Pacquiao vs. Rios: Best Fights for Both Men to Take Next

The boxing world shifted its attention to Macau, China on Saturday, Nov. 23. Manny Pacquiao made his triumphant return to a boxing ring by defeating Brandon Rios via unanimous decision to win the WBO International Welterweight title.

Now that the lopsided affair is in the books, what are the best fights for both competitors to take on next?

Pacquiao was dominant throughout the fight, putting on a 12-round clinic in which Rios never seemed to be much of a threat to achieve victory. The Filipino veteran was close to perfect as both a striker and as a defender, keeping the opposition off-balance throughout.

The scorecards and the statistics offered insight into his dominance.

The judges got it right.

Pure and utter dominance.

When a fight is as one-sided as this one was, the trajectory of each boxer's respective career becomes entirely different. This isn't to say that Pacquiao is safe as one of the world's elite or that Rios is doomed, but the two men are in different positions.

Here's what the two should do next.

Manny Pacquiao: Rematch with Timothy Bradley

There's no question that the boxing world wants to see Pacquiao finally step into the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr. With that being established, a case could be made that no welterweight fighter is in better position to receive a fight with Money than Timothy Bradley.

Seeing as Bradley controversially defeated Pacquiao in 2012, it'd be best to create a rematch that determines which fighter draws Mayweather next.

For those who are unfamiliar, Bradley defeated Pacquiao via a stunning split decision on June 9, 2012. The general consensus was that Pacquiao won the fight in a relatively convincing manner, but the judges ruled otherwise.

Bradley is currently 31-0 and the reigning WBO Welterweight champion with a recent win over a man whom Pacquiao was defeated by: Juan Manuel Marquez.

Not only would this bout create an opportunity for championship unification, but it would provide Pacquiao with an opportunity to cover up a blemish on his resume. Fair or foul, a loss is a loss, and there isn't a better form of revenge than ending a boxer's undefeated streak.

If Pacquiao defeats Bradley, then a fight with Mayweather Jr. would be imminent.

Even if Pacquiao were to lose to Bradley, this isn't a point in his career in which he should be taking fights that he's certain to win. Rios was a right-the-ship opponent after Pacquiao lost two matches in a row, and his next opponent will determine whether or not the Mayweather dream is realistic.

There's no one better for Pacquiao to face next than the man who defeated him in controversial fashion: Bradley.

Brandon Rios: Robert Guerrero

If there's one thing that you need to know about Rios, it's that he's the type of fighter who knows how to put on a show. His performance against Pacquiao was underwhelming, but he's a straight-ahead fighter who opens himself up to punches.

At this point, the best fighter for Rios to face is another struggling boxer who was once involved in the main event scene: Robert Guerrero.

Guerrero spent two years calling Floyd Mayweather out, and when he finally stepped into the ring against Money, he was decimated. He lost the WBC Welterweight title and hasn't taken a fight since that bout, which was held in May of 2013.

Both Guerrero and Rios are desperate for a win, and one can earn it in this fight.

Rios began his career at 31-0-1, and picked up a signature win with a TKO victory over Mike Alvarado. Since then, he's lost two straight fights and is moving further and further away from the championship conversation.

He's going to stand in the middle of the ring and fight, and that's exactly why he's the perfect opponent for Guerrero.

Both men will trade punches and create an entertaining atmosphere, and that's enough to warrant placement on a major card. Guerrero is better than his loss to Mayweather suggests, while Rios is a physical fighter who has a bright future.

It's not headline-stealing, but a clash between Guerrero and Rios is the best possible fight.