Pacquiao vs. Vargas: Does he have a big fight left in him?
Pacquiao vs. Vargas: Does he have a big fight left in him?
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The hook for Manny Pacquiao’s latest fight is that he’s the fighting politician, as eager to take on problems in the Philippines as he is to take on other welterweights in the ring.
Unfortunately for Pacquiao, at this stage of his career he needs
a hook to sell his fights.
a hook to sell his fights.
Pacquiao meets a likable but relatively unknown Jessie Vargas
on Saturday, with a piece of the welterweight title at stake. In the past that
might have been enough to excite boxing fans, but Pacquiao is aging and so is
his appeal.
on Saturday, with a piece of the welterweight title at stake. In the past that
might have been enough to excite boxing fans, but Pacquiao is aging and so is
his appeal.
He probably should have retired after not showing up for the
biggest fight of his life against Floyd Mayweather Jr. He certainly should have
retired after getting elected to the senate in the Philippines, where he’s an
ally of President Rodrigo Duterte.
biggest fight of his life against Floyd Mayweather Jr. He certainly should have
retired after getting elected to the senate in the Philippines, where he’s an
ally of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Yet he plods on, partly because he reportedly needs the money.
He got a few million dollars to fight Timothy Bradley in April but is fighting
on percentages against Vargas, so the sales pitch is necessary.
He got a few million dollars to fight Timothy Bradley in April but is fighting
on percentages against Vargas, so the sales pitch is necessary.
Pacquiao’s longtime trainer, Freddie Roach, held out the
possibility this week of a rematch with Mayweather, saying he has been told
that Mayweather has been back in the ring sparring recently. But the first
fight took five years to make and it seems a stretch to think Mayweather would
come out of retirement to fight Pacquiao once again.
possibility this week of a rematch with Mayweather, saying he has been told
that Mayweather has been back in the ring sparring recently. But the first
fight took five years to make and it seems a stretch to think Mayweather would
come out of retirement to fight Pacquiao once again.
Still, Roach says he’s convinced Pacquiao has one or two more
big fights left in him.
big fights left in him.
“Manny’s like the old Manny now,” Roach insisted after
spending a month training Pacquiao in the Philippines. “I like this Manny a lot.”
spending a month training Pacquiao in the Philippines. “I like this Manny a lot.”
To Pacquiao’s credit he did look re-energized in April when he
beat Bradley in the third fight between the two men. It was his first fight
since losing to Mayweather, a loss he blamed on a bad shoulder that has since
been surgically repaired.
beat Bradley in the third fight between the two men. It was his first fight
since losing to Mayweather, a loss he blamed on a bad shoulder that has since
been surgically repaired.
But the fight with Vargas is a tough sell, which is why
promoter Bob Arum stacked the undercard with competitive fights and is selling
tickets for as little as $50. Arum is also selling the pay-per-view himself
after HBO declined to take part in the distribution of the fight, and
Pacquiao’s purse will largely depend on how well it does.
promoter Bob Arum stacked the undercard with competitive fights and is selling
tickets for as little as $50. Arum is also selling the pay-per-view himself
after HBO declined to take part in the distribution of the fight, and
Pacquiao’s purse will largely depend on how well it does.
“Anything north of 600,000 buys would be a big night and he’d
make a lot of money,” Arum said. “I’m hoping he makes money like the Manny of
old.”
make a lot of money,” Arum said. “I’m hoping he makes money like the Manny of
old.”
Arum, of course, is way overestimating what the fight will do,
but his job as Pacquiao’s promoter is to get people interested. Since Vargas is
not well known, it’s a difficult sell even with an attractive undercard.
but his job as Pacquiao’s promoter is to get people interested. Since Vargas is
not well known, it’s a difficult sell even with an attractive undercard.
Pacquiao is taking a familiar path for an aging fighter,
trying to squeeze a few more fights in before finally hanging up his gloves.
He’s got the right to fight whoever he wants, but fight fans also have the
right to vote with their wallets on the matchup.
trying to squeeze a few more fights in before finally hanging up his gloves.
He’s got the right to fight whoever he wants, but fight fans also have the
right to vote with their wallets on the matchup.
“He is a champion (Vargas holds the WBO version of the
welterweight title) so you can’t underestimate him,” Pacquiao said. “But I
still feel fresh and young.”
welterweight title) so you can’t underestimate him,” Pacquiao said. “But I
still feel fresh and young.”
Vargas will be fighting in his home town and is taller than
Pacquiao. He’s also full of confidence after stopping Sadam Ali in March for
the WBO version of the 147-pound title.
Pacquiao. He’s also full of confidence after stopping Sadam Ali in March for
the WBO version of the 147-pound title.
“When I defeat Manny Pacquiao they will see that I beat a good
Manny Pacquiao who is still performing at the highest level,” Vargas said.
“That’s the Manny Pacquiao that I want to beat.”
Manny Pacquiao who is still performing at the highest level,” Vargas said.
“That’s the Manny Pacquiao that I want to beat.”
The real problem for Pacquiao isn’t his opponent, though Arum
could have easily put undefeated Terrence Crawford in the ring against him
instead of Vargas. It’s that he turned off a big portion of his fans in a
stinker of a fight against Mayweather and will probably never get them back.
could have easily put undefeated Terrence Crawford in the ring against him
instead of Vargas. It’s that he turned off a big portion of his fans in a
stinker of a fight against Mayweather and will probably never get them back.
He used to sell a million pay-per-views whenever he stepped
into the ring. But he barely sold 300,000 for his fight against Bradley, and
this one doesn’t figure to do any more.
into the ring. But he barely sold 300,000 for his fight against Bradley, and
this one doesn’t figure to do any more.
The fight features an attractive undercard that includes
Nonito Donaire against Jessie Magdaleno, Oscar Valdez vs. Hiroshige Osawa, and
Shiming Zou vs. Prasitsak Phaprom, all in WBO title bouts.
Nonito Donaire against Jessie Magdaleno, Oscar Valdez vs. Hiroshige Osawa, and
Shiming Zou vs. Prasitsak Phaprom, all in WBO title bouts.
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