Manny Pacquaio: Why Timothy Bradley Does Nothing for His Legacy

Manny Pacquiao doesn't need Timothy Bradley. The fight certainly doesn't enhance his legacy.

Realistically, there's only one fight that could really enhance his legacy at this point in his career and that's a super-fight with Floyd Mayweather. Replacing him with another undefeated fighter in Bradley is not nearly the same.

This doesn't take anything away from Bradley—an accomplished champion in his own right—it's just that Pacquaio is a generation-defining talent. The best way to measure a generation-defining talent is to see what they do against the other superstars of their era and a matchup with Bradley doesn't do that.

Pacquaio has already taken on some of the biggest names in boxing today. His wars with Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales already define his legacy. He has fought every big name that was close to his weight in his time (with the exception of Mayweather) and he's emphatically avenged his highest-profile loss (to Morales).

When we look back on Pacquaio, we will know that he was one of the best fighters of his era. A champion of multiple weight classes who was one of the most accomplished fighters in the history of the sport.

What we won't remember is when he fought Bradley.

To the hardcore boxing fan, Bradley may seem like a worthy opponent. His undefeated record makes him an exciting opponent for Pacquiao and the fight may even turn out to be good. However, he's not the main-event type of fighter that will really draw casual fans.

Given Pacquaio's impressive resume, he is running out of relevant opponents in today's landscape. Not much remains for the 33-year-old to prove in the sport.

A win over Bradley will provide another win on his record and a nice boost to his bank account, but it doesn't hold enough cache to really bolster Pac-Man's legacy.