Manny Pacquiao vs Jessie Vargas: 5 reasons to watch

Manny Pacquiao fighting Jessie Vargas was never going to be an easy sell, especially with a tantalizing alternative like Terence Crawford readily available. That said, to merely dismiss Pacquiao-Vargas outright is pessimistic, even by the standards of surly boxing fans.

Discussions about boxing too often — but understandably — slip into laments about fights that have failed to get made instead of matchups that are actually looming. And 2016, by all accounts, has reached a new level of futility. Even a Manny Pacquiao comeback has given fans as many reasons to groan as rejoice.

Jessie Vargas, though, shouldn’t be blamed for this. Vargas (27-1, 10 KOs) is an emerging champion who has been given a rare opportunity: the chance to enhance his standing in the sport and bank account in equal measure. Boxing is brutal and its politics are corrupt, but Vargas has essentially won the lottery.

Manny Pacquiao enters his fight against Jessie Vargas as a significant favorite, and the reasons for this are obvious. Whether it’s experience, boxing skills, ring IQ or any other meaningful category/attribute other than age and size, Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs) appears to have a decisive edge.

However, the appeal of a noteworthy fight — and yes, this is a noteworthy fight — goes beyond the main event. There are always subplots that play out, gifted undercard fighters who steal the show and the possibility, albeit a slim one, of a massive upset (in this case). There’s even the twisted curiosity of seeing how Stephen A. Smith fares having to call a fight card with, you know, fighters who aren’t just Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr.

With that, here’s why you can’t miss Manny Pacquiao taking on Jessie Vargas Saturday night.

5) Manny Pacquiao’s viability as an elite fighter is at stake

Manny Pacquiao is expected to dominate Jessie Vargas and perhaps score his first stoppage since a 2009 TKO of Miguel Cotto, which means that simply winning this fight isn’t enough. And given that the ultimate purpose of Pacquiao’s comeback is unclear, he’s essentially fighting for his viability as an elite boxer.

Of course, a rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr. is still Pacquiao’s most lucrative option — a lamentable reality given how their first fight was, in every respect, an unmitigated disaster. While it would be better for boxing’s longterm health for Mayweather to stick with his retirement, many fans will be judging Pacquiao’s performance against Vargas with a Mayweather return bout in mind.

The far more interesting litmus test for Manny Pacquiao, though, is assessing how he might stack up against Terence Crawford. It’s an appealing but extremely dangerous fight, and one shouldn’t blame Pacquiao if, at age 37, he avoids it. That said, an explosive win over Vargas could actually be an ideal springboard to Crawford. If there’s any aging fighter who can still prove he’s worthy of facing a prime, pound-for-pound talent, it’s Pacquiao.

But if Pacquiao were to lose, or even struggle, it means he should finally focus on his political aspirations (which, frankly, ought to already be the case given that he’s a senator). Regardless, this may be the final opportunity to salute Pacquiao the fighter, and given his remarkable career, that shouldn’t be taken for granted.