This December, Manny Pacquiao will fight for the first time since last June's controversial defeat to Timothy Bradley Jr.
The fight has been scheduled for December 8 in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael:
Top Rank, Pacquiao's promoter, formally requested that the Nevada State Athletic Commission reserve Dec. 8 for Pacquiao to fight an opponent to be determined at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, commission executive director Keith Kizer told ESPN.com.
With the date set, let's take a look at two potential opponents for Manny Pacquiao this winter.
Timothy Bradley Jr.
A rematch between Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. (29-0, 12 KOs) would be a must-see bout for obvious reasons. The boxing world was turned upside down last June after Bradley was awarded an extremely controversial split decision victory over the former welterweight titlist.
Seeing that most people though Pacquiao won that fight on June 9, I would have to think he would be the favorite going in. He landed far more punches than Bradley the first time around and looked the more aggressive fighter for the better part of 12 rounds.
What makes this potential bout so interesting to me, though, is the fact that Bradley is still undefeated and could put his perfect record on the line for a second time against Pac-Man. It's hard to imagine a rematch ending by way of knockout, but Pacquiao did prove that punches can be landed on the talented Desert Storm.
Juan Manuel Marquez
Much like a potential Pacquiao-Bradley rematch, a reunion between Pac-Man and Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs) would surely attract the attention of even casual boxing fans this December. The two rivals have met three times prior, with each result ending controversially.
Pacquiao has never lost to Marquez, but the two did draw the first time around in 2004. Since then, Pac-Man has won two in a row over the skilled Mexican, but neither were unanimous decisions.
Based on the previous three meetings between the two world-class boxers, it's almost a guarantee that the fourth fight would produce some more conversation and debate. My vote would have to be for a Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV rather than a Pacquiao-Bradley rematch.
Marquez challenges Pacquiao more, and it seems impossible to imagine Bradley upsetting Pac-Man for a second straight time, and twice in six months, no less.
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