JAKARTA - The plan of former world champion Manny Pacquiao to challenge Rolly Romero for the WBA welterweight title fight is confirmed to fail.
The two have been in discussions for months and appear to be getting closer to signing a deal to share the ring in early 2026.
However, Mike Coppinger of Ring Magazine, in a tweet on the social media X, confirmed that the fight would not materialize.
"Talks to bring Manny Pacquiao in a title fight against Rolly Romero in early 2026 have fallen through, according to sources told Ring Magazine," he wrote.
Pacquiao made it clear his target is to fight Romero after he made a daring comeback in July 2025 against Mario Barrios in a WBC welterweight title fight, which ended in a draw.
Pacquiao fought for the title to break his own record as the oldest welterweight champion in history. He previously made history as the oldest welterweight champion at the age of 40.
Although Pacquiao's chances of fighting Romero appear to be closed, a rematch with his old rival, Floyd Mayweather Jr., is still open.
"Meanwhile, Romero faces a mandatory fight against Shakhram Giyasov that will be coming soon," Coppinger wrote.
Mayweather previously won an absolute victory through a jury decision to unify the WBC, WBA, and WBO welterweight titles in the first meeting with Pacquiao in May 2015.
After their fight dubbed 'Fight of the Century', Mayweather fought twice more before retiring from professional boxing with a perfect record of 50-0.
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