SENATOR and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao admitted that the pressure is on him to put on an impressive performance against WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas, who is 10 years younger, several inches taller and has a three-inch reach advantage.
Pacquiao, who is coming out of a short-lived retirement, aims to become the first senator in boxing history to win a world title when he battles Vargas at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 6 (Manila time).
The fight, as well as WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire’s title defense against unbeaten southpaw Jessie Magdaleno, will be telecast on pay-per-view over ABS-CBN Sky Sports and Cignal, as well as Solar Sports, who holds the rights to the fights and GMA 7.
Boxing Scene reported that Vargas and his trainer Dewey Cooper are predicting a retirement party, where Pacquiao will be dumped with another defeat, having previously lost in a stunning sixth-round knockout to Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez.
Pacquiao wants to prove to everyone, including himself, that he’s still one of the best fighters in the world, pound-for-pound.
“There’s a pressure for me, but I don’t want to think about that, I don’t want to get distracted by that. For me, the pressure encourages me, is a motivation to focus hard, focus on training, work hard,” said
Pacquiao promised: “I will do my best. I will not predict the fight, but I’ll do my best to make the Filipino people and the fans happy, and to win the fight. Of course, I don’t want to underestimate him. I respect him because he’s a champion. I have to make sure that I’m 100 per cent conditioned, that that’s still there and that I’m 100 percent ready for the fight.”
As far as the future, there are numerous opponents being mentioned, including WBC/WBO junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford and the winner of Danny Garcia vs. Keith Thurman, among others.
“I cannot say that right now, because my focus is on the upcoming fight with Vargas on Nov. 5. Sure, it is exciting. I’m excited to show that even as a senator, I can still excel in boxing, that I can still maintain my name at the top,” Pacquiao said.