WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is expected to be a heavy favorite on November 22 against WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri in Macau, China. Because of this, many fight fans are looking toward the future for Pacquiao, who has won two straight fights since losing back-to-back bouts in 2012.
If Pacquiao is successful Saturday, these are the most compelling fights he'll be able to make.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (47-0-0, 26 KO)
We don't need to go too far into this because fight fans know the deal. These two were once co-leaders of the pound-for-pound rankings, yet never fought despite the mammoth financial potential for both men.
Mayweather remains the pound-for-pound king, but has shown some signs of decline in fights with Marcos Maidana. Pacquiao's luster has dimmed as well, following two losses in 2012, and the lack of a knockout victory since 2009. That said, no bigger fight can be made in the sport.
Danny Garcia (29-0-0, 17 KO)
Garcia is the lineal junior welterweight champion, but Pacquiao's expressed interest in dropping weight following the Algieri bout.
Garcia's lost the momentum he built with a 2013 victory over the favored Lucas Matthysse by winning a lackluster split decision in Puerto Rico vs. Mauricio Herrera, followed by a knockout against the pitifully overmatched Rod Salka. Garcia needs a big fight to re-establish himself among the elite, and Pacquiao would represent the biggest fight available to him besides Mayweather.
Adrien Broner (29-1-0, 22 KO)
The brash junior welterweight doesn't necessarily deserve a fight this big, despite his status as a three-division champion. His biggest fight was a one-sided loss to Marcos Maidana, and the two wins that have followed it were pedestrian victories over little-known opponents.
Still, Broner is a star in boxing. He draws attention, and would be an interesting opponent for Pacquiao fans because of his association to Floyd Mayweather. Maidana rode a victory over Broner into a Mayweather fight-perhaps Pacquiao can follow that blueprint?
Marcos Maidana (35-5-0, 31 KO)
Speaking of Maidana, why couldn't he face Pacquiao? Yes he's coming off back-to-back losses, but they both came against the best fighter in the world. Maidana brings non-stop action and heavy pressure, while Pacquiao's frenetic output has always been his calling card.
This would have Fight of the Year potential, with a high probability for a knockout. Also, if Pacquiao were able to knock out Maidana, he could use that as a peg for a Mayweather bout-beating "El Chino" more impressively than Mayweather did in two tries.
Lucas Matthysse (36-3-0, 34 KO)
This is a dangerous fight for Pacquiao, and one unlikely to be made. Matthysse is wildly popular among hardcore boxing fans, but doesn't have much of a profile beyond that. He's also one of the most powerful punchers in boxing, while Pacquiao's shown he can be knocked out.
Matthysse is not perfect though. He has three losses in his career, can struggle with slick boxers at times, and gets hit in order to deliver his own shots. Pacquiao isn't what one would call slick though, meaning he's probably not fighting "The Machine" unless there's a title at stake, or huge money to be made.
Ruslan Provodnikov (23-3-0, 16 KO)
This is more realistic, but less enticing than a Matthysse or Maidana fight. Like those two, Provodnikov brings relentless pressure and power to the mix. He is vulnerable to boxing ability though, as shown by Algieri when the latter took his title at the Barclays Center, and would lose Freddie Roach as his trainer if he faced Pacquiao.
Provodnikov is always entertaining, and has reasonable gripes about all three of his losses. The boxing public would invite a Pacquiao vs. Provodnikov bout, but the fight is risky and difficult for Pacquiao, and wouldn't bring him much closer to a Mayweather payday.
Kell Brook, (33-0-0, 22 KO)
Brook is an immensely popular British fighter who made a splash in the United States by taking the IBF belt off of undefeated champion Shawn Porter. Brook is an impressive, strong welterweight that would be a real threat to Pacquiao. If Pacman can add another belt to his collection, and take down a respected, undefeated champion, Mayweather would have a hard time continuing to turn him down.
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