They say that time heals all wounds and nowhere is this more accurate than the 2016 that awaits Manny Pacquiao. After a roller coaster 2015 that saw the Filipino icon earn well over a $100 million for finally landing the long-awaited clash with arch-rival Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao will finish the year recovering from a shoulder injury and dealing with the frustration of having suffered his highest-profile loss, ever.
There?s little doubt that Pacquiao and his entire team would like a second crack at Mayweather, but even with another fortune to be made, Mayweather seems reluctant to participate. As a matter of fact, that 38-year-old Mayweather is seriously talking retirement after this upcoming September 12 bout completes his deal with Showtime television.
So, with no Mayweather awaiting his 2016 return and a long-injured shoulder finally repaired, Pacquiao will be entering the year with a clean slate and, likely, a new lease on his boxing life.
New potential opponents have emerged, new title opportunities await. IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook is an emerging star from the UK eager to take a big money Pacquiao fight. Terence Crawford, Lucas Matthysse, and Ruslan Provodnikov have all risen in weight and would happily entertain the thought of a high profile Pacquiao clash. New WBO champ Timothy Bradley stands as a back-up opponent for a part three if necessary and even old rival Juan Manuel Marquez seems more receptive to the idea of another Pacquiao bout than at any point since knocking Manny out in December of 2012. There?s also the possibility that Pacquiao could make a trip back to junior welterweight, where things are much more wide open at the moment.
If Mayweather follows through on his pledge to retire after his next bout, there will also be WBC and WBA welterweight title vacancies to fill and it?s hard to imagine Pacquaio not being among the frontrunners to compete for those belts.
A healthy and refreshed Manny Pacquiao could return in 2016 in better shape, both mentally and physically, than ever before. With so much to do and so many options at hand, it will almost be as though 2015 never happened. Unless, of course, if the eight-division world champ can somehow entice Mayweather into a return match and a real shot at career redemption. If that happens, rather than a year of kind rebirth, 2016 will surely be a high-pressure do or die year for the legend of Manny Pacquiao.
