Manny Pacquiao's Win vs. Chris Algieri Rekindles Floyd Mayweather Bout Intrigue

Just when you think the time for Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao has passed, the two superstars pull you right back in. 

That's what the Filipino star did with his beatdown of Chris Algieri. 

It wasn't just that Pacquiao beat Algieri, though. That was expected. Outside of a freak incident, very few thought that a man whose only signature win is a split decision over Ruslan Provodnikov could take down one of the greatest pugilists of this generation. 

It was how Pacquiao beat his 5'10" opponent that showed Pac-Man is still one of the best in the sport. After failing to show the killer instinct that made him one of the most dangerous forces in boxing, he went to work against Algieri with an aggression that has been missing in prior bouts. 

Bleacher Report UK highlighted the violence on Twitter:

Pacquiao's display of power punching led to six knockdowns over the course of the 12-round fight. While Pacquiao detractors will likely point to the fact that the welterweight still couldn't finish the fight, as Dan Rafael of ESPN.com points out, this was more about the return of the hard-charging southpaw who has captured the imagination of boxing fans for years:

All things considered, Pacquiao's performance won't add to his legacy. When fans and historians look back on his career, the name "Chris Algieri" will just be another blip on the radar. 

But what Pacquiao and his handlers did after the bout was a step toward adding to his legacy. The fighter, trainer Freddy Roach and promoter Bob Arum were all adamant that now is the time for the highly anticipated matchup between the southpaw and Floyd Mayweather. 

Pacquiao made his intentions known right after the fight, via SportsCenter:

Roach even went as far as to say that he has already started preparing for a superfight between the two welterweights, according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports:

Finally, Arum, who has been linked to negotiations for the fight even before the Algieri bout, per The Telegraph, also took to the media to call out Mayweather. He even said in a post-fight press conference (per Rafael) that he has a timetable in mind for the bout:

"

I think that fight should happen. I think the boxing fans deserve that fight. If boxing is to be considered a major sport, the fight has to happen and all the nonsense has to cease. ... There are no more excuses. None. I’ll be by my phone, Manny will be by his phone. We’re ready. ... Let’s get it done and let’s get it done the next fight for each fighter, sometime in the first six months of next year.

"

Yes, we've heard this all before, and the matchup may be a pipe dream. The difference between this time and every other time before it is this feels like it truly is the last chance for this bout to be made for the kind of payday that both fighters would like to get out of it. 

Dating back to Pacquiao's November 2013 win over Brandon Rios, what was once the best hypothetical spectacle in boxing was losing momentum fast. Consecutive losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez labeled Pac-Man as washed up and far from the fearsome presence who could pressure Mayweather. 

Since then, Pac-Man has slowly rounded back into shape. His win over Timothy Bradley wasn't the prettiest. He was outboxed in early stretches of the fight before Bradley went missing in action in the later rounds when Pacquiao took over. 

We've now seen the return of the ruthless Pacquiao who many believe could give Mayweather a run for his undefeated money. 

The question now becomes whether Mayweather wants to put speculation about a fight between the two to rest. At their advanced age (Mayweather is 37, Pacquiao is 35 and nearly 36), the clock is ticking for these two to fight anywhere near the top of their games. 

With Pacquiao's lopsided decision victory, the hype around a Mayweather-Pacquiao superfight has been rekindled. The only thing left to see is whether the running clock is enough to get the two to finally meet in the ring.