Pacquiao clueless on next fight, foe

LOS ANGELES – Names were thrown at Manny Pacquiao during his media workout Wednesday like he was being made to choose whom he wants to fight next.

That’s if he ever fights again.

There’s Terence Crawford or Vasyl Lomachenko, Canelo Alvarez or Gennady Golokvin and of course, Floyd Maywearther Jr.

Pacquiao, who hosted the media at the Wild Card Gym, picked none of the above.

To the 37-year-old boxer and newly elected senator, there’s only one fighter standing in front of him now, and it’s Jessie Vargas, the WBO welterweight champion.

Pacquiao was asked why he chose Vargas when there are others.

“Because he’s a champion,” was the short reply. A reporter pressed Pacquiao whom he wants as his next opponent, “assuming that you beat Jessie Vargas” on Nov. 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“I don’t have an idea right now. They’re asking me about a rematch (with Mayweather), about Crawford and somebody else,” said the Filipino superstar.

“I told them, ‘one at a time.’ It’s hard to say right now. Let’s finish this fight first,” said Pacquiao, who’s coming off a short-lived retirement.

Before and after beating Timothy Bradley in their rubber match last April, Pacquiao said it was his last fight because he wanted to focus on politics.

But Pacquiao is back doing what he loves most.

He juggled his work as a senator and trained for the Vargas fight starting last Aug. 29. He’s wrapping up his training here in Los Angeles. On Monday, he drives to Vegas for fight week.

Pacquiao said he missed boxing so much.

“I felt lonely and sad thinking I was no longer active in the sport I love. I decided to unretired right away because time is gold,” he said.

He said this fight is important to him because it’s his first as a senator, meaning “it’s a fight for boxing,” and said it’s a chance for him to prove that “I’m still here.”

Vargas, some experts say, is not in the same level as Pacquiao.

Pacquiao doesn’t agree.

“He’s a good boxer. I cannot take him easily. I cannot underestimate Vargas,” he said.

Pacquiao said he’s not sure if he’d ever fight again.

“I don’t know,” he said.

Arum, still dreaming of big fights for Pacquiao, is not too sure himself.

“If Manny comes in and dominates this fight and looks like the old Manny and wants to continue fighting, there will be certain opponents that will be considered,” he said.

“But to me, I don’t know. He has to answer that question. It’s not for me to say,” Arum said.

We’ll all know after this fight.

Notes: Bob Arum, who’s openly supporting the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, has practically told Donald Trump, the other candidate for President of the United States of America, to “go to hell.” Manny Pacquiao, the fighting senator from the Philippines, was asked whom he’d vote for if he was allowed to vote in the Nov. 8 elections. “As a politician, I don’t want to make a comment on the elections here. I believe the American people are smart enough to choose a good leader,” said Pacquiao. “I decided to close my mouth,” Pacquiao added. His trainer, Freddie Roach, was asked the same question. Is he voting for Clinton or Trump? “That’s a difficult one. Are they really the best that we have?” said Roach. Pacquiao ran up Griffith Park Wednesday, under cover of darkness. With a handful companions, he covered the five-mile route in 30 minutes, which is at least 15 minutes faster than an average runner. He did not go all the way up Mt. Hollywood, where the iconic Hollywood rests, but might do it Friday. It’s a shorter route but not necessarily easier. “It’s less than five miles but feels like 10 because of the steep trail,” said one of his running companions.