Pacquiao vs. Rios 2013: Pac-Man's Win Shows Bam Bam Isn't Ready for the Big Time

Brandon Rios entered the ring opposite Manny Pacquiao with a chance to prove himself as a top-tier fighter heading toward a bright future. Instead, he was beaten with relative ease by the eight-division champion, who once again looked like one of the best in the world.

Pacquiao deserves a lot of credit for the win. He looked revitalized after going nearly a year between fights, showing the trademark quickness and punching power that made him a star. Yet, the fight also showed that Rios lacks the ability to reach the next level.

One of the main storylines heading into the fight was Rios' power and the possibility he would connect on a haymaker capable of knocking out a reeling "Pac-Man." It helped build hype for the fight because Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out the Filipino star in similar fashion last year.

It never materialized that way. Pacquiao gained control of the bout almost immediately, using his speed and heavy shots from his left hand to wear down his suddenly overmatched opponent.

The fight was decided long before the final bell sounded. Pacquiao could have escalated the pace in the latter stages in search of a knockout, but with the bout already well in hand, he just kept with the game plan and remained in control until it was time for the scorecards.

Unsurprisingly, the result was a unanimous decision in favor of the southpaw, who ended his two-fight losing skid in dominant fashion.

Perhaps it should have been easier to see the lopsided result coming. Rios was coming off a loss to Mike Alvarado, who's nowhere near Pacquiao's level, but the Texas native was unbeaten prior to that bout, leaving open the possibility it was just an isolated bad showing.

Obviously, that wasn't the case. Pacquiao was able to expose him as a limited fighter, and when Rios wasn't able to make a consistent impact with his power punches in the early going, his chances of winning quickly faded away.

The loss doesn't mean Rios will never become an upper-echelon fighter. He's only 27, which is around the same age when Pac-Man really started to establish himself as an all-time great. It leaves him plenty of time to figure out what must improve and start building toward another big bout.

Furthermore, the Pacquiao test was by far the biggest of his career to this point. It's not uncommon for boxers to struggle the first time they head into the big-fight atmosphere, and the experience should help moving forward.

As for now, the spotlight bout showed he isn't ready to contend with the top fighters when they are at or near their best. He should use the back-to-back losses as motivation, much like Pacquiao did—and Rios knows first hand how it worked out after suffering the wrath of an inspired Pac-Man.

Rios may eventually reach that top tier of fighters, but he clearly isn't there yet.