Manny Pacquiao celebrates his win
MANNY PACQUIAO made a successful return to the ring by beating Jessie Vargas on point to claim the WBO welterweight title in Las Vegas. The 37-year-old former eight division world champion walked away from the ring after beating Tim Bradley in April.
Pacquiao returned to his native Philippines to become a senator, but just couldn’t keep away from the sport and stepped back into the ring to beat Vargas 10 years his junior by unanimous decision.
The Filipino won the WBO belt for the first time in 2010 beating Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.
He lost the title in 2012 to Timothy Bradley, before regaining the belt in a rematch with the American two years later.
The veteran knocked Vargas down with a straight shot in the second round and went on to control the bout despite the champions significant size and reach advantage.
The American simply couldn’t deal with the older man’s energy and intensity throughout the fight even came out second best when the pair went toe-to-toe in the later rounds.
The judges scored the fight 114-113, 118-109 and 118-109. All three in favour of the Pacman who refused to rule out a rematch with the now retired Floyd Mayweather Jr who was watching ringside.
Pacquiao now has a record of 56 wins, 38 knockouts and two draws. And despite the Pacman’s advancing years, the veteran looked like a fighter reborn.
The one disappointment will be the the knockout Pacquiao desired that failed to materialise.
“I feel I could have done more but every round I tried to knock him out,” Pacquiao said.
An alternative could be a potential showdown with Amir Khan. The Bolton boxer is on his way back after hand surgery and is keen to get it on before the pair are finished with the sport.
-thesun.co.uk