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PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY September 1 - 15, 2016
COMMENTARIES/ SPORTS
Pacquiao reflects on boxing career
ahead of Jessie Vargas bout
Olympic
Punch
By Rey Fortaleza
Last week Top Rank
Promotions held their opening
press conference for Manny
“Pacman” Pacquiao’s return
to the ring against young
WBO welterweight champion
Jessie Vargas. Located at the
Beverly Hills Hotel, the press
conference was opened by
Top Rank CEO, Bob Arum,
who clarified that Top Rank
will be dist ributing the fight
on pay per view instead of
HBO. Of Pacquiao’s last 10
fights, there was only one
that was not distributed, or
co-distributed, by HBO. This
bout was Pacquiao’s 2011
clash with Shane Mosley,
which aired on Showtime.
Pacquiao
discussed
his return stating, “I feel
lonely because when you are
thinking that the sport you
love, you’re no longer active,
I
felt lonely and
thinking about it over and
over that boxing still likes me.
Boxing loves me and I love
boxing… So why should I
stop my boxing career? That’s
why I changed my mind. So
I decided to continue my
journey as a boxer”. Pacquiao
also
discussed
talking
retirement after his third fight
with Timothy Bradley, telling
the multiple time trainer of
the year, “Freddie, my family
wants me to quit but I can still
do this”. Roach has stated in
the past that he would be the
first to tell his pupil when he
should hang up the gloves,
and he referenced this at the
press conference as well.
Jessie Vargas is an
incredibly tough young fighter,
who has been in the ring with
the likes of Timothy “Desert
Storm” Bradley and Antonio
DeMarco. His most recent
fight was a huge KO victory
over Saddam “World Kid” Ali,
which was his first knockout
win in 11 fights. What Vargas
lacks in power he makes up
for with good technique and
an itch for drama, which he
displayed by almost knocking
out Tim Bradley with less
than 10 seconds remaining in
their bout. Bradley escaped
with the decision but Vargas
showed that he possessed
world-class heart in the ring
and is a worthy opponent for
Pacquiao.
Pacquiao Vs. Vargas
Sports talk
(Photo: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
By Julian-Ray Fortaleza
Manny Pacquiao will
finally return to the ring after
his short-lived retirement after
his third bout with Timothy
Bradley. Pacquiao put his
legendary speed on display
in a 12 round unanimous
decision, which saw Bradley
taste the canvass for the first
time in the trilogy. “Pacman”
will be making his return
to the ring against a good
young fighter named Jessie
is, “The Next Generation”, he
will be looking for the win that
turns him in to today’s boxing
superstar. In a previous bout
Vargas faced Tim Bradley,
almost knocking Bradley out
with seconds left on the clock
in the 12th round, however
Bradley left that night with
the nod from the judges. In
his most recent fight Vargas
defeated Saddam “World
Kid” Ali, who was a top
Manny Pacquiao, left, and Jessie Vargas pose during a news conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., on
Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016, about their WBO welterweight title fight scheduled for Nov. 5.
Vargas. While his nickname
prospect at the time. Vargas
won by KO after dropping
Ali in consecutive rounds,
and walked away with the
WBO Welterweight title, a title
formerly held by Pacquiao
and vacated by Mayweather
after the 2 legends clashed in
the ring. Pacquiao will most
likely hold the advantages in
speed and experience while
Vargas will have his youth
and his newfound punching
power on his side.
Vargas’ strategy going in
to the bout will most likely be
to try and rough up Pacquiao
and make it a tough fight
on the inside, where the
fighters will be more
squared up, than if they
were at mid-range and
distance. For Pacquiao,
as always, he will look to
score from mid-range
with his quick in and
out attacks. Pacquiao
has far more experience
facing orthodox fighters than
Vargas has experience facing
southpaws, which leans in
Pacquiao’s favor.
While Vargas is a great
up and coming fighter, his
lack of experience against
southpaws will most likely
be his downfall. Vargas
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM
faced
southpaw
Khabib
Allakhverdiev on the undercard
of Pacquiao Bradley 2 and
while he escaped with the
decision, the fight was close
the entire way. If Vargas has
improved against southpaws
he will have a better shot at
the win but Manny Pacquiao
will surely be the favorite, and
with reason.