Pacquiao vs. Bradley: 3 Reasons Pac-Man Needs This Win More Than Bradley

Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley both desperately want to be hoisting a belt when all is said and done on June 9, but Pacquiao needs it a lot more than Bradley does. In fact, the world of boxing as a whole needs it a lot more than Bradley does.

Bradley may be young and exciting and undefeated, but there will be a legion of disappointed and disillusioned fans if they have to watch PacMan go down in one of the most anticipated fights of the year.

Here's why Pacquiao really needs this win.

1. He needs to prove he deserved his win over Juan Manuel Marquez.

When Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez in November, it wasn't a decision that was met with sunshine and rainbows. After his majority decision victory, which allowed him to improve to 54-3-2, he was booed worse than Britney Spears on her first day at The X-Factor. 

Marquez, in fact, thought he'd had the victory in the bag until the three judges scored it. One had 115-113 in favor of Pacquiao, one had 116-112 in favor of Pacquiao, and one was a draw. According to USA Today's Bob Velin, the boos grew so loud that Pacquiao could barely be interviewed by Max Kellerman.

In his first fight since nearly losing that one, Pacquiao has a lot to prove. He has to prove that the close decision was a one-time thing, that he really deserved to win, that he is still the best of them all. If he beats Bradley on June 9, he can finally put to rest the speculation over whether he truly deserved the victory in November.

2. He needs to prove he's not distracted and tired.

Months after his win over Marquez, stories began circulating that Pacquiao performed poorly because he was distracted due to family problems. According to Rappler.com, Pacquiao's wife served him with divorce papers the night before he was set to fight Marquez.

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, confirmed the story, telling the Los Angeles Times that the distractions were finally taking a toll on Pacquiao.

Now, over six months later, Pacquiao insists that things at home are fine, that he's turned to religion to help him get his head back on straight, that he's given up the bad habits, like too much partying, that almost did him in.

So is it true? Did Pacquiao almost lose to Marquez because he was distracted and mentally exhausted, or did he almost lose because he wasn't quite as good as he used to be? PacMan can prove that he's 100 percent back on his game if he takes down Bradley.

3. It keeps the hope of Pacquiao-Mayweather alive.

This is the most important reason Pacquiao must beat Bradley—and perhaps the only reason the boxing world cares about. If he loses on June 9, the world can say goodbye to the epic superfight they've spent years yearning for.

Mayweather did his part when he defeated Miguel Cotto in early May, a hard-fought victory of his own. Both boxers have said they're open to the idea of the superfight, but for a plethora of reasons (breakdowns in financial negotiations, interference from promoters), it hasn't happened yet. With a win over Bradley, Pacquiao can keep the possibility on the table.

There's no promise that the fight will happen even if Pacquiao wins, but at least hope will stay alive. And hope is all that's needed.