory for the IBF welterweight belt.

A highly technical boxer who possesses durability and slick footwork, Paro is widely recognized for his fundamentally sound fighting style, breaking down opponents before dropping the hammer in the later rounds.

With his elusive tactics and defensive prowess, Paro closely resembles the fighting styles of Devin Haney and Regis Prograis, two of the most exciting young champions in the sweet science today.

Paro is currently on a roll, winning three consecutive fights since June 2025 while holding a professional record of 28 wins, one loss, and 16 knockouts.

“Manny Pacquiao was my favorite fighter growing up,” Paro said before his fight against Crocker.

“I was Jeff Horn’s main sparring partner for the Pacquiao fight, and I was there to witness that atmosphere first-hand.”

In retrospect, Pacquiao’s camp, headed by MP Promotions CEO Jas Mathur, announced that the long-awaited rematch against Mayweather Jr. will not happen on Sept. 25, 2026, and is being postponed indefinitely.

The decision came after CSI Sports, the events company that Mayweather had a deal with for the exclusive rights to promote the rematch, filed a federal lawsuit to recover USD 4.65 million.

CSI Sports claimed it paid the undefeated boxing superstar advance payments for promoting the Pacquiao rematch, as well as the Mike Tyson exhibition scheduled for April 25, 2026, that didn’t materialize.

Despite the shaky negotiations, Pacquiao’s camp is still optimistic that it can make the fight happen, with the estimated rematch schedule set for early 2027.