Pacquiao beats Rios in unanimous decision in Macau

In a match that many looked as either the beginning of a comeback tour or the end of his boxing career, Manny Pacquiao reached back for some of his old glory to earn a 12-round unanimous decision over Brandon Rios Saturday in Macau, China.

There was a great deal riding on this bout for Pacquiao. It was his first fight in nearly a year, which was preceded by two consecutive losses, including a sixth-round KO by Juan Manuel Marquez last December.

Further complicating the situation was Pacquiao is a Filipino congressman and has been unable to help his countrymen, attempting to recover from a mid-October earthquake and then a devastating typhoon that killed nearly 4,000 on Nov. 9, because he was in training for the fight.

Pacquiao is expected to return to his homeland by Monday and begin assisting in recovery and rebuilding operations. At the same time, however, Saturday's win will likely lead to yet another fight.

There have been several reports that Pacquiao and unbeaten chief rival Floyd Mayweather may finally come together for their long-awaited bout, with the potential of raising upwards of $200 million for relief efforts for Filipino residents.

Pacquiao, 34, is an eight-division world champion. Rios won only three rounds in Saturday's bout, with Pacquiao far outweighing Rios in power punches by a wide 223-113 margin, according to media reports.