As soon as Brandon Rios was inked as Manny Pacquiao's next opponent following two straight losses, the chatter was about how this bout would shape Pacquaio's future in the sport.
Once a claimant to the pound-for-pound crown, two defeats lessened his luster, while his dedication to fighting was questioned as his role as a politician in the Philippines grew. Rios was an interesting choice as an opponent; he was naturally bigger than Pacquiao and packs a strong punch which was dangerous against Pacman due to his propensity to sometimes eat a few punches in order to deliver his own blows.
Conversely, Rios hadn't proven much in the way of defensive skills and is known to engage in brawls. That figured to make for an entertaining match, and one that would make people clamor for Manny again. Adding to the mix was talk from Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach of retirement in the event of a Manny loss.
Well, Manny Pacquiao proved he was far from done on Saturday, outclassing a game Rios and earning an unquestionable victory. Pacquaio will certainly beat the drum for a match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. now-the question is whether Pacquiao won impressively enough to convince "Money" it's worth it.
Mayweather has frequently stated that he's moved past the Pacquiao train, and that the Filipino superstar missed his opportunity to hit the boxing lottery. That could change however, when inspecting a fighting landscape barren of real opposition to Floyd. He tactically abused Canelo Alvarez, seen as the premier challenger to Mayweather, and is struggling to get fans excited about any names tossed about.
The most recent impediment has been Pacquiao's diminished reputation, but that very well may have been restored. Rios' trainer Robert Garcia said post-fight, "Pacquiao still has it. He has quickness and great speed. He'll be around for a long time."
"If everybody wants it to happen, it can happen," Top Rank head Bob Arum said. "That fight should happen. Particularly after that performance."
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