Manny Pacquiao: Upset Loss Will Test Pac-Man's Commitment to Sport

We will soon find out how dedicated Manny Pacquiao is to the sport of boxing. Prior to the Timothy Bradley fight Pacquiao had mentioned retirement and uncertainty around his future in the ring. After his painful and highly disputed loss, will Pacquiao have the stomach to continue on?

The dedication may not be there, but the money will, and because of that it's going to be very difficult to walk away.

In the court of public opinion, Manny won the fight even though the judges and a handful of folks saw it a different way. That said, his reputation is still intact.

With his public perception still high, people will still pay to see him perform. No matter how much people cried foul about the Bradley decision, threatened to boycott the rematch, slammed their fingers in the car door in protest, blah, blah, blah, they will be back for the rematch.

Just you watch and keep a tally of the pay-per-view numbers.

It will do even better than the first fight. Most people will want to see Manny "knock that fool out this time." It would be the ultimate vindication for what has been called highway robbery. This will be a huge lure for Pacquiao to return to the ring.

Pacquiao loves the adoration from the fans, as most fighters do, and his pride won't let him walk away on a sour note, even if most believe he was the victim of wrongdoing.

The question is will he be all-in mentally and physically? Will he be as charged to take the decision out of the judges' hands as Bradley is to prove his win wasn't a fluke? 

Funny things can happen in a rematch. I believe Pacquiao is the better fighter, but there is no question in my mind he is slowing down. Four years ago he would have knocked Bradley out, but not now. The older he gets, the more difficult it will be for him to stay in peak physical condition.

This is further impeded by all of his outside interests and conflicts. I think we've already begun to see a different Pacquiao in the ring. He will have to train even harder, and focus even more to remain an elite fighter.

While he'll almost certainly be there in body, his success will be dictated by his mental commitment.

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