The aging Manny Pacquiao will face a dangerous opponent on Saturday, but regardless of what happens against Timothy Bradley, Pac-Man's legendary status cannot be tainted.
Even if he gets knocked out within the first 30 seconds, Pacquiao will always be remembered as one of the two best fighters of his generation. Along with Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao will go down in history as a transcendent fighter who could not be touched in his prime.
He was voted as the Fighter of the Decade for the 2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America, and he's won three Fighter of the Year awards (2006, 2008, 2009). More importantly, he's the only eight-division world champion in history.
The Filipino Phenom has mowed down 15 straight opponents since 2005, with most of his victories coming in dominant fashion. During that span, he's beaten several boxing legends, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
He also scored two victories apiece against Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, both of whom represent a blemish on his nearly flawless 54-3-2 record.
Although Pacquiao is still one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Father Time is clearly catching up to the 33-year-old. He hasn't scored a knockout since 2009, and his most recent victory over Marquez was certainly questionable.
While I'm expecting Pac-Man to handle Bradley, it wouldn't be a total shock if the up-and-comer dethroned the champ.
Even if Bradley takes his belt, though, Pacquiao will always have a special place in boxing lore.
He will go down as one of the top 15 or 20 boxers of all time and no one—not Bradley, not Mayweather, not anybody else—can deny him of that.
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