I made the cardinal sin of voting yes before reading the O.P.
Regardless of what happens against Rios?
If Pac looks terrible, his speed, power and intensity gone, he gets backed onto the ropes, can't escape and beaten up for four rounds before brutally being knocked out, would anyone really then want to see him vs Mayweather?
Roy Jones Jr vs Calzaghe was a pretty intriguing bout when Calzaghe was the kingpin at 168lbs and Jones was the P4P No.1 at 175lbs. But was anyone really interested in their actual bout? One boxer, although past his best was still at the top of his field while the other had clearly faded and been brutally stopped a few times.
Likewise, the Hopkins/Jones Jr rematch was a big deal when Hopkins ruled 160lbs and Jones was tearing up 168 and 175lbs. Yet did anyone care about their rematch when it happened?
If Pac is awful and loses against Rios I can't see there being much interest in the bout beyond Mayweather fanboys wanting to have "definitive proof" that Mayweather is better.
That said I fully expect Manny to win and win well and considering that I struggle to see how anyone isn't interested. Manny may not be quite what he was a few years ago and the gloss has certainly come off the bout with his losses but it's still an interesting and exciting bout to make.
