Manny Pacquiao: Five Contenders Who May Spoil His 20-Fight Winning Streak

Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao recently announced he will continue fighting until he reaches the age of 35.

Pacquiao will be up against Shane Mosley on May 7 and if he wins over the Pomona slugger, he will have registered a 14-fight winning streak since losing to Erik Morales in 2005.

The pound-for-pound king has just celebrated his 32nd birthday last Dec. 17 and it follows he will have at least three more years and at least five more opponents before he calls it a career.

Assuming he fights once more due to an agreed rematch clause in his contract and after reaching his self-appointed retirement age, he will then be clocking a 20-fight winning streak. That assumes, of course, that he wins all his remaining fights.

He are five aspiring contenders who may try to spoil his possible 20-fight winning streak.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Vs. Manny Pacquiao

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LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: (L-R) Floyd Mayweather Jr. in action against Shane Mosley during their welterweight fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 1, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

If Floyd Mayweather Jr. gets past his legal battle with a number of complainants in Nevada courts, he may later in the year or probably next year decide to finally face Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao and Mayweather have attempted twice in more than two years to make the dream fight possible but due to Mayweather's legal problems and his continuing demand for his own version of random drug tests which he required Pacquiao to undergo, the fight everyone in the world wants to see failed to happen.

Passionate boxing fans are hoping Mayweather's problems will soon be over so that the third round of talks can start soonest.

Among the five possible contenders, Mayweather is the most worthy opponent of the pound-for-pound king, having an unblemished professional record in 41 fights.

Sergio Martinez Vs. Manny Pacquiao

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ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - NOVEMBER 20: Sergio Martinez celebrates after knocking out Paul Williams in the second round of their Middleweight Championship fight on November 20, 2010 at The Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty I

Next to Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Sergio Martinez, who recently demolished Paul Williams via a stoppage on the second round of their most recent fight, is a highly rated contender who could give Manny Pacquiao a difficult fight.

Like Mayweather, Martinez is a rated pound-for-pound fighter and is considered Pacquiao's number one match if Mayweather remains unavailable before Pacquiao's announced retirement date.

However, Martinez may have a difficult time adjusting to Pacquiao's desired fighting weight which is 147.

Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said the Filipino boxer will no longer fight over and above 147 after seeing him struggle against the giant Margarito who was 17 pounds heavier during their fight last Nov. 13.

It may be recalled that Pacquiao had a hard time recovering from the onslaught of Margarito and had to rest for a few days, as he had difficulty walking because of his ribs and muscle pain.

Timothy Bradley Vs. Manny Pacquiao

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NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - MAY 10: Timothy Bradley (R) throws a straight right against Junior Witter during their WBC Light Welterweight fight on May 10, 2008 at Nottingham Ice Arena in Nottingham, England. (Photo by John Gichigi/Getty Images)

After the highly-hyped fight between Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander, boxing insiders and analysts as well were saying the two relatively young boxers are not ready for the big leagues if their recent fight were use as basis for evaluating their skills and performance.

Although Bradley won over Devon Alexander in their most recent fight, they said Bradley is not yet on the level of Manny Pacquiao and it would take him few more fights before he gets a shot at the pound-for-pound king.

But since there are few opponents to choose from in the welterweight class, there appears to be a small probability the Pacquiao-Bradley fight may take place next year or before Pacquiao retires.

Andre Berto Vs. Manny Pacquiao

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LAS VEGAS - APRIL 30: Boxer Andre Berto reacts to the crowd from the stage before the start of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 30, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather and Mosley will meet in a 1

Andre Berto has long been groomed to be Pacquiao's next opponent. The Haitian-American boxer was one whose name was in the short list presented by Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum to the Filipino boxer after the Pacquiao-Margarito fight.

Although Berto has some good credentials having won all his professional fights, Arum believes he is not yet ready for Pacquiao.

Berto, who backed out from his scheduled fight with Shane Mosley a few days before their fight, needs to fight high-level opponents like Miguel Cotto or Paul Williams in order to gain recognition before he aims for a shot at Pacquiao.

Arum said Berto is hard to sell since he doesn't have much name recall at this time from boxing fans. He needs to fight more, Arum added.

Juan Manuel Marquez Vs. Manny Pacquiao

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LAS VEGAS - JULY 31: Juan Diaz (R) throws a right at WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez in the third round of their bout at the Mandalay Bay Events Center July 31, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marquez retained his WBA and WBO lightweight cha

Juan Manuel Marquez is not giving up. The dynamite from Mexico was scheduled to fight fellow Mexican Erik Morales but decided to back out for no apparent reason.

It was earlier reported, Marquez will pursue his ultimate dream to face Pacquiao for the third time. Marquez, who lost once and drew a fight with Pacquiao claims he won both fights but the judges erred in their decisions.

Marquez has been chasing Manny Pacquiao for several years to pursue his ultimate desire to land another fight with the Filipino boxing idol.

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum said Marquez will have to earn his worth and fight legitimate welterweight opponents before he takes on Manny Pacquiao.

Marquez is a natural lightweight while Pacquiao who have once dominated the lightweight division is now campaigning in the welterweight at 147.

Miguel Cotto Vs.Manny Pacquiao

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LAS VEGAS - NOVEMBER 14: A bloodied Miguel Cotto (L) and Manny Pacquiao battle during the 11th round of their WBO welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 14, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao defeated Cotto by TKO in the 12th

A Pacquiao-Cotto rematch will will be an interesting fight. Cotto is scheduled to face Ricardo Mayorga, and a win by the Puerto Rican idol would boost his chance of having a rematch with Pacquiao down the line.

It will be a long, shot though.