Pacquiao vs. Rios: Analyzing Importance of Victory for Both Boxers

Although it may not be the biggest fight of the year, the bout between Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios will carry heavy implications for the future.

"Pac-Man" is looking to recover from his defeats to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, while Rios wants to make a name for himself by beating a marquee fighter like Pacquiao.

The outcome of this fight could end up sending ripples through the boxing world.

Here's what's on the line for each fighter.

Manny Pacquiao

It's quite simple what a win would mean for Pacquiao: getting a step closer to that superfight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Bob Arum has already discussed how a convincing Pacquiao win could get the hype train in motion for the prospective bout.

You can see why so much is on the line for Pac-Man in this fight.

The most recent image fans have of Pacquiao in the ring is getting knocked out by Marquez. The photo of him face-down on the canvas was widely circulated and the subject of various jokes.

There's no doubting that Pacquiao's stock has dropped since those two losses. But he's gotten a bit of a pass, due in part to the judging for that Bradley fight and the fact that Marquez is still a good fighter and it was one punch that decided the fight.

Although this wouldn't be considered a huge win for Pacquiao, winning will at least get him headed in the right direction, much as beating Robert Guerrero helped out Floyd Mayweather.

You don't want to draw too many conclusions should Pac-Man win, but at least he would've looked strong in the ring

Of course, there's the flip side. Losing to Brandon Rios would be a debilitating blow for Pacquiao regarding any bout with Mayweather.

The perception of Pac-Man is that he's on the decline. Losing this fight would only turn that perception into a reality. And fewer fans would be interested in watching a Pacquiao who's clearly on the downswing of his career.

Brandon Rios

Beating Manny Pacquiao would put Brandon Rios on the map. Yes, he's got a 31-1-1 record and beaten some tough opponents.

Nobody Rios has beaten has had the pedigree of Pacquiao. Winning this fight would be by far the biggest of Rios' career and make the more casual boxing fans stand up and take notice.

There are plenty of people who look at this fight as a mere warmup for Pacquiao as he looks to bigger and better things. Rios is just another Robert Guerrero.

If Rios wants to earn some credibility, he needs to get the victory.

Pac-Man is still in the stage of his career where he's regarded as one of the best fighters in his weight class. Even after his recent losses, fans and insiders alike respect Pacquiao. He's yet to reach that point where beating him is a hollow victory because he's a shell of his former self.

Rios wouldn't be like Kevin McBride and Danny Williams, who both beat Mike Tyson and then crawled back into whatever hole they came out of shortly afterward.

A win against Manny Pacquiao would be a career-maker for Brandon Rios.