Pacquiao vs Marquez 2012: What's Next for Both Boxers in 2013?

As excited (read: not very excited at all) as I'm sure everyone is for Dec. 8 when Manny Pacquiao takes on Juan Manuel Marquez for the fourth time, many will simply be wondering, "what's next?" 

There's just only so much of one fight with the same result over and over and over and over that fans can take. 

Let's start by getting this out of the way: Pac-Man vs. Floyd Mayweather isn't going to happen. There are too many obstacles and too much dodging by each man. It's not going to happen. 

Much to the chagrin of Pacquiao fans, the most realistic possibility after he fights Marquez could be retirement.

Although he out-fought Timothy Bradley, it's clear that the 33-year-old is beginning to slightly lose a step. Considering the quickness of his step to begin with, however, that's not necessarily a big deal.

But with so many other things going on in Pac-Man's life—religion, politics, basketball—it wouldn't be surprising to see him walk away from boxing relatively early. Especially when most people endlessly criticize him for choosing any opponent that isn't nicknamed "Money." 

That being said, should Pac-Man choose to keep on keepin' on, one likely option could be Brandon Rios.

Bam Bam last fought at 140 pounds, while Pacquiao's fight against Bradley was at 147. Still, the young up-and-comer is clearly extremely talented and would probably be willing to do whatever it takes to get a fight with arguably the most popular human being in the sport.

Moreover, and probably more importantly, he's a member of Top Rank, and you now how much Bob Arum likes to schedule fights between Top Rank boxers. 

Retirement is also an option for Marquez, especially if he fails to "officially" beat Pacquiao for the fourth time in a row. 

He's 39 years old and likely a future Hall of Famer. There isn't a whole lot else for him to accomplish. 

Should he continue to fight, there's a wide spectrum as to where he might go next. Consider the fact that over the past three years he's taken on legendary opponents from Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao to lesser-known guys like Likar Ramos and Serhiy Fedchenko. 

Marquez doesn't care who he fights.

That being said, it probably depends on how he fares with Pac-Man.

If he beats him, a matchup with Floyd Mayweather or Tim Bradley could be coming. If not, a smaller fight could be on the way. 

One thing, at least for most boxing fans, is sure, though. No thanks on Pacquiao-Marquez V. 

Follow @t_keen