The promise of youth exuberance and the bravado about “physical advantages” did not work well with Jessie Vargas after Senator Manny Pacquiao, forced out of retirement, beat the former on points.
“I feel happy! I was very careful to go inside, he is a great counter puncher,” said Pacquiao after winning the WBO welterweight title.
Talks are in the works for a rematch between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, still considered in the boxing world as the “richest prize fight” in the sport.
The first Pacquiao-Mayweather match generated a record $700 million, with record pay-per-view buys in the USA and the UK, and the greatest live gate ever generated at the MGM Grand and in Las Vegas.
A second installment could easily bring in the same amount or more than the $700 posted in the first fight, according to boxing aficionados.
The unbeaten Mayweather, 49-0, will break Rocky Marciano’s record of 49-0 if he manage to beat Pacquiao for the second time.
Las Vegas also wants the rematch to happen because it will generate money for the “Sin City.”
Vargas has failed to utilize his much-vaunted “physical advantages” against the smaller Pacquiao. At 146.5 pounds in the scale and a long reach, Vargas was confident he could beat the politician from the Philippines. He failed.
The judges scored 114-113, 118-109, 118-109 in favor of Pacquiao.
After Vargas, Pacquiao said he would fight anew saying “whoever the people want me to fight, I’m OK with that. … anybody at 147.”