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What's At Stake For Manny Pacquiao?

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This Is His Comeback Fight
Pacquiao needs to prove that getting knocked out was a fluke. Winning this fight would make the statement that he's still a factor in the fight world and not just fighting for checks. Glory and relevance better fuel him because a loss could change the perspective on who he is or is supposed to be. Will he still be Pac Man or does he become Sugar Shane Mosley, where he fights but nobody cares? Perception on just how good a fighter he was might be forgotten if he loses, but those IG memes with young Simba looking on in tears with papa Pac laid out on the canvas will live on forever.

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A Pacquiao Win Sets Up The Possibility of Pacquiao v. Marquez 5
Marquez has already said he wouldn't fight Pacquiao again (in his eyes he’s never lost any of the matches between the two of them). But if Manny can win this fight, it sets them up for the definitive fifth fight. Marquez kind of needs him to win, because he wont get a fight of this magnitude anywhere else. A farewell fight with Manny, win or lose, would be a great way to go out.

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Pac Man’s Legacy Is At Stake
When Manny was a monster, people could argue he was the best fighter on the planet and “other” fighters were ducking him. Funny the difference a year makes, because now to even suggest Manny’s the man is laughable. A loss this weekend is a right jab to his already hurting legacy. He’ll be reduced to just another hall of famer instead of an unquestioned elite boxer of his generation.

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Losing opens up questions and controversy
If Pacquiao loses questions of whether he ever used PED’s at one time will pop up. His peers, like Mayweather and Marquez, have only got better, so why not him? He lost to Timothy Bradley in a controversially close fight, but a fighter as great as Manny shouldn't have reached a decision. Perhaps his struggles with Marquez are like Roy Jones Jr. with Antonio Tarver, were Marquez just has Pac’s number. But if he keeps losing, people will think he’s just lost the fire that made him Manny.

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Mayweather’s Legacy Is Only Getting Stronger
Since mayweather beat (embarrassed) Marquez after not fighting for nearly two years, he proved he came back even better. Money May’s fights are now about artistry and technical skill, yet he’s proved he still can throw the hands. Essentially, he can do whatever he wants to anyone who steps in the ring with him. Pacquiao was beloved as an underdog who had a high punch count, only matched by his heart. A Manny win helps keep him from being completely overshadowed by Mayweather in this generation.

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Brandon Rios Has Already Won
Rios is in an “everything to gain, nothing to lose” situation. If he wins, he’s a star on the rise and immediately boosts his name by taking out one of history’s top fighters. If he loses but puts up a good fight, it’s simply a stepping stone for him. Either way, he comes out unscathed. Unless, obviously, he gets knocked out in the first three rounds.

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A Manny Win Breathes New Life To A Fight With Money May
The more decisively Manny runs thru his next opponents, the more potential this fight has. Once Mayweather’s contract with Showtime is up he’ll retire, so there’s a small window. Best case scenario: Manny beats Rios, puts together a string of wins and Mayweather gives people the fight they've always wanted on his way out. Manny has to get back on his star shit though. He has to get back to the fighter that beat Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarita and Shane Mosley handedly. After all, it’s the way Pac Man chewed fighters up that made people mention him and Mayweather in the same breath. If not, Mayweather basically coasts through the rest of his career without a reason to even consider fighting Pacquiao.

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The Philippines Need Pacquiao To Win Almost More Than He Does
Pacquiao is huge in the Philippines as a member of congress, cultural icon and ambassador. He represents them, supports them in so various causes and will no doubt, fight with the plight of his people on his back. Pac Man brings awareness to the situation in his homeland and give them a glimpse of hope at a time where they absolutely need it.
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