Macau, China – November 24, 2013 – Manny Pacquiao demonstrated yesterday that he can still do what he?s supposed to do: dominate a good, but overmatched, opponent. In Macau, China, the 35-year-old Pacman scored a lop-sided decision over former junior-welterweight title-holder Brandon Rios. With the win, Pacquiao did not totally erase the outcome of his previous fight almost a year ago: a devastating knockout loss to old rival Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth encounter. However, he did show clearly that the one-punch KO ? which left him flat on his face and unconscious ? hasn?t diminished him or rendered him gun-shy.
Even though he, too, was coming into the fight off a loss (by decision in a rematch with Mike Alvarado), Rios was deemed a worthy comeback opponent for Pacquiao. Going into the fight with a respectable 31-1 record, with 23 KOs, Rios was a pressure fighter who could punch with power. If Pacquiao couldn?t get past him, that would provide proof positive that Manny was over the hill and should seriously consider retirement rather than subject himself to further damage in the ring.
Well, Pacquiao not only got past Rios; he left the younger man in the dust. The only thing he didn?t do to Rios was knock him out. Then again, it?s been a long time since Pacquiao has stopped an opponent, but that didn?t affect his long run at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. Actually, that run was so impressive that Pacquiao was still rated in the pound-for-pound Top 10, even though he had not only been knocked out by Marquez in 2012, but was also outpointed by Timothy Bradley earlier that year. Even though the decision in Bradley?s favor was one of the worst in boxing history, it still went into the record books as a loss for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao?s win over Rios is not enough to topple Floyd Mayweather Jr. off his perch atop the pound-for-pound list. However, Pacquiao handled Rios as easily as Mayweather brushed aside Robert Guerrero and Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez. As an opponent, Rios is on a par with Guerrero and Alvarez.
Not only does Pacquiao?s triumph indicate that he is not done yet ? it also makes the dream fight between him and Mayweather a distinct possibility again. The inability of the superstars? promoters to put that megafight together back in 2009-2010 left a bitter taste in fight fans? mouths. When Marquez flattened Pacquiao last year, it seemed that all hopes of a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout while both were reasonably close to their primes were dashed forever. Now, those hopes show a glimmer of life.
Drug-testing and the purse split were the stumbling blocks that got in the way of making the fight years ago. This time, the testing issue should not be a problem. Also, Pacquiao is currently title-less, so his bargaining position is not as strong as it was. He cannot reasonably argue against accepting a lesser share of the multi-million dollar pot of gold.
Despite their disappointment in the failure of the match to be made four years ago, boxing fans still long to see Pacquiao and Mayweather duke it out. A 2014 encounter between the two could be the biggest money-maker in boxing history. But if the fight doesn?t occur then, while both fighters are still at or near their best, it won?t really matter whether or not it happens at all.
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace, as well as the Imaro series of fantasy/adventure novels. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers. His award-winning novel, Damballa, which centers around a fictional heavyweight title bout, is available at Amazon.com.
