Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez Will Have Floyd Mayweather Thinking Twice

With recent news pouring out of ESPN and other boxing sources that "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather, Jr. wants Manny Pacquiao this coming Cinco de Mayo in Las Vegas, Pacquiao's trilogy-ending fight with Juan Manuel Márquez has garnered even more attention.

But how close are we to a dream fight?

After all, isn't Mayweather still pissed that "Pac-Man" won't take a drug test that would in Mayweather's mind prove Pacquiao guilty of using steroids to dominate in the ring.

Why all of a sudden is "Money" Mayweather in the mood for the money?

This has been a super-fight in the waiting for some time now, and the risk of holding off has hardly seemed worth the shame of Mayweather suffering his first career loss; hell, Pacquiao has three himself.

Sixty million dollars can easily pay for the disappointment of losing to one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.

Until this fight is set in pay-per-view stone, it will be hard to believe that it will ever actually happen.

The Nov. 12th bout between Pac-Man and Márquez could prove even more threatening to the potential of boxing fans dream matchup. If Pacquiao knocks out the 38-year-old Márquez, what will Mayweather's camp think?

There is a lot happening behind the scenes that will ultimately decide whether Mayweather and Pacquiao ever meet inside the ring; but a convincing win for Pacquiao over Márquez may be just enough to effectively scare Mayweather into protecting his unblemished résumé and ego at all costs by ducking the "little fella" next spring.

Let us fans of boxing hope that Pacquiao can survive Márquez by just enough to keep the hopes of a Pac-Man vs. Pretty Boy mega-fight alive.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter @Pat_Clarke