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Manny Pacquiao vs Jessie Vargas: 5 reasons to watch

By Zachary Alapi

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas face off during a press conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel on September 8, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas face off during a press conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel on September 8, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images) /
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Shiming looks to become a world champion on the Manny Pacquiao undercard.
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 11: Zou Shiming in action against Jozsef Ajtai in their Flyweight Championship bout on June 11, 2016 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Shiming won by a unanimous decision. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

1) Zou Shiming and pro boxing’s future in China

Zou Shiming was an incredible amateur boxer. He won three Olympic medals — bronze in 2004 and gold in 2008 and 2012 — as well as a trifecta of World Amateur titles. He is the fighter most credited with the recent emergence of boxing in China, a country that is now a legitimate threat at major international competitions.

Shiming (8-1, 2 KOs), though, is already 35 and has lost his one (premature) bid for a professional world title. He’s won a few regional belts and has faced decent opposition, but it’s clear that he’ll never come close to matching his amateur exploits in the paid ranks. And yet, Shiming has the opportunity to win the WBO flyweight title and join Xiong Zhao Zhong as the only men from China to win professional world championships.

Zou Shiming is a national hero in China, and Top Rank’s Bob Arum tried to capitalize on that by staging a series of fight cards in Macau. Although this never took off the way Arum had hoped — Shiming’s last fight in Macau was his decision loss to Amnat Ruenroeng in a bid for the IBF title — a win on Saturday for Shiming would carry genuine symbolic significance.

It’s not like Shiming needs to win a world title and defend it ten times or even unify his division. He’s too old for that and, frankly, not a good enough fighter. But if he can simply capture a major belt, China’s greatest ever amateur will have reached a professional pinnacle of sorts. This would have a crucial impact on boxing in China, which remains one of the sport’s last (somewhat) unclaimed frontiers. Imagine if Shiming were to defend a world title at home? It would be an absolutely massive event.

So, while Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas isn’t the fight boxing fans were asking for, there are reasons to watch. Whether it’s to judge Stephen A. Smith, revel in the raw power of Oscar Valdez, celebrate Pacquiao or cheer for an emerging Vargas, Saturday’s fight card isn’t a farce. But all that said, are these reasons good enough for you?

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