Pacquiao vs. Bradley: Loss Only Adds Fuel to Pac-Man's Fire

A fighter with Pacquiao's ability does not need extra motivation, but his controversial loss Saturday night gave it to him anyway.

In a way, Pacquiao grabbed momentum by losing. The rest of the boxing world should fear him more.

Losing the right way would not have had this type of impact, but having his championship stolen from him will light a fire under Pacquiao. That's a scary prospect considering his relentless competitive spirit.

Let's take a look at how Pacquiao will use this fight moving forward.

No Letdown

Pacquiao is already known for his unceasing pursuit of his opponent. After Saturday's decision, Pacquiao isn't going to trust too many scorecards.

That means you can expect a hungrier Pac-Man in the future.

He did a great job of peppering Bradley with a variety of punches throughout the fight. He played solid defense against any incoming flurries and chased Bradley around the ring all night.

Still, that didn't result in a victory. Pacquiao will take that as a sign that he must work harder. Knowing him, he will try to correct any minor flaws in his remarkable skill set.

Pacquiao's career has been on cruise control for a long time. Losing a fight like this will wake him up, allow him to refocus and retool his approach for his next opponent.

People can't beat Pacquiao when he is comfortable. How do you think they will do with Pac-Man carrying a chip on his shoulder?

Delaying the Inevitable

Pacquiao's retirement is not too far away. It may not come for another couple of years, but Pacquiao is certainly on the back end of his boxing years.

With this fight fresh on his mind, Pacquiao isn't going to hang up his gloves for a good while yet. He has unfinished business, and I can't see him taking that lightly.

A 50-plus-fight career is nothing to snub your nose at. He has competed in multiple fights per year until recently, and he has been one of boxing's most proven warriors.

But Pac-Man is eventually going to run out of juice.

Losing his WBO welterweight belt on a terrible decision will keep him around longer than expected. People will call for his retirement from here on out, but he will ignore those whispers for at least two more years.

Pacquiao has to feel like his back is against the wall. He has to feel like the fix was in Saturday night.

What went through those judges' minds will never be known, but the fury they invoked in Pacquiao will surely be realized.