Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley: Pac-Man Must Lose for Mayweather Fight to Happen

If you want to see the superfight of Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather at some point, then you have no choice but to pull for Tim Bradley to pull an upset and beat Pacquiao when the two fight later in the year.

We should have a fight between the two right now, but we don't. For those counting at home, this is more than two years of hoping that these two will fight.  

Hans Olson of BoxingInsider.com puts the blame for not having a Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight on Pacquiao and his handlers. 

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Everybody wants to see Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. Everyone except those at Top Rank…and, based on his reluctance to make a stand and force the hand of those who control him…Manny Pacquiao himself.

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I don't agree that Pacquiao is to blame for this, but he didn't take enough personal responsibility for his own career. Bob Arum has had too much to say about who Pacquiao fights, and history is showing us that he wants no part of a bout with Mayweather.

That all changes if Pacquiao loses to Bradley. 

If Pacquiao loses to Bradley, his legacy is on the line. He has been fighting at a terrific level since losing to Erik Morales seven years ago. Pac-Man has not only knocked Morales out twice since, but has won every one of the other 13 fights he entered. 

But throw another loss in there and things don't stack up. The winning streak would be dead, and Pacquiao's resume would not hold up historically to Mayweather's. 

For a second, let's assume that Mayweather beats Miguel Cotto on May 5 and that Pacquiao loses to Bradley the following month. Look at the numbers and tell me who history would remember as the better fighter. 

	Record	Knockouts
Floyd Mayweather	42-0	26 or 27
Manny Pacquiao	58-4-2	38

You would have a hard time intelligently arguing that Pacquiao is the better fighter. But even if that happens, if Pacquiao comes back and hands Mayweather his first blemish, it makes up for the few extra losses. 

If Bradley does beat Pacquiao, he and Arum will have a sense of urgency to get in the ring with Mayweather. The only way that Pacquiao could be remembered as the era's best fighter would be to go in and beat him. No other win would do enough to make up for the extra losses. 

One could argue that Cotto beating Mayweather would do the same thing to Money, but there's another thing to consider.

Mayweather is almost two years older and will be going straight from the ring to a six-month stint in jail. If he loses to Cotto, it's doubtful that we'll ever see Mayweather in the ring again. 

If Pacquaio wins, he will be too comfortable. There isn't enough incentive for Arum and Pacquiao to make it happen. With the loss, the motivation will be there.

By extension, with the loss, the fight would happen. 

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