Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios: Pac-Man Will Keep Career Alive with Easy Win

Boxing fans expecting Brandon Rios to take down Manny Pacquiao on Saturday—thus effectively ending Pac Man's career—will be sorely disappointed. Though not as formidable as he once was, Pacquiao is still an elite boxer who won't have any trouble taking down "Bam Bam" Rios.

Both fighters enter the fight with the bitter taste of defeat in their mouths.

Rios was taken down by Mike Alvarado in his last fight. After beating Alvarado with a TKO in the seventh round the fight before, Rios lost by way of a unanimous decision. 

Pac Man has lost his last two fights—one, a controversial decision against Timothy Bradley, and the other being the devastating knockout he suffered at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez.

A third straight loss would indubitably signal the end of his legendary career.

With the nickname "Bam Bam," it's not hard to guess Rios is a powerful fighter, and the stats bear this out. He's won 31 of his 33 career fights—23 of which were won by knockout. He's an aggressive boxer, and his punches carry some weight. 

Rios isn't the only aggressive fighter in this upcoming tilt, though. 

Pacquiao has always been more of a puncher than a defender, and his typical style resembles a diminutive tornado in the ring. 

He's much quicker than Rios, though—both in the upper and lower body. His footwork far surpasses that of Rios, who isn't nearly as nimble. Though it's been six fights since Pac Man knocked anyone out, this could be the fight to change that recent trend. 

Even if he doesn't knock out Rios (it's a long shot), Pacquiao will easily win on the scorecards. His quickness and speed, along with his aggressive approach, will overwhelm Rios, who will inevitably get pummeled into the mat or be forced to adopt a defensive posture. 

Frankly, it will be surprising if Rios wins more than three rounds. He's just not good enough to beat Pacquiao.

Nobody should expect this victory for Pac Man to turn into the long-hoped-for matchup against Floyd Mayweather, though. After losing two fights in a row, Pacquiao still has some work to do before such a fight would be considered by Money May. 

Likely, a rematch against Bradley will follow.

Whatever the immediate future may hold, one thing it doesn't is the end of Pacquiao's career. He'll cruise to victory on Saturday, putting Rios in the losing column for the second time while keeping his own boxing story going for at least one more fight. 

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