Pacquiao vs. Marquez: Defeat Would Ruin Pac-Man's Chances of a Mayweather Bout

When Manny Pacquiao fights Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12, Pac-Man cannot lose or a possible fight between him and Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be postponed even further.

If Pacquiao were to be knocked out by Marquez, Mayweather could use the excuse that Pac-Man isn't worthy to fight him.

Mayweather has already tried to avoid a fight with Pac-Man, and a Marquez knockout would give him more excuses for his arsenal.

An historic fight between the two may never happen anyway, but losing to Marquez would not help.

Losing to Marquez would hurt Pac-Man's legacy and might damage his marketability. Pac-Man needs to be on a winning streak when he approaches a fight with Mayweather.

Having an aura of invincibility would help Pac-Man in a possible bout with Mayweather, and having to answer questions about a loss against Marquez instead of questions about Mayweather would be a distraction.

Imagine if Pacquiao easily defeats Marquez next weekend—the public demand for a Pac-Man and Money May fight would be unbelievable. 

Mayweather won't be able to avoid it and will have to put his undefeated record on the line.

Pac-Man has to beat Marquez for a Mayweather bout to happen as soon as possible. A tremendous victory could expedite the road to a historic bout between the two of them.

However, a loss to Marquez would sprout some concerns about Pacquiao, and may give Mayweather more excuses to delay the fight that the sport of boxing desperately needs.

A dominating decision by Manny Pacquiao over Juan Manuel Marquez would help his legacy, and give him a chance to improve that legacy with a bout against Floyd Mayweather.