Pacquiao vs. Bradley: Why Pac-Man Has Nothing Left to Prove

Manny Pacquiao is getting set to fight Timothy Bradley on June 9, but the 33-year-old fighter has no real reason to step in the ring.

Pac-Man has accomplished nearly everything that a Hall-of-Famer in the sport is supposed to.

He’s the only octuple champion in boxing history (Pac-Man holds a title in eight different weight classes) and is widely regarded as the best of his generation.

The only thing that the Filipino fighter has yet to achieve is a victory over Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Money Mayweather is widely regarded as the only person close to being considered Manny’s equal. Unfortunately, there has been so much controversy, drama and hangups surrounding the hypothetical matchup that it looks less and less likely to happen with each passing day.

At this point in Pacquiao’s career, there just simply isn’t a purpose to step between the ropes to fight someone like Bradley. The challenger might be undefeated, but he’s young, inexperienced and not yet proven.

Pac-Man is only putting his future at risk and doesn’t gain much at all by fighting men like Bradley. If by some fluke reason Manny loses, it destroys all of his credibility and it cheapens any bouts that he would be involved in going forward.

If he wins—and that is extremely likely what will happen—all of the fans will be unimpressed. It is what exactly what is supposed to happen.

Until Pacquiao and Mayweather can find a way to reach an agreement to engage in the biggest boxing match of all time, there is no point in Pac-Man wasting his time against inferior opponents like Bradley.