Pacquiao doesn’t want to hear it, and that’s good for him.
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If the Pac-Man boxes in a more careful style like he did against Brandon Rios in 2013 in his first fight after the Márquez knockout, Vargas is likely to lose, getting shut out on the scorecards.
Vargas, an American of Mexican descent, whose handler wants him called simply as champion and not by any other title, for his part, is on a quest for respect and recognition his camp claimed has always been denied him.
It is all a little unfortunate, because this Pacquiao bout carries some welcome intrigue. He has demolished boxers in the past with his aggressive approach, and have knocked out some of his opponents en route to victories.
“Why stop my boxing career?”
Pacquiao admitted that boxing had defined him and that after a brief flirtation with retirement, he was compelled to return.
Against Vargas previous year, Bradley was fortunate to survive the 12th and final round after being rocked hard by what he says will be Vargas’ only hope against the Filipino. But with time management and the discipline, I did it, and I’m so happy I did. The Vargas fight is crucial for Pacquiao because, a possible loss could make or break his boxing career.
No other Filipino has brought greater honor and pride to the country than Pacquiao the past 10 years. The hardcore fans are mainly the ones interested in the Pacquiao-Vargas fight, but probably not a lot of them judging by the fact that the fight still isn’t a sellout. His third and last fight against Bradley did nothing more than 300,000 PPV hits.
Still, knowledgeable boxing fans know Vargas is no soft landing for Pacquiao, who turns 38 in December. Many pundits thought Pacquiao-Crawford would be the better fight.
But at the age of 37, with his career as an influential Senator in the Philippines, no stoppage win since halting Miguel Cotto in 2009 and three defeats in his last seven outings, questions are rightly being asked about what Pacquiao has got left now. He wants to become a legend.
“Superstardom will be everyone recognizing who I am and showing the love and support for being one of the few fighters that tries to carry themselves with a lot of dignity and honor”, Vargas said.
“There were some days where I would have to come in later if my work in the Senate demanded I stay longer”. In Vargas, Pacquiao is facing a young, hungry champion who is more than willing to take the fight to him. “I want to become a legend”.
It will be Pacquiao’s first appearance in the ring since winning a senatorial seat in the Philippines last May. However, the outcome of this bout might play an important role in helping Pacquiao and his team decide on the future.
Pacquiao has a role to play in that, and an impressive performance would go a long way to reestablishing him as a draw capable of enticing big PPV numbers.
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Pacquiao meets a likable but relatively unknown Jessie Vargas on Saturday, with a piece of the welterweight title at stake.
