Pacquiao vs. Bradley: Pac-Man Must Earn Convincing Win to Silence Critics

June 9, 2012 marks Manny Pacquiao's return to the boxing ring, where he will meet Timothy Bradley. This is distressing to fans who wished they would finally be able to witness Pacquiao take on Floyd Mayweather.

Despite being seen as one of the best boxers in the world, Pacquiao still has critics doubting him, especially after a controversial win over Juan Manuel Marquez in his last bout.

In the bout with Marquez, Pacquiao walked away with a majority decision that many in the boxing world disagreed with. On the judge's scorecards, Pacquiao won 115-113 on one card, 116-112 on another card and tied 114-114 on the last card. Upon the announcement of the scores, the crowd was audibly upset by the decision.

The statistics were the only thing on Pacquiao's side that night. He out-struck Marquez 176-138, as well as hit more power punches by 17 punches. This is an objective stat, though, as fights are scored by individual rounds.

With that close fight, Pacquiao has earned doubt from many critics. The potential of facing Floyd Mayweather has put most people in the corner of Mayweather, something that would not have happened long before the Marquez fight.

Before we can continue to wish for the Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown, Pacquiao must first get through Timothy Bradley, which will be no walk in the park.

Bradley is currently undefeated in his career, holding a 28-0 (1 NC) record. The "no contest" came as a result of a cut over opponent Nate Campbell's eye that stopped the fight.

Pacquiao is treading dangerous waters with Bradley. Bradley is coming off an impressive knockout victory over Joel Casamayor, who is extremely dangerous himself. Although Pacquiao is a big step up for Bradley, "Desert Storm" has all the skill and hype to bag this monumental victory.

Obviously, Pacquiao has the better credentials of the two and holds more notable victories, but a dominant performance here must occur if Pacquiao wishes to silence his critics.

In addition to silencing his critics, PacMan must also accept the terms with Floyd Mayweather and give fans the fight they want to see. That way, a clear No. 1 boxer can be established in the world.

All of these factors must come together to prove all Pacquiao doubters wrong.