MANILA, Philippines – Former world champion Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins believes Manny Pacquiao’s stunning knockout loss to Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez may have hastened the end of the Filipino icon’s career.

Marquez knocked out Pacquiao in the sixth round of their fourth encounter last December, and Hopkins said the KO may have caused Pacquiao 10 fights.

“That type of knockout, that was 10 fights for Pacquiao. The way Pacquiao got hit – he jumped into the punch trying to hit Marquez – he was knocked out before he hit the canvas,” Hopkins told ESPN UK.

“It takes a lot out of a fighter when you get hit that way. I’ll be surprised if he fights more than one time,” he added.

Hopkins said that if Pacquiao fights again, it will most likely be against Marquez.

“That’s the only fight that I can say he should fight,” said “The Executioner.”

But the former world middleweight champion stressed that Pacquiao faces a tough road ahead if he wants to return to the ring.

“The way he got knocked out – it’s hard to recover spiritually, emotionally and physically. Mentally, it’s definitely a challenge,” Hopkins said.

The loss to Marquez also likely ended any chances of Pacquiao fighting unbeaten American superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“Who cares now?” Hopkins said when asked about a potential Pacquiao-Mayweather bout. “It would be easy pickings for Floyd Mayweather.”