Manny delivering a brilliant performance against Bradley in the third installment of their trilogy scoring two knockdowns on his way to eking out a unanimous decision victory may have fanned the ambers of interest on a possible rematch against Mayweather.

The Filipino boxer, despite his announcement that he is retiring, has seemingly kept the door ajar for a possibility of him lacing his gloves again. If Mayweather would agree to a second fight, Manny is almost certain to enter the prize ring perhaps for one more time.

But at this point let’s put it this way… both boxers claimed that they have already had their swan songs. Both have announced their retirement from the sports of boxing. It’s time to begin scrutinizing their legacy with the purpose of finding out who’s the greater boxer.

Floyd has earned more than Manny. According to Forbes Mayweather pocketed around $700 million from boxing purses and endorsements as compared to Pacquiao’s $500 million. This means that the American fighter has more money than the boxer from the Philippines. But that does make him the greater boxer?

Mayweather was lucky to have started his career in the US where boxing is a lucrative business with a lot of corporate sponsors. America is the capital of this sport so to speak. This allows good boxers to get paid handsomely. Manny was paid a measly $20 for his first fight in the Philippines. Floyd for sure received much more when he debuted in the ring. When the Filipino boxer fought his first fight in US soil in 2001, he had a $40,000 paycheck. Mayweather at that time was already bankrolling millions per bout.

With the kind of talent and fighting style that Pacquiao have, had he fought alongside Mayweather in the US, he could have made more money and his total earnings by now would have been higher.

The American fighter also retired with an undefeated record. He won all of his fights while Manny lost 6. However, Manny had 66 fights and Floyd fought 49 times only. What if both boxers had the same number of bouts? What is the likelihood of Mayweather staying undefeated had he figured in the same number of outing as Manny did?

Does that 0 loss in Floyd’s fight resume make him the greater boxer of the two? But what about Manny winning titles in 8 different divisions?

Which is more significant…Floyd’s 0 or Manny’s 8? Floyd may have gone undefeated as a professional boxer but Pacquiao is the only one in the history of the sports to have won titles in 8 different divisions (Flyweight, Super Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, Light Welterweight, Welterweight and Junior Middleweight). There are those who questioned the legitimacy of some of the championships Manny won but the Ring Magazine, boxing’s most revered magazine with a championship policy of its own, recognizes him as such.

That’s not an ordinary feat considering that Manny started to box and won his first belt as a Flyweight (112 lbs). When he moved up in weight, he fought taller and naturally bigger opponents, and won. Pacquiao’s Junior Middleweight (154 lbs) came at the expense of Margarito who is 5-inch taller, has a longer reach and was 17-pound heavier than him during fight night.

But Floyd defeated Manny!

After that megafight between the two, Pacquiao revealed that he actually injured his right shoulder a fortnight before the bout but refused to withdraw from his commitment to meet Floyd in the ring. His request though from the Nevada Athletic Commission to take pain relievers before locking horns with Mayweather was denied.

Floyd could not be given full credit for his win against Pacquiao for the latter fought him basically with one arm. Manny’s injury was confirmed by the doctor who surgically repaired his right shoulder a few days after the fight.

This leads to another “What if?.”

What if Manny was not injured when he fought Floyd? What if that night he delivered that kind of performance we saw when he mixed it up with Bradley for the third time?

We’ll never know! Unless the two decide to come out of retirement and fight one more time with both healthy and suffering from no injuries. By then we would already know who’s the greater fighter. Pacquiao or Mayweather?