Gibbons shuns rematch, wants Davis or Romero for Pacquiao

LAS VEGAS, USA, July 22 ------ MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons sees no sense for a rematch between Pacquiao and Mario Barrios.

Gibbons firmly believes Pacquiao had won and the majority draw decision enabling Barrios to keep his World Boxing Council (WBC) belt was a sham. “Manny Pacquiao beat Mario Barrios. What’s the need to fight him again? If Manny wants to fight again, there are fighters like Rolly Romero, there are fighters like Gervonta Davis,” said Gibbons.

Romero holds the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight belt with a 17-2 record, 13 by knockout, while Davis is the WBA lightweight king with a 30-win, 28 by knockout, 1-draw slate.

Given the choice, Gibbons prefers Romero over the hard-hitting Davis. “Rolly Romero would be an unbelievably fun fight. Romero just beat Ryan Garcia. Rolly Romero and Manny Pacquiao would be a hell of a promotion.”

The reason why Gibbons doesn’t want another Barrios fight is nothing personal. It’s promotional by nature. “Not a knock on Barrios. I like him. I like everybody around him, but he doesn’t move the needle. He’s just a nice person. Nobody wants to see a nice person. You need a Rolly Romero, you need a Gervonta Davis,” he said.

“Maybe it’s Gervonta Davis that could happen, and for once in his life, Manny is actually going to be bigger than his opponent, size-wise. So those are the real names out there Rolly Romero and Gervonta.”

And if negotiations push through, Gibbons sees the fight happening either late November or December. That would give Pacquiao enough time to put his 46-year-old body back to shape. Unlike in the Barrios fight where he had to compress training in seven weeks.

Source: rappler.com