Floyd Mayweather: 3 Reasons Manny Pacquiao Should Be Rooting Against Floyd

When Floyd Mayweather faces Victor Ortiz tonight, there will be much more than the WBC World Welterweight Championship on the line. In all reality, Mayweather has to win if there is going to be any chance of a Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao super fight.

While most boxing fans desperately want to see that fight, there is reason to believe that neither Pacquiao nor Mayweather are crazy about it. Both sides negotiated for months, but no resolution could be reached. While both fighters would receive an incredible amount of money from the bout, they both seem to have ulterior motives.

Most observers believe that Pacquiao would beat Mayweather, but there is no guarantee. Here are three reasons why Pacquiao should be rooting against Mayweather, and in effect a possible dream match, on Saturday night.

Pacquiao's Legacy Would Be Protected

Because of his charity work and sunny disposition, Manny Pacquiao may very well be the most popular figure in boxing currently. He is widely considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter, and most feel as though he is a better fighter than Floyd Mayweather.

Despite that, a fight against Mayweather would not be a walk in the park. There is no fool-proof way to be compare the two, but a look at a common opponent like Juan Manuel Marquez should tell you that Mayweather and Pacquiao are more evenly matched than most believe.

While Pacquiao has fought Marquez to a draw and defeated him by a highly-controversial split decision, Mayweather had little problem in decimating Marquez two years ago. That may not mean much, but it is certainly a means of comparison. If Pacquiao can avoid a bout with Mayweather, he will always be viewed as the superior fighter.

It Would Get Pacquiao Off the Hook

While most blame Floyd Mayweather's greed for a Mayweather/Pacquiao fight not taking place yet, Pacquiao may be equally to blame. One of the main sticking points is Mayweather's insistence that an Olympic-style drug testing program be used prior to the fight taking place.

For whatever reason, Pacquiao's side has balked at this, which is quite curious. If Pacquiao has nothing to hide, then Olympic-style testing shouldn't be enough to stop such a lucrative fight from happening. If Mayweather were to lose to Ortiz tonight, though, it would save Pacquiao from having a hand in delaying the fight.

In all reality, if Mayweather loses, then he will never get the opportunity to face Pacquiao. If he can't beat Ortiz, then nobody will believe that he can beat Pacquiao. Also, one of the main selling points is Mayweather's undefeated record. Without that, the possible fight loses a lot of its luster.

Pacquiao Would Be Cemented as Top Pound-For-Pound Fighter

While Manny Pacquiao is currently the unquestioned No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, he received that title by default when Floyd Mayweather retired on a couple different occasions. Mayweather has never been beaten, though, so the title of best pound-for-pound fighter should reside with him until he does.

Pacquiao has lost three times over the course of his career, and while he may be at the top of his game currently, it is unfair to rate him ahead of the undefeated Mayweather. To truly be considered the world's best boxer, Pacquiao either needs to beat Mayweather, or Mayweather needs to lose to someone else.

As I said before, it is no foregone conclusion that Pacquiao would beat Mayweather, so he might be better off if somebody does his dirty work for him. A Mayweather loss might rob Pacquiao of a monster pay day, but he's already a multi-millionaire. Instead, he would receive a much greater prize, the title of best all-around fighter of his generation.