Manny Pacquiao Next Fight: Floyd Mayweather Jr. Still A Possibility After Brandon Rios Bout?

Manny Pacquiao has yet to give up on his attempt to step inside the ring with Floyd Mayweather. Both boxers have their next fights already scheduled for the fall of 2013, but that doesn’t mean Pac-Man has forgotten about the bout that fans have been clamoring to see for years.

Pacquiao’s advisor, Michael Koncz, recently confirmed to Ring TV that the boxer still wants to face Mayweather. Koncz said that his client is concentrating on Brandon Rios, who he is scheduled to fight in five and a half months. After that, though, Pacquiao wants his shot at the undefeated boxer.

"I think that Manny will have to have an impressive win in light of comments that Floyd has made about Manny losing his last two fights, and I think that if Manny has an exciting and impressive win come November 24, then Floyd won't have any excuse if he really wants to fight," stated Koncz.

A potential fight between the biggest stars in the sport has certainly lost a lot of its luster. After 18 years as a pro, Pacquiao seems to have taken a step back, losing his last two fights to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez. The defeat to Bradley was a highly controversial decision, but he was knocked out by Marquez in the sixth round.

The 34-year-old will need, at least, one convincing win to get his chance against Mayweather. The pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport has indicated that he’s not interested in facing Pacquiao, because of his recent losses. On Sept. 14, he’s set to face Saul “Canelo Alvarez,” who has yet to lose in his career.

Several factors have gotten in the way of the two boxers meeting each other in the ring. First, there was the issue of blood testing for performance-enhancing drugs. When that was resolved, a deal couldn’t be reached because Mayweather refused to split the money that a potential fight would draw.

Koncz, though, thinks the two sides can avoid having any more disagreements, claiming Pacquiao would agree to drug testing and give Mayweather a 60-40 split. Mayweather also signed a multi-fight deal with Showtime in 2013, and Pacquiao has competed, mostly, on HBO. According to Koncz, however, his client is free to fight for any network.

Pacquiao’s next fight is extremely important for the boxer, who hasn’t won since 2011. Another defeat could put to rest any future talks of a fight between the biggest names in boxing.