Pacquiao out to prove that he is still an elite fighter against Rios

Tonight, at The Venetian in Macao, China, when Manny Pacquiao steps into the ring against Brandon 'Bam-Bam' Rios after almost a year-long lay-off following his humiliating loss to nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez, the eyes of the boxing world will be on him.

At 34, Manny Pacquiao is at an age when a lot of ring observers, fighters and boxing scholars alike believe that it will be hard for any fighter to recover after a knockout as devastating as what Juan Manuel Marquez inflicted on him in Last Vegas last year.

But Manny Pacquiao has been unperturbed in recent interviews and has been philosophical about the December 2012 debacle. His pronouncements gave observers insight on his frame of mind, that he has accepted his fate and has already moved on from that particular chapter of his ring life and is raring to carve a new path back to the top.

"Everybody wants to talk to me about the knockout (loss to Juan Manuel Marquez). Everybody. But that's part of boxing. If you think you're going to box as long as I have and think you are not going to get caught, you're kidding yourself. It happens. Knockouts are a part of boxing."

It's only natural that people will count you out and doubt your ability to come back when you get knocked out cold in a manner as brutal as what Manny Pacquiao suffered at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012. There are only a few fighters in recent memory (see: Roberto Duran, Wladimir Klitschko, Lennox Lewis) who were able to rebound following a disastrous outing, and history is not on Manny Pacquiao's side.

But if there's one fighter who can defy the odds and bounce back, it would be Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino boxing superstar has defied the odds in the past en route to becoming an unprecedented 8-division world champion and pound-for-pound king on the side.

In Brandon Rios, Manny Pacquiao has an opponent that will not only test his mettle but his frame of mind. Brandon Rios is an in-your-face fighter that many say is tailor-made for Manny Pacquiao's style, a nightmare who can punch and who will keep on coming until you stop him in his tracks.

If Manny Pacquiao can back up his promise to put on a show and still has what it takes to be an elite fighter, he will have no problem in disposing Brandon Rios inside the distance and in spectacular fashion. If Manny Pacquiao fails to do just that, maybe it is best to hang it all up.

Note: This article was first published at Detroit Fight Spots Examiner