Pacquiao vs. Rios: How Each Result Would Impact Fighters Going Forward

No matter who wins the highly anticipated showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios, neither competitor will be the same afterward.

Pacquiao enters the bout as the favorite, despite losing his last two matches. Still, many believe this will be a chance for him to redeem himself and get back on track.

Of course, Rios does not believe this will be the case, telling HBO that he will be serious competition:

Based on his speed and strength, there is reason to think he can come out on top in this matchup. Either way, the boxing world will want to take notice of what happens in the bout.

Depending on who wins, here is a look at the likely results for each fighter. 

If Brandon Rios Wins

Rios has spent the time leading up to the fight discussing how underrated he is compared to his opponent. If he is able to get the better of Pacquiao, there will be few arguing this point.

The American started his career 31-0-1 and only suffered his first loss recently at the hands of Mike Alvarado. Not only was that an incredibly close match that went the distance, but Rios had already defeated Alvarado by knockout a few months prior.

This loss might look bad now, but it would be easy to forget about if he was able to win this upcoming match. He will show that he is truly among the best in the weight class, and his aggressive style could give anyone trouble.

What would likely follow would be a pairing against some of the other elite fighters in the division. Timothy Bradley might represent good competition, as might Adrien Broner. If things go well, he could find himself in the ring against Floyd Mayweather.

While one career might be blossoming, however, another one would be fading. Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, recently stated that the fighter could retire if the fight "does not go well," according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

After losing to Bradley and then getting knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez, a third loss in a row would likely destroy any respect for his ability among boxing fans and personnel. The 34-year-old boxer could hang on for a few more years while facing weak competition, but he would be smart to end things before completely fading away.

The good news is that he has a lot more than boxing to rely on. Pacquiao is already a congressman in the Philippines, and he has even considered someday running for president, according to Alex Millson of Fox News.

Although this dream is still a long time away, a loss to Rios would have Pacquiao thinking about politics much sooner than expected.

If Manny Pacquiao Wins

Most of the planning out of Pacquiao's camp has been based on the expectation that the boxer will come out victorious. 

A dominant performance in this bout would allow people to start to rethink those other losses. The decision against Bradley was highly controversial, and he was beating Marquez before being caught with a counterpunch.

The truth is that Pacquiao has not fallen anywhere near as far as it appears. By defeating Rios, he will show that he is still among the best fighters in the world.

At this point, he will once again be able to get the big pay-per-view draws that he is used to. According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Roach is planning big things in the future:

Pacquiao also stated that Mayweather would be his next victim after defeating Rios in an interview with Entertainment Sport TV:

Although he appears to be getting ahead of himself a bit, it is much more likely that he will earn a bout against Mayweather if he wins this upcoming bout. Considering Money has only a few more matches remaining before he hangs it up, it would not be surprising to see them set up the dream matchup everyone has been waiting for.

On the other hand, Rios would not fall too far if he were to lose this match. The quick puncher has a chance to secure a knockout, but few are actually expecting a victory. This lowers expectations going in, as well as the potential for disappointment afterward.

As a result, Bam Bam can expect a similar set of opponents in future matches. Fans would love to see a third bout between him and Alvarado after two exciting battles already in the books. 

Past that, Rios will have to continue working himself up the ladder until he can once again secure a PPV against a high-profile opponent. 

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