Manny Pacquiao: What the Future Holds for Pac-Man After Shocking Decision

Manny Pacquiao's career was slammed with an unexpected twist when the fight against Timothy Bradley was stolen from him. "Pac-Man" clearly deserved the win, but instead, "Desert Storm" came out of the bout victorious.

Pacquiao's future had a clear path before this controversy, but now that another loss has been added to his impressive record, that once-clear path has become murky.

Let's take a look at what Pac-Man's future holds.

Rematch With Bradley

I find it hard to believe anyone would want to watch a rematch between these two fighters considering the first outcome, but don't think for a second boxing won't try to shove it down our throats.

Bob Arum, the promoter of the now-infamous fight, believes that a rematch won't happen, according to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, who reports, "He's heard from some ticket brokers that 'no one wants to come' to a Bradley rematch because most fight watchers considered Pacquiao's effort a one-sided victory."

Granted, the brokers telling Arum this are correct from where I'm sitting, but boxing still needs to make this happen. It's the only way to right the wrongs that were committed in the first bout. Even if Arum has to hold this rematch in the basement of his home with nobody watching, it must get done.

If Bradley ever hopes to get some credibility for the belt around his waist, he must beat Pac-Man in a rematch, fair and square. While Pac-Man needs to prove nothing, you have to believe a competitor like the former welterweight champ wants to get the win he was robbed of the first time around.

Fight With Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The sport of boxing can only dream of this fight happening after the debacle that occurred last Saturday night. But still, that need for this fight to happen doesn't mean it will.

Money May and Pac-Man are easily in a class all their own as the two greatest fighters in the world at the moment. Not a single soul in the boxing world would choose any other matchup.

The road to this fight is now going to have to take a detour, especially if Pacquiao and Bradley don't fight again.

It was thought that if Money May and Pac-Man were to fight, both would have another fight before entering the ring together. Mayweather would need at least a warmup fight before he stepped into the ring with Pac-Man, and in that time, Pacquiao would do the same.

Now, if the controversial rematch doesn't occur, that puts Bradley on a fast track to fight Money May. He'll no doubt lose that fight, which would set up another fight with Pacquiao in order to get to Mayweather.

Both of those potential matchups are meaningless in every sense of the word and only further delay a dream fight between the best of the best. If they ever do fight, Pac-Man and Money May will be another year older and the longer they wait, the worse the quality of the fight will be.

Retirement

I doubt he'd go out like that, but I wouldn't blame Pacquiao in the least bit if he decided to retire after this fight.

Pac-Man can't possibly have any faith in the judges and scoring system of boxing anymore.

How could he? The system screwed him over against Bradley, so what's stopping it from screwing him over again?

Not to mention, boxing needs a rematch between Pac-Man and Desert Storm, and what better way to stick it to the boxing authorities and promoters if Pacquiao wasn't around to take that fight? It would leave this outcome forever on the hands of the sport without a satisfactory culmination to the controversy.

As mentioned before, Pacquiao is one of two great fighters left in the sport. Along with Mayweather, Pac-Man is a huge moneymaker with international popularity. Not having him around anymore would cost the sport on its bottom line big time.

Could Pac-Man Fight Someone Else?

It's doubtful. How can boxing justify putting Pac-Man up against anyone else after what just happened against Bradley?

For the sake of boxing and whatever credibility it has left, Pac-Man must fight Bradley in a rematch or go up against Money May, the fight everyone wants to see.

Fighting anyone outside of this little circle boxing has created would be a head-scratching event to say the least.