Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley: Why a Pac-Man Loss Would Devastate Boxing

The sport of boxing can't afford to see Manny Pacquiao lose to Timothy Bradley. If Pac-Man were to lose this upcoming fight against Bradley, you can kiss any thought of a Floyd Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight happening good-bye.

No disrespect intended to Bradley, who is an excellent boxer and true champion in his own right, but Pacquiao is one of two fighters who has a truly marketable name right now—the other being Mayweather.

A Pacquiao loss would take the wind right out of the sails of boxing, and it could cause many casual fans to tune out. That would truly be a shame to a sport that has recently seen an up swell of interest, especially with the possibility of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao looming for the last few months.

The trouble with the sport these days is that there aren't any heavyweights like Mike Tyson or George Foreman dominating headlines. Since that is the unfortunate reality, guys like Pacquiao and Mayweather have taken center stage. 

Boxing needs them to keep succeeding, or the sport could start to see more and more people tuning out in favor of the UFC and WWE.

The best possible outcome for the sport would be a resounding Pacquiao knockout victory. A decision in favor of Pacquiao will be an acceptable substitute, but a loss would be devastating.

There aren't enough superstars in the sport for Pac-Man to get away with losing this fight. He needs to win so there is still hope for a bout with Mayweather. That is the hottest topic right now, and it's driving the sport. 

If you take that away, there really isn't anything left to occupy the front pages of sports websites and newspapers.

For a sport that's already on shaky ground, a Pacquiao loss would be catastrophic.

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