On Nov. 23, 2013, Manny Pacquiao will return to the boxing ring to face Brandon Rios. This will be Pacquiao's first fight since Dec. 8, 2012, when he was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in what marked his second consecutive defeat.
How Pacquiao fares against Rios will determine just how much he has left in the tank.
Pacquiao is one of the most revered fighters in the history of professional boxing. From his legions of fans that adore his fighting style and personality to the 17 separate titles that he's held, Pacquiao has done just about everything there is to do.
Facing Rios will simply unveil whether or not he can keep on doing it.
Pacquiao is still a top draw, garnering 1.5 million buys for his fourth clash with Juan Manuel Marquez. His fight against Timothy Bradley wasn't quite as successful, but there's no question that the Filipino superstar still has draw power.
It's all about discovering whether or not he can still fight.
Recent Woes
Pacquiao was once on top of the boxing world, owning a record of 53-3-2 and entering a rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez with the label of the best in the world. Although Pacquiao walked away with a majority decision, moving to 54-3-2, the damage was done.
Many fans believed that Marquez earned the win over Pacquiao and the legend of the untouchable was slightly damaged.
With the opportunity to quiet the critics, Pacquiao seemed to control his fight against Timothy Bradley. Without a knockout victory, however, the decision went to the judges and Bradley thus won a highly-controversial fight.
In his only fight since, Pacquiao was knocked out in the sixth round by Marquez.
This culmination of events has some believing that Pacquiao is past his prime and thus unable to compete at an elite level. Others remain in favor of Pacquiao, claiming that he still is one of the best in the world.
This fight will determine the truth.
Going Toe-to-Toe
According to Miguel Rivera of BoxingScene.com, Pacquiao recently opened up on his recent and upcoming fights. He touched upon being knocked out by Marquez, the factor of luck in fights and what will happen once he enters the ring with Rios.
Per Rivera, Pacquiao plans on going toe-to-toe with the 27-year-old.
"It's part of boxing... Sometimes you lose and sometimes you win, and I think [Marquez] just got lucky, he got a lucky break in that fight. I feel good and I'm ready to fight Rios. He likes to fight toe-to-toe so it will be exciting, said Pacquiao.
Let's call this the ultimate test.
If Pacquiao is able to go toe-to-toe with a 27-year-old fighter that was once the WBA lightweight champion, it's safe to say he has something left in the tank. Rios is 31-1-1, losing only by decision, knocking out 12 of his past 16 opponents.
Should Rios gets the best of Pacquiao, it may be time for the active legend to call it quits.
If Pacquiao truly does plan to put the gloves up and swing, this fight will not go to the judges. Instead, either he or Rios will walk away with a knockout victory.
The result will determine how much more Pacquiao has in the tank.
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