Legendary promoter Bob Arum thinks Manny Pacquiao can still compete with the best in boxing. He believes the Filipino icon has a good shot at beating Rolando 'Rolly' Romero if they fight.
Pacquiao, now 46, made a surprise return to the ring on July 19. He fought to a majority draw against Mario Barrios, the current WBC world welterweight champion, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Even at his age, Pacquiao showed he can still hang with top fighters.
Romero, who's 29 and from Las Vegas, just had the best fight of his career. He beat Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision on May 2 in Times Square, New York. Romero won the regular version of the WBA world welterweight title and will soon be upgraded to full champion as Jaron Ennis moves up in weight.
Arum, who used to promote Pacquiao, shared his thoughts on a potential Pacquiao-Romero clash with Fight Hub TV:
"I think Manny would be competitive against any of those people, and I think Romero is less of a boxer than this guy that Manny just fought, who would be ideal for Manny. I give Manny a good chance to win against Romero."
Arum thinks Romero isn't as skilled a boxer as Barrios, who Pacquiao just fought. That's why he gives the eight-division world champion a solid chance of winning if they meet in the ring.
There's talk of a rematch between Romero and Garcia. But a fight with Pacquiao could be Romero's first WBA title defense. Pacquiao has said he wants to keep boxing, so fans might see this matchup soon.
You can find more details about Pacquiao's recent fight against Barrios on ESPN's website. It's clear the boxing legend still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.