Welterweight superstar boxer, Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquaio, rebounded from two straight losses with a dominating twelve round unanimous decision over former world champion Brandon ‘Bam Bam’ Rios on Saturday night before 13, 101 sold out crowd at the Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena in China.
In the WBO international welterweight bout scheduled for mid-day to accommodate US pay-per-view, Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KOs) was content to punish Rios (31-1-1, 23 KOs) for all twelve rounds, winning by scores of 120-108, 119-109, 118-110.
“This is not about comeback,” Pacman , a congressman from Philippines, said. “My victory is a symbol of my people’s comeback from a natural disaster and a natural tragedy (the recent typhoon)”.
There were good exchanges in rounds one and two with Pacquiao’s pace described by many as the key to his victory. Pacman began moving more in round three and took control of the fight, landing hard shots while Rios stalked him.
By round seven Rios was cut over both eyes as Pacquaio continued his assault. Rios, was outworked in every round and he simply couldn’t solve his opponent’s style.
Saturday’s Pacquaio’s win seems to have edged the fight the world has waited to see closer- Pacquaio-Floyd Mayweather bout.
Arum, Pacman’s promoter, revealed before Saturday’s victory it is a fight he is determined to make happen and is prepared to sit down with Mayweather’s team to put together what will be the biggest prize-fight in history.
“On our side the answer is yes (the fight can be made in 2014), we’re very open to sit,” said Arum. “There are ways it can get done, they have to dumb down the rhetoric, we are prepared to dumb down the rhetoric and get it done. There is no real impediment to having that fight happen whether it will or not depends completely on the Mayweather side. I can see it happening but I can’t predict that it will happen because it takes two to tango.”
