Manny Pacquiao vs. Gennady Golovkin? Freddie Roach suggests Filipino champ might consider taking on middleweight star

Most of the speculations about Manny Pacquiao’s return to the ring have been matching the Filipino fighter with other welterweight superstars. However, his trainer Freddie Roach does not rule out the possibility for Pacquiao to go in a different direction and consider a fight with Gennady “GGG” Golovkin.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Gennady Golovkin: What are the chances?

Next month marks the first anniversary of Pacquiao’s fight with Keith Thurman. The result of the match was a major statement that fighting in his 40s should not worry his fans. Pacquiao gave Thurman his first L and returned to the list of world champions after getting the WBA (Super) title from the American boxer.

Pacquiao, now 41, has not made any pronouncements to retire. Roach even said in a recent interview with DAZN that he will not be surprised if Pacquiao wishes to chase after a more challenging match-up like a fight with Golovkin. “One thing about Manny: He doesn't just want to beat anybody, he wants to beat the best out there,” Roach said. “He wants to fight the top guys.”

While not entirely impossible, Pacquiao’s camp will have to consider many factors if they would go after a bout with Golovkin. For one, “GGG” fights in the middleweight meaning Pacquiao would have to move up a couple of weight classes to make this event happen.

While Roach was the one who floated the idea of a Pacquiao-Golovkin bout, the renowned trainer said he would not consider having the Filipino fight at 160 pounds. Note that “GGG” officially weighed in at 159.2 pounds on his latest fight against Sergiy Derevyanchenko last October. Pacquiao, the only eight-division champion in the history of boxing, is familiar with moving up a few weight classes. He fought in the light middleweight division in 2010 against Antonio Margarito. Although it was a huge success for the Filipino boxer, Roach admitted to DAZN that it was a “risk” at the time.

Why Manny Pacquiao is unlikely to pursue a match with Gennady Golovkin

Pacquiao’s status as a boxing icon and Golovkin’s reputation as one of the most powerful punchers in the sports today are perfect ingredients for a blockbuster match-up, so the interest in this bout is understandable. But it might not be the most pragmatic decision for Pacquiao. Simply put, he has several other options for his next match to go up against the likes of Errol Spence Jr., Terence Crawford, Danny Garcia, and Mikey Garcia -- all of which have a good potential of becoming a very lucrative deal without risking too much by stepping out of his current division.