Manny Pacquiao's Blueprint to Regain the No. 1 Pound-for-Pound Ranking

Manny Pacquiao looked unstoppable against Chris Algieri on Saturday in Macau. He cut off the ring with ease, threw and landed hard punches all over Algieri’s head and body, and pummeled the poor New Yorker from corner to corner for 12 full rounds.

It was an impressive win for Pacquiao, who at age 35 is on a three-fight winning streak since being knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012. Pac-Man maintained his status on Bleacher Report's top-25 list as the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter. 

But if Pacquiao wants to become the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport—something he was considered to be by most ringside observers between 2008 and 2010—he and his team will need to implement a strategy that will accomplish two very specific things.

Lure Floyd Mayweather into the ring and beat him.

If both tasks by themselves seem daunting on their own, it’s because they are. But Pacquiao is a rare breed. He has both the tangible and intangible elements a fighter would require to do both, and he has the style, speed and power to give Mayweather fits over a 12-round fight.

John Locher/Associated Press/Associated Press

Let’s start with the first thing.

To lure Mayweather into a bout, Pacquiao will need both luck and gumption. He’s displayed neither in full capacity during previous efforts to make the fight happen.

Pacquiao will need luck to be on his side in that no matter how great a case he makes for the fight with his performances in the ring, Mayweather’s unwillingness to work with Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, and his proclivity to avoid the biggest risks to his undefeated record would need to take care of themselves on their own.

There’s nothing Pacquiao can do to change either of those two things. That’s on Mayweather.

But Pacquiao’s gumption about making the fight happen is something he can change. While both fighters seemed much more interested in the fight five years ago, at least on the surface, each man has strayed from making bold claims about the other over recent years.

Maybe they’re about as sick of the topic as everyone else in the world.

Regardless, Pacquiao needs to put all the pressure he can on Mayweather to make the fight happen.

A good start was his release of his recent Foot Locker commercial. In it, Pacquiao made Mayweather the butt of the joke as he dances around the ring in joy after erroneously believing Mayweather had finally agreed to fight him.

Mayweather won’t like that. That’s a good thing.

Moreover, Pacquiao told HBO’s Max Kellerman after the fight he was ready and willing to fight Mayweather next year. And according to those present in Macau, both Pacquiao and Arum repeated that very same mantra at the post-fight press conference:

Pacquiao shouldn't be discouraged if Mayweather balks at meeting in May. If Mayweather chooses to go another direction, Pacquiao should shift his attention to Adrien Broner. 

Broner is a poor man's Mayweather. Pacquiao would annihilate him, and he could point to the fact that Mayweather used Maidana's win over Broner as evidence of Maidana earning his fight against Mayweather earlier this year. 

Would Mayweather have different rules for Pacquiao? If so, Pac-Man could publicly call him out on it. 

But getting Mayweather into the ring is only half the battle. Actually handing the undefeated welterweight his first loss as a professional is another matter altogether.

Kin Cheung/Associated Press

In order to defeat Mayweather, Pacquiao would have to put on the best performance of his life. Mayweather would likely be the betting favorite going into the bout, but Pacquiao would have a strong contingent of adorers who believe he possesses the right mix of ingredients to best Mayweather.

Regardless of who you believe would win the fight, it’s clear that each man has the ability to take seven rounds against the other. While Mayweather would deserve the nod among handicappers, Pacquiao would have several important factors going for him.

Two things in Pacquiao’s corner are his style and aggression. He consistently wins close fights because judges often reward the fighter moving forward. That’s always Pacquiao.

Pacquiao is a ball of frenetic energy. He’d move toward Mayweather and throw punches from all over the place. While Mayweather is the best defensive fighter of his generation, he has never faced someone with the combined power and speed of Pacquiao.

Pacquiao’s chief rival, Marquez, shares similar characteristics of Mayweather. He has troubled Pacquiao in their four bouts because of his excellent counterpunching and peerless boxing skills.

But Marquez takes risks in the ring, whereas Mayweather does not. The knockout punch Marquez landed on Pacquiao in Round 6 of their last fight was a punch Mayweather is never in position to throw.

Mayweather would never allow himself to remain in the danger that Marquez put himself in to land the blow.

Moreover, Pacquiao throws erratic punching patterns. His footwork on offense is unparalleled, and he is adept at creating angles to punch from places that fighters don’t typically see.

John Locher/Associated Press/Associated Press

Mayweather would have trouble with Pacquiao for the first three rounds at least. And while he’d likely adjust to what was in front of him (Mayweather is the best fight strategist in the world), the latter rounds would tell the story of the fight.

Could Pacquiao land clean and hard enough punches early to force Mayweather into a pattern of retreat most of the night?

Would judges reward Pacquiao, as they so often do, for throwing more punches at Mayweather and moving forward?

Has Mayweather’s luck in close fights run out? Are his legs still fast enough to keep a fighter like Pacquiao off him?

Pacquiao has the goods to defeat Mayweather. He is one of the elite offensive fighters in boxing history, and even at age 35, he could once again ascend to the top of the pound-for-pound mountain.

As has been the case for the last five years, the fight everyone wants to see should happen. It’s the right fight for each man in every single way.

Since thrashing Algieri, Pacquiao appears to be doing his part to make the fight happen. Let’s hope Mayweather does, too.

Kelsey McCarson is a boxing writer for Bleacher Report and The Sweet Science.

In December, he's sparring undefeated junior middleweight Jermell Charlo in an effort to raise money for Corbin Glasscock, a six-year-old recently diagnosed with bone cancer. You can help Kelsey help Corbin by contributing to Corbin's medical fund: www.GoFundMe.com/TeamCorbin.