Manny Pacquiao title fight talks collapse to put Floyd Mayweather rematch back on the table

Manny Pacquiao’s plans to challenge Rolly Romero for his WBA welterweight title have collapsed.

After making a valiant comeback to the sport in July, Pacquiao made it clear that his sights were firmly set on fighting Romero next.

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The pair have been in talks for months and appeared to be edging closer to penning a deal to share the ring in early 2026.

But, according to reports from Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger, that is no longer the plan.

Coppinger shared on X: “Talks to match up Manny Pacquiao in a title shot vs Rolly Romero in early 2026 have collapsed, sources tell @ringmagazine.

“Pacquiao still exploring the Floyd Mayweather rematch.

“Romero, meanwhile, has a looming mandatory vs Shakhram Giyasov.”

While the door seems to be closed on Pacquiao fighting Romero, it has been left open for a potential rematch with long-time rival Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Their inaugural encounter in May 2015 saw Mayweather score a unanimous decision win to unify the WBC, WBA and WBO welterweight titles.

Following their bout, which was dubbed the ‘Fight of the Century’, Mayweather fought twice more before retiring from the professional ranks with a perfect 50-0 record.

Since then, ‘Money’ has competed in various exhibition bouts and is currently gearing up for his next outing to the ring.

In March 2026, Mayweather is set to meet Mike Tyson for an exhibition bout, although the exact date hasn’t been announced.

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While Pacquiao has also competed in multiple exhibition bouts, he has repeatedly stated that he wants to rematch Mayweather in a professionally sanctioned fight.

Why did talks for Manny Pacquiao vs Rolly Romero collapse?

The exact reason for the collapse of their talks is unknown, but Pacquiao and Romero had faced numerous obstacles trying to action their fight.

These obstacles include Romero being ordered to face the WBA mandatory challenger, Giyasov.

The order meant that he would have had to vacate his title to fight Pacquiao.

In light of that, the 30-year-old lodged an exemption bid to the governing body, requesting to bypass Giyasov and face off with ‘Pac Man’ instead.

It’s likely that Romero will now fulfil the WBA’s order to fight Giyasov, but any official confirmation of either man’s plans has yet to follow.