Manny Pacquiao's Keys to Victory Against Brandon Rios in Major Fight

Manny Pacquiao seeks to end his brief losing skid in a high-profile encounter with Brandon Rios. Given his track record, the Filipino southpaw should enter the bout as the favorite, but it's going to take a complete effort to score the victory.

The fight is the first of 2013 for Pacquiao, who suffered losses to Timothy Bradley and longtime rival Juan Manuel Marquez last year. He needs to hope the extended break had a refreshing effect because he wasn't living up to his usual high standards in those bouts.

Rios is coming off the first loss of his career as Mike Alvarado scored a unanimous decision in a rematch between the two. It opens the door for a strong rebound performance from Pacquiao. Let's check out some of the keys for him to make it happen.

Control the Pace

In his last fight, Pacquiao tried to up the tempo while seeking a knockout of Marquez. He held a 2-0-1 record against his rival, but all three fights went the distance. The faster pace came back to haunt him as it allowed Marquez to land a perfect KO strike late in the sixth round.

Pac-Man should have learned a lesson from that fight. He must return to his preferred style of fighting, which features a more measured pace and plenty of movement. As Pacquiao showed during his long winning streak before the recent losses, he's very tough to beat when fighting on his terms.

In a perfect world, he'll be able to weave in and out instead of getting into a slugfest with a fighter in Rios who doesn't mind those type of brawls. If it's a quick, heavy-hitting bout, the advantage will likely shift to the American's corner.

Quality over Quantity

One problem Pacquiao had during his controversial loss to Bradley was the lack of fight-altering punches. He connected often but rarely with shots that were enough to wow the judges, and those are the bouts where leaving it to scorecards becomes dangerous.

Against Rios, who will likely be looking to turn the fight into a shot-for-shot battle, Pacquiao needs to focus on a more quality-based approach. He must land those highlight-reel punches that not only wear an opponent down but also impress the judges.

It's easier said than done, of course, especially when going up against a fighter like Rios who will be quick to counter. But it's a plan that has worked for Pac-Man in the past, and he must return to it in order to get back on track.

Capitalize on Quickness Edge

Quickness is an area Pacquiao should have a clear advantage over Rios. Even if he's lost a little agility from peak form, he would still be faster than a vast majority of the fighters out there. That certainly includes his power-punching opponent.

Pacquiao needs to use that edge to avoid 12 rounds of close fighting. Instead, he wants to deliver his strikes and back out before Rios is able to counter. That constant movement will make Pac-Man's defensive task much easier.

Ultimately, it's a fight Pacquiao should win if he performs anywhere near his best. But after two straight losses and a lack of dominance, he has to prove himself once again. As long as he sticks to his game plan, he should be in good shape.