Pacquiao vs. Rios Round by Round: How to Catch Live Updates of Action

It has been nearly a year since Manny Pacquiao suffered an embarrassing knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez. While many have questioned whether he is still an elite-level boxer, Pac-Man will do everything in his power to prove that he is when he takes on Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios on Saturday in Macau, China.

The vacant WBO International Welterweight Championship will be on the line when Pacquiao and Rios go at it, but much more than that is hanging in the balance. A win would re-establish Pacquiao as a top draw as well as a top contender, while a win for Rios would lead to several lucrative fights for him in the future.

This fight has decidedly less hype surrounding it than Pacquiao bouts normally do, but all signs point to it being an exciting affair. They are both powerful punchers who can deliver highlight-reel knockouts, which means we should expect plenty of fireworks.

If you can't watch the fight or would like to follow along with some expert analysis throughout the contest, Bleacher Report has you covered.

Here is a look at how fans can catch live, round-by-round updates during Pacquiao vs. Rios, as well as further analysis regarding what each man must do to come away victorious.

Bleacher Report Live Blog Updates

Be sure to follow all of the action on Bleacher Report's live round-by-round blog.

Keys to Pacquiao Victory

Pacquiao enters this fight on a two-match losing streak, although those losses occurred in different manners.

On one hand, his loss to Marquez was decisive in that "Dinamita" knocked him out cold. On the other hand, his loss to Timothy Bradley was far more controversial.

Bradley won by split decision, but anyone with a fundamental knowledge of boxing who watched the fight knows that Pacquiao largely dominated and deserved to win. Even a draw would have been a fairly egregious decision since Pacquiao controlled the pace of the fight.

With that said, Pacquiao shouldn't stray too far from what has worked for him in the past. He has never been one to come out on his heels. He thrives when he fights on his own terms, which equates to a fast-paced brawl.

That ultimately hurt him in his most recent bout, since Marquez is one of the most prolific counterpunchers in the sport, but it's tough to imagine Rios making him pay like Marquez did. As seen in this highlight reel courtesy of Top Rank Boxing, Pacquiao is one of the quickest and most devastating boxers in the world, so aggression is his best bet.

Pacquiao has 38 knockout wins to his credit, and although Rios' only loss came by way of unanimous decision against Mike Alvarado back in March, he isn't immune to Pacquiao's fast hands. Rios' 31-1-1 record is impressive; however, there is reason to question his level of competition. He has never faced anyone even close to Pacquiao's level, especially in terms of power, so he may be in for a rude awakening.

As long as Pacquiao pushes the pace, a knockout win is well within reach.

Keys to Rios Victory

Like Pacquiao, Rios generally excels when he is the aggressor. That works when he is facing a lower level of competition, but Rios can't compare to Pacquiao in terms of explosiveness.

Not surprisingly, Bam Bam is confident entering the fight. He has stopped short of guaranteeing a knockout, but he implied it, according to ESPN's Dan Rafael.

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"I am going to China to win,” Rios said at his recent media day in Oxnard, Calif. “I am going to wear down Pacquiao like I do all of my opponents. If I get a knockout, good. I am physically strong and I am going to take it to him."

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That was a strong declaration on Rios' part, but he took it a step further by calling out Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach and even suggesting that Pac-Man might be over the hill.

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"Let Freddie Roach know I am a man, I come for the win, the kill. Tell Freddie that—I want him to know,” Rios said. “I am in the prime of my career, not like Pacquiao. I will be ready for Pacquiao. I have two smart men in my corner—Robert and his father [Eduardo Garcia]."

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Whether or not Rios actually believes what he is saying is irrelevant. Pacquiao has to be aware of the comments, and perhaps they are getting into his head. Firing up an elite fighter may not be the best idea, but there's a chance it will throw Pacquiao off his game. Just because Rios says that he is going to come at Pacquiao, it doesn't mean that it is part of his game plan.

In fact, his best course of action would be to take a hit-and-run approach much like Marquez did on several occasions. That doesn't mean that Rios has to totally defer to Pacquiao, but he can't afford to turn it into a slugfest because that plays into Pacquiao's hands. If Rios can frustrate Pacquiao and counter with effectiveness, he may have a chance to triumph on the scorecards, especially with so many bizarre decisions in recent months.

Prediction

The main question that figures to be answered in this fight is whether or not Pacquiao is washed up. If he is, then Rios may pull off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory.

If Pacquiao's loss to Marquez was an aberration, though, there is no reason why he should lose. Even if his tools have declined a bit, he is still one of the best fighters in the world. Rios is solid in his own right, but if he expects to go to China and walk through Pac-Man, then he doesn't stand a chance in this bout.

Pacquiao has almost had a year to think about the loss to Marquez, and he has been training for Rios for some time. He easily could have retired and focused on his political career in the Philippines, but the fact that he decided to fight Rios suggests that he's still committed to excelling in the ring. It's true that trainers do everything possible to talk up their fighters in the media, but Roach seems confident in Pacquiao's ability to bounce back.

Some observers are taking a wait-and-see approach before jumping back on the Pacquiao train, but I've seen him win far too many times in convincing fashion to doubt him. Not only does he need to win this fight to silence his critics, but he needs to do it in convincing fashion.

Rios' cockiness will be his downfall when Pacquiao comes through with a knockout in the ninth round.

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