Examining Manny Pacquiao's Legacy Following Win vs. Chris Algieri

Manny Pacquiao earned a unanimous decision over Chris Algieri to further solidify himself as one of the best fighters of the era. His place in boxing history is still very much up for debate, though.

Pacquiao came out of the gate strong and never let up. Algieri's lack of activity allowed Pac-Man to attack without fear of anything coming back in his direction. Considering Pacquiao's six knockdowns, it's a miracle Algieri was able to make it the distance but a tremendous display of heart allowed him to do so.

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael had the scorecards:

Three years ago, it appeared Pacquiao was well on his way to pushing himself into the conversation among the all-time greats. He had gone more than six years without a loss in the prime of his career to rise up the rankings.

Some of the notable wins during that stretch included Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez twice. In most cases, he didn't just win the fight, he would dominate his opponent.

But then he lost to Timothy Bradley. There was plenty of debate about the outcome, which fell in the American's favor by split decision. No debate surrounded the next loss, however, as Marquez finally got the better of Pac-Man with a sixth-round knockout.

Pacquiao was still an eight-division world champion with a rock-solid resume. Yet, there were questions about where he should truly rank among the greats after those two losses.

One other issue continues to linger, as well. That being the fact he's never faced off with Floyd Mayweather, the current time period's other top draw.

When it comes to building a legacy, a fighter's performance against the other big names of the generation is an essential factor. Since they have never faced off, it makes the conversation a little trickier on both fronts.

For his part, Pacquiao is still hoping for the fight. Dan Rafael of ESPN.com passed along the Filipino star's thoughts about the potential megafight ahead of his clash with Algieri.

"I do have one specific goal, and that is to give the boxing fans the fight they have always asked for," Pacquiao said. "I want that fight [with Floyd Mayweather Jr.], too."

Whether he'll actually get it is another point altogether. The always outspoken Skip Bayless of ESPN thinks one key thing is holding the fight back:

Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard also weighed in. Phil D. Jay of World Boxing News provided remarks the Hall of Famer made during a television interview on Fox 11 Los Angeles about the subject:

"

It's more than just the money. Because the money will be there. It's the legacy.

They should fight. Now they're leaning more towards Mayweather. Because at first it was 'We don't know who's going to win the fight'—like Tommy Hearns and I, like Hagler and I, like Duran and I.

But that fight would be huge. Fans are starving for excitement, for competition, evenly matched fights. But it would be huge.

"

Although the fight wouldn't generate the same amount of mainstream hype as it would have if they battled a handful of years ago, it's still important in the big picture. Without it, both boxers' legacies will probably take a hit over the long haul.

It's something they should at least consider as their careers wind toward a conclusion.

For Pacquiao, beating a previously undefeated Algieri is a step in the right direction. It gives him three straight victories after that brief losing streak. He might have lost a little pop in recent years, but he still knows how to outbox an opponent effectively.

All told, Pacquiao's career legacy is still being determined. A fight with Mayweather would go a long way in finalizing it. Minus that, Pac-Man needs to find other routes to end on a high note if he wants to be considered one of the best to ever step in the ring.