Manny Pacquiao: 6 Burning Questions Facing Pac-Man in 2011

Manny Pacquiao is currently the king of boxing.

His recent win against Antonio Margarito further solidifies his illustrious resume with a record eight title.

The world is waiting for him to set up his next fight and see what else is in store for him in 2011 and beyond.                                         

Will He Face Floyd Mayweather?

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LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: Floyd Mayweather Jr. looks on from his corner against Shane Mosley during their welterweight fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 1, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather Jr. defeated Mosley by unanimous decison. (Photo by Jed

With every passing week, the window for a mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao continues to get smaller.

Mayweather is facing numerous legal troubles with a prison term in his future if he is found guilty of any crimes.

Pacquiao is ready to retire and he put out a tentative window for his remaining career as a boxer: three more years.

Even if Mayweather manages to avoid jail time, next year looks like a long shot to set up the match boxing fans have all been clamoring for.

How Much Would He Make If He Fought Mayweather?

If Pacquiao were to ever fight Mayweather, the payout would unquestionably break all records.

This potential matchup has had fight fans drooling at its prospects, and the draw is simply irresistible.

On top of a likely $40 million purse from the fight, Pay-Per-View revenue splits would bolster that total to $60-plus million.

When Will He Fight Next?

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 13: Manny Pacquiao (white trunks) of the Philippines raises his hand in the air as he stands in the ring waiting to fight against Antonio Margarito (black trunks) of Mexico during their WBC World Super Welterweight Title bout at

The earliest Manny Pacquiao will fight in 2011 will likely come sometime during or after the month of April.

His next opponent is still up in the air, so on top of negotiations, there would need to be a set training period and promotional tour for the next bout.

A tentative date is scheduled for April 16th.

Will He Ever Enter The Octagon?

Manny Pacquiao stated in the past that he would like to give MMA a shot, but his "handlers" didn't like the idea.

It would be interesting to see Manny get into the Octagon, but he would be at a significant disadvantage.

The only way it could ever happen is if Pacquiao manages to convince his "handlers" that he is capable of competing in the Octagon. His opponent would also likely have a weak ground game to give Pacquiao a better chance.

The switch from boxing to MMA is not an easy one, as evidenced by the embarrassing display James Toney put up against Randy Couture.

Is He More Interested in Politics?

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MANILA, PHILIPPINES - NOVEMBER 20: Philippine President Benigno Aquinoo III addresses the audience at Malacanang Palace in Manila following Manny Pacquiao's win in the WBC super welterweight crown against Mexican Antonio Margarito on November 20, 2010 in

There were concerns over Manny Pacquiao's focus and dedication to the sport of boxing after he was elected to represent his people in Congress.

With people already in his ear spreading the seed of a potential presidential candidacy, Pacquiao's focus on the sport of boxing is likely to decline even further.

Can he really split his time between his duty to his native Philippines and the vigorous and demanding sport of boxing?

He seemed to be in peak condition against Margarito, but it has yet to be seen how he can handle someone like Mayweather with the distractions that come along with being a Congressmen.

Pacquiao claims his window for retirement runs for three more years, but a lot can happen in that time. His time in the ring may come to a close sooner than that.

Who Are the Top Challengers?

This is undoubtedly the biggest question surrounding Manny Pacquiao.

He's on top of the sport of boxing, fresh off of yet another dominating performance. The list of potential candidates for him to fight appear to be dwindling in number.

The obvious choice would be Floyd Mayweather, but that appears to be a long shot at this juncture.

Andre Berto is at the top of the Welterweight division and he has an unblemished record. But his name has little draw.

Chances of seeing these two dance are slim.

Shane Mosley is 39, at the tail end of his career and he was just embarrassed by Floyd Mayweather not too long ago. Not to mention he just fought to a draw against Sergio Mora.

Mosley's name has been floated around, but his last two bouts have hurt his standing in the sport and he is clearly showing his age and decline.

Juan Manuel Marquez and Pacquiao had two amazing bouts in the past, but that was another lifetime ago for Pacquiao. He's a different fighter now and I have a hard time believing that he has even a remote chance of beating Pacquiao.

However, Marquez gave Pacquiao more trouble than any fighter has in the past and this has the potential to be a thrilling fight.

Marquez would have to move up to fight Pacquiao, which could pose a problem for the boxer. When he moved up to fight Mayweather, he was completely outclassed.

Marquez is likely to be Pacquiao's next opponent, even if he's not the opponent fight fans want.

Sergio Martinez is one of the hottest names in boxing, especially after his devastating knockout of the year punch against Paul Williams.

However, he's seen as too big for Pacquiao to face and it would be tricky setting up a catch weight for the two.

Of all the potential names on this list, Pacquiao-Martinez is the most enticing matchup.