Manny Pacquiao: Boxing Can't Afford for Pac-Man to Lose to Tim Bradley

Boxing needs Manny Pacquiao. 

It needs him to continue his reign as WBO Welterweight champion and add to his legacy to remain one of the world's most recognizable athletes. 

It can't afford for him to lose to Tim Bradley on June 9th. 

A Pacquiao defeat would be a crushing blow to the sport that once reigned supreme in the United States, having taken a backseat to the NFL and now the UFC in terms of general appeal. 

If PacMan loses, the potential super fight between him and WBC Welterweight champion will lose nearly all of its luster.

Although there's been a multitude of relatively annoying reasons as to why the fight has yet to be scheduled, the promise of the event has kept boxing fans genuinely interested in both fighters performances in the time leading up to their clash. 

Undefeated WBC Welter champion Floyd Mayweather began his three-month jail sentence on June 1st, but he's the boisterous and supremely confident talker who'd bring in the most revenue and generate the most interest if he agreed to fight PacMan. 

Pacquiao is clearly the favorite against Bradley, but he must be on top of his game and win handily to maintain the allure for a future showdown with Mayweather. 

A win for Bradley would give rise to a great deal of initial publicity and hype for the 28-year-old American because he'd move to 29-0 and would have knocked off Pacquiao, but in the long-term, boxing needs PacMan to emerge victorious. 

Follow @ChrisTrapasso