In a historical clash between two brawlers, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao from the Philippines went against American Brandon “Bambam” Rios in a 12-round slugfest that saw the Filipino victorious amidst criticisms of distractions and a rumored retirement after suffering two consecutive losses to Timothy Bradley and arch rival Juan Manuel Marquez. The fight took place at the Venetian Macao Resort & Hotel in Macau, the two went head-to-head for the vacant WBO International Welterweight title.
The judges scored the bout unanimously: 120-108, 119-109, 118-110 all in favor of Manny. The win brings Pacquiao’s record up to 55-5-2 with 38 KOs. Rios drops down to 31-2-1.
Speaking at the post-fight interview, Rios cited speed as the key difference. “Manny Pacquiao is very fast. He’s fast, very awkward. His speed got me a little bit,” said the American slugger.
The Pac-man, on the other hand, gave credit to Rios, stating that it was a difficult fight. He repeated his earlier statements that the fight is dedicated to the people living in the Philippines who were devastated by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).
Pacquiao ended the interview by responding rumors surrounding his retirement. “My time is not over,” says Manny.
What’s next for the Filipino Champ?
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Manny Pacquiao’s decision loss to Timothy Bradley. Many critics and ringside speculators scored the fight in favor of Manny. A rematch between the two should clear up all doubts. Bradley is currently ranked number 3 pound for pound in the world, behind Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Andre Ward.
Another viable match-up would be to fight Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth time. Although the last fight definitely gave a huge edge for the Mexican, who KO’d Pacquiao in the 6th round, the two are tied thus far, each boxer having two victories over the other. The victor of Pacquiao vs Marquez V should end all doubts on who the better man truly is.
However, it is no secret that boxing fans around the world have been clamoring for a fight between Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. and Manny “Pac-man” Pacquiao. Physically, Floyd Jr has a definite advantage, however Manny, the world’s only eight-division world champion, has been known to go against much bigger fighters. During initial negotiations Pacquiao reluctantly agreed to random drug testing requirements set by Mayweather, however negotiations fell short during negotiations when Mayweather demanded a much bigger cut of the purse.
As long as both are still active in the ring, perhaps the battle of the century may yet happen.