There is no word yet on the plans of both Timothy Bradley Jr. and Manny Pacquiao going forth but there is a possibility that both could end up fighting each other in 2016.
Pacquiao vs. Bradley III is something that could happen and trainer Joel Diaz believes it is possible that the two could once again get into the ring for a deciding match to break their 1-1 standoff.
Pacquiao is of course still recuperating from his recent surgery that fixed his right shoulder and has been ruled out for the rest of 2015. The earliest possible date that Pacquiao could return would be in 2016 and to date, no names have been heavily mentioned on whom the Filipino boxing icon could be facing.
On the other hand, Bradley is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Jesse Vargas, something marred by a bit of controversy due to a weird ending. Vargas seemed to have had Bradley's number in the final seconds of the bout until referee Pat Russell stepped in and prevented Vargas from doing more damage.
The match is under appeal from the Vargas camp after the World Boxing Organization (WBO) ruled that no rematch would be held.
The recent Bradley vs. Vargas tiff brings back bad memories of 2012 where Bradley had initially won via split decision over Pacquiao. Many were surprised at the outcome and hence a second meeting was held two years after to settle the issue.
Pacquiao won the second meeting handily via unanimous decision on April 12, 2014.
Bradley has had a rough time since then, sluggish and at times taken to the hilt. If Vargas' appeal is overruled, chances are a Bradley-Pacquiao could seriously take place by the first quarter of 2016 at the earliest.
The match could also be a gauge to see how the recent surgery will affect the PacMan, particularly when it comes to his hand speed and quickness. Depending on the performance and outcome of his next fight, it could likely indicate if Pacquiao will continue to compete or probably consider retirement.
