Jessie Vargas may have a short-lived reign as WBO welterweight champion because his next opponent is hell-bent on grabbing his title for a very important reason.
Vargas is enjoying his reign following his ninth round TKO victory over Sadam Ali at the DC Armory in Washington DC last March 5. if he is defeated on his first defense of his title, Vargas would have reigned only for eight months. On Nov. 5, Vargas will face Manny Pacquiao, a veteran of 66 professional fights with only 6 defeats and two draws. In his 21-year boxing career, Pacquiao has stood toe-to-toe with titleholders in eight different weight classes. His ring experience and skill dwarf Vargas’ fight history of 28 pro fights and a single division title. Vargas is undoubtedly a good fighter or he won’t achieved a 26-fight winning streak since turning pro in 2008. But comparing his ring exposure with Pacquiao, the 28-year-old Vargas pales in comparison not only on the number of fights but he also lags behind on the number of knockout wins Grabbing the opportunity to face Pacquiao now and not later when the eight-division world champion would have secured a title fight with another reigning titlist, may have been a wrong move and a bad timing for Vargas if his ultimate intent is to preserve his title for more lucrative fights down the road. But the lure of huge monetary reward may have goaded Vargas to grab the opportunity as it may not be offered again later in his career. Seemingly, Vargas knows the repercussions of a loss to his career but he probably hopes a lucky punch like what Juan Manuel Marquez did to Pacquiao in 2012 would decide the fight in his favor. Apart from his superior credential, Pacquiao is motivated for this particular fight because a win would make him a world champion again. This same championship title which he held years ago would now cement his legacy in the sport as the only fighting senator in history to win a world title. Pacquiao has indicated he will continue fighting as long he is still competitive and capable and the Vargas fight is one opportunity for him to show the world that he is still a force to reckon with in the ring. A KO win as predicted by his longtime trainer Freddie Roach will definitely serve him well in the choice of his next foe. Pacquiao is set to fly to the US on Saturday for the final phase of his training for the Vargas fight at Roach’s WildCard Gym in Hollywood.
