Pacquiao vs. Algieri Results: Winner, Reaction, Predictions for Next Opponent

Perhaps if Chris Algieri had shocked Manny Pacquiao and defeated him on Saturday night, we would have cared about the result of the fight. Maybe if he had knocked him out and dominated in a resounding fashion, we would have been intrigued. 

But that didn't happen. Pacquiao won because of course he won, knocking the overmatched Algieri to the mat six times and winning a unanimous decision that was never really in question. 

So no, we don't really care about the result. All we care about is what comes next. And we'll only really, truly, deeply care if what comes next is a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

And it sounds like that might be just what we'll get, knock on wood, per SportsCenter on Twitter:

Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports has more on the potential megafight after speaking to Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach:

It's about time. We've certainly all waited long enough.

Who wouldn't watch that fight? Who doesn't want to see the two best boxers from the past decade do battle? In a sport that has seen the intrigue sucked out of the premier division (heavyweight) by the Klitschko brothers, a megafight between the sport's top stars is just what the doctor ordered. 

No, we won't have the privilege of watching these two fighters at the top of their games. But as Pacquiao showed on Saturday night, he still has plenty of fight left in him. And Mayweather has lost a step, sure, but he still seems several steps ahead of just about every opponent he faces. 

Some folks might lament Pacquiao's lack of knockouts in recent fights. They'll point to the following number from ESPN Stats & Information:

So maybe Pacquiao has lost some of his power. On the other hand, Dan Rafael of ESPN offers a different perspective entirely on that front:

Mayweather is a different fighter than Pacquiao, of course, choosing to use his incredible speed and fast hands to technically abuse his opponents. Pacquiao, on the other hand, has always used his unique attacking angles and impressive power to batter his challengers.

It's partly what makes this fight so intriguing—can Mayweather technically outclass Pacquiao? Or will Pacquiao get in close on Mayweather and consistently pummel him? 

For so long, we've desperately waited to find out. And so on Saturday night, with all respect to Algieri, the only thing anybody cared about was Pacquiao's comments about finally organizing the superfight with Mayweather. 

It's time for the teases to end. This fight must happen. Anything less will forever blight the reputation of both fighters. But finally, mercifully, it appears as though the long wait is coming to an end.