Manny Pacquiao Must Score Lopsided Win to Continue His Career
Manny Pacquiao is in an extreme situation. The 34-year-old Filipino legend needs a great performance against Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios on Saturday in Macao, China. If he doesn't get one, he should be calling it quits.
This means, just winning isn't good enough. If Pacquiao doesn't completely blow Rios away, continuing his career makes no sense. Rios is a decent fighter with a ton of heart, but from a skills standpoint, he doesn't measure up to Pacquiao in his prime.ย
This fight will tell us if Pacquiao's prime is a thing of the past.
Manny's hand and foot speed should be vastly superior. When looking at the fighters' punching power, Bam Bam may be equal, but that is arguable. If Pacquiao is right, this fight should look a lot like his 2010 massacre of Antonio Margarito. Tony and Rios have a similar defenseless style.
It is tailored for a fighter like Pacquiao to seek and destroy.
Some may say Pacquiao has time to improve and possibly win back a piece of the welterweight titleโeven if he isn't at his best on Saturday. I wouldn't dispute that.
He could probably still beat a fighter like IBF champion Devon Alexander, possibly even WBA champion Adrien Broner. However, titles aren't what Pacquiao is still fighting for.
Legacy and achieving unparalleled greatness has to be his goal. The only way he can attain that is by avenging his most recent losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez and/or beating Floyd Mayweather Jr.
There aren't any other fighters in the world that would bring any more glory to Pacquiao's accomplishments. All of the aforementioned fighters would easily handle Rios. Can you imagine what a Mayweather-Rios fight would look like?ย
It would be a 12-round shutout in favor of Floyd with Rios' face looking as if it was taken through a meat grinder after the final bell. Pacquiao must prove he's head and shoulders above Rios to keep his name in the same group as the best fighters in the world.
At this point in his career, if he can't be the best, he shouldn't be competing.
Follow me for news and musings on The Sweet Science.
