Pacquiao vs Marquez: Brandon Rios or a fifth Pacquiao fight next for victorious Marquez?

Juan Manuel Marquez got the victory he had long been chasing on Saturday night when he knocked Manny Pacquiao out cold in the sixth round of their bout on HBO pay-per-view. With the victory came a fantastic situation for Marquez where he has a ton of control over the path of his career.

Immediately after the fight ended Marquez was asked if he would be interested in a fifth fight with Pacquiao and he didn’t dismiss it. Pacquiao was asked (once they managed to bring him back to the world of the living) and he gave a simple “why not?” And when Top Rank’s Bob Arum was asked he seemed fairly interested.

Given that the two men are incapable of putting on a fantastic fight every time they step into the ring against each other, there certainly would be nothing wrong with the idea of running it back one more time. But finally getting the win after eight years felt like the perfect storybook ending to the rivalry.

The other option that Marquez could pursue is a fight with Brandon Rios. Rios had discussed that he was in line for a fight with the winner and had hoped that it would be Manny in the days leading up to the fight. Rios’ relentless style, youth and granite chin against everything Marquez brings to the table would make for a great fight and one that probably could do plenty of business.

Still, money tends to speak the loudest in boxing. And Pacquiao vs. Marquez is big business, possibly bigger than ever after Marquez’s incredible KO. So maybe they do it one last time...again.