Who needs Manny Pacquiao?

Well, boxing fans do. So does the sport, come to think of it.

However, if you’re Tim Bradley, you have to pose that question because you know you’re going to have to advance your career without the Filipino icon’s help.

That’s a frustrating thought for Bradley, an undefeated two-time 140-pound beltholder who just happens to be THE RING’s No. 1 junior welterweight contender.

Pacquiao won THE RING’s junior welterweight championship when he annihilated Ricky Hatton in two rounds in May, but Bradley knows he will never get a shot at “the Pac-Man”, who has officially entered the mega-fight stage of his future-hall-of-fame career.

And right now the mega-fights are against established welterweights — such as Pacquiao’s Nov. 14 opponent Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley — not junior welterweights.

Bradley’s not wasting his time calling out the champ. The 25-year-old Palm Springs, Calif., native is doing the right thing by fighting the best available fighters in his division.

In April of this year Bradley (24-0, 11 knockouts) got up from two knockdowns to outwork and outpoint Kendall Holt by a close but unanimous decision, unifying the WBC and WBO titles in the process.

On Saturday, Bradley will defend the WBO belt he won from Holt against former unified lightweight titleholder Nate Campbell, who entered the 140-pound division earlier this year.

Bradley-Campbell is the main event of a Showtime Championship Boxing double-header from Rancho Mirage, Calif. In the co-featured bout of the broadcast (9 p.m. ET/PT) undefeated prospect Devon Alexander takes on former titleholder Junior Witter for the vacant WBC title.

(The WBC belt, which Bradley won by beating Witter last May, was stripped from the Southern Californian when he opted to face a more-worthy challenger in Campbell over the relatively unproven Alexander.)

Campbell (33-5-1, 25 KOs) owns victories over former lightweight contenders Ricky Quiles and Almazbek Raiymkulov (AKA Kid Diamond). As a 130-pound prospect, the Jacksonville, Fla., native gave former junior lightweight titleholder and future lightweight champ Joel Casamayor all the Cuban veteran could handle in a 10-round bout that he lost by decision.

Last year Campbell earned THE RING’s No. 1 ranking at lightweight by outworking and punishing then-undefeated Juan Diaz over 12 rounds. The 37-year-old veteran was not able to defend the three major belts he won from Diaz against dangerous contender Ali Funkea in February because he failed to make the 135-pound limit.

However, Campbell looked solid fighting at 137¾ pounds. Funeka gave the older man trouble with his stick and move style but Campbell secured his majority decision victory with a brutal body attack and by scoring two knockdowns.

Immediately after the Funeka bout, Campbell announced that he would enter the 140-pound division. Despite Campbell’s strong showings against Diaz and Funeka, Bradley was more than happy to give the veteran a shot at his title.

“This is the type of fight I need in my career,” Bradley said of Campbell during an interview with RingTV.com’s Jaime Cervantes. “I’m a young boy (and) in order to make a statement in the 140-pound weight class I (have to) go through guys like Nate Campbell.

“You know Nate Campbell comes to fight. You know he’s hungry. You’ve seen what he did to Juan Diaz. He’s a great warrior and he’s in his prime.”

Bradley gets it. Rather than wait around in hopes of a star like Pacquiao to give him a shot at instant fame, he’s trying to make his own name with tough fights against quality opposition.

Many of the other players in the 140-pound division are willing to do the same.

Alexander (18-0, 11 KOs) isn’t crying over not getting his WBC-ordered shot at Bradley. The 22-year-old former amateur star from St. Louis, Mo., is fighting Witter (37-2-2, 22 KOs), THE RING’s No. 3-rated contender whose unorthodox style might be more difficult for him than Bradley's would have been.

On August 22, THE RING’s No. 8-rated contender Juan Urango defends his IBF title against dangerous former two-time titleholder Randall Bailey.

Earlier in the year No. 7 Andreas Kotelnik beat No. 9 Marcos Maidana, who upset highly touted prospect Victor Ortiz in June. Earlier this month Kotelnik lost a one-sided decision to lightweight standout Amir Khan, who is now THE RING’s No. 4-rated junior welterweight.

Witter, who hails from Britain like Khan, is already thinking about an all-UK showdown with the newly minted WBA titleholder.

“I think this fight (against Alexander) will turn out to be a bigger challenge than Khan, but I’ve never ducked a challenge, and I plan on bringing that WBC belt back to the U.K., and then I can get it on with Khan,” Witter said. “I think I’m the last guy Khan wants to meet, but it would be a natural unification fight for the U.K.”

There are many unifications and fascinating matchups that can be made at 140 pounds: the Bradley-Campbell winner vs. the Witter-Alexander winner, the Bradley-Campbell winner vs. the Urango-Bailey winner, the Witter-Alexander winner vs. Khan, the Bradley-Campbell winner vs. Khan, Khan vs. Maidana, the Urango-Bailey winner vs. Ricardo Torres, Maidana vs. Torres, and it can go on and on.

Everyone loves Pacquiao, but the 140-pound division can create excitement without him.

It all starts with this weekend’s main event.

Bradley said “expect fireworks.”

Campbell believes Bradley has no idea what to expect.

“Tim hasn’t ever fought anybody like me,” the veteran said. “Come Saturday it’s going to be hell for him. He just has to decide how long he wants to be in hell. I can give it all night.”

Bradley believes he can take it and dish it out all night.

“I think it will go 12 (rounds),” he said. “I am not a huge puncher, but I bring a lot of preparation into the ring. I’ve knocked out a few opponents, too.

“To knock out Nate Campbell, that would put me right up there with the stars.”