Pacquiao scores decision victory over Vargas

Manny Pacquiao made a victorious return to the ring after a rousing unanimous decision victory over Jessie Vargas on Saturday (Sunday PHL time) in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, fighting for the first time since winning a Senate seat in May, won the WBO welterweight title after winning in the judges' scorecard, 114-113, 118-109, and 118-109.

The Filipino ring icon dominated the fight from the opening rounds. He caught Vargas flush to the chin in the second round, sending the Mexican-American fighter to the canvas. With his speed and his power, he dictated the pace of the fight the rest of the way, cruising to the easy win against his overmatched foe.

With the victory a month before his 38th birthday, Pacquiao improved his record to 59 wins against six losses and two draws. The 27-year-old Vargas suffered his second loss in 29 fights.

Pacquiao, whose last previous bout was a unanimous decision over Timothy Bradley in April, showed quickly that he had not lost his skills, knocking Vargas down in the second round with a straight left to the champion's face.

Vargas battled back and landed his dangerous right several times but Pacquiao withstood the punishment and by the end of the bout, the American's face was swollen on one side and he had a cut over his right eyebrow.

The Filipino southpaw piled up the points in the later rounds by peppering the title holder with stiff right jabs that set up his quick, punishing left hook.

"I feel happy," said Pacquiao, whose only regret was in not recording his first knockout victory since 2009. "I feel like I could do more but my aim in every round is not to knock him out.

"Thanks to all my fans! Thanks to all the Filipino people!" he added in the ringside interview.

Among the spectators at the Thomas & Mack Center were the currently retired Floyd Mayweather and light-welterweight champion Terence Crawford. Pacquiao lost the richest bout ever to Mayweather last May.

"Next? I'm going back to the Philippines to work in the Senate," Pacquiao said about his immediate plans before being asked about Mayweather or Crawford.

"I don't know, whoever the people wants to fight me. Whoever my promoter gives to me, I will fight."

Vargas described the bout as "a chess match".

"It was interesting for me. We were on our toes trying to catch a big shot. He caught me a couple of times, I caught him a couple of times. It was an entertaining fight," he said.

"It's a good learning experience being against one of the best such as Manny Pacquiao. This automatically elevated my game and I know I have more potential." --JST, GMA News with Reuters