Vegas, Vargas await‘returning’ Pacquiao

Pinoy icon breaks camp

LOS ANGELES – Less than seven weeks shy of his 38th birthday, Manny Pacquiao heads for Las Vegas for yet another fight that may or may not be his last.

Pacquiao is not too certain with his future – inside the ring.

“I don’t know,” he said as he capped a week of training here in Los Angeles, a camp that began at home, more than 7,000 miles away, on the last week of August.

“We’ll see,” he added.

Pacquiao, who retired from boxing last April, is coming back to fight and challenge Mexican-American Jessie Vargas for the WBO welterweight crown.

Last May, he was elected as senator, with a term of six years.  He should be done with his boxing career before his term as legistator ends.

Pacquiao, who turns 38 on Dec. 17, is not sure if he’d continue fighting after this one, even if his promoter, Bob Arum is already thinking of his next fight.

“Vargas muna tayo (first),” said Pacquiao, who will try to regain the crown he used to wear.

On Monday, he went out for a morning run and then headed to the gym to spar three rounds in the afternoon, against the wishes of his chief trainer.

Freddie Roach said Pacquiao is “100 percent” ready to fight, and after Saturday’s gym work had tried to convince his boxer to skip Monday’s sparring session.

But Pacquiao insisted, saying he needs at least three rounds of sparring.

Whether he spars or not, Pacquiao will head to Las Vegas in the afternoon for the start of fight week. On Tuesday noon, he and Vargas will be formally welcomed at Wynn Hotel.

The Pacquiao bus is already on standby to take Pacquiao’s family and friends to Vegas.

The fight will take place at the Thomas & Mack Center, home of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. It can seat around 20,000, bigger than the past venues of Pacquiao fights.

Last Saturday, after his workout that was witnessed by Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone, he was asked if his age bothered him.

He was also asked if Vargas age, being 10 years younger,  will be a factor in the fight.

Vargas, 27-1 with only 10 knockouts, vowed to “shock the world” and use  Pacquiao as his ticket to stardom.

“It depends. Kalabaw lang ang tumatanda (Only carabaos grow old),” he said with a smile.

At least in training, Pacquiao doesn’t show his age. He’s confident that his speed and power are still there, a claim that’s been backed up by his trainer.

“Nothing has changed,” said Roach.

In Filipino, the eight-division champion from Sarangani said he did everything in training.

“I did everything I could. While I train, I don’t want to think that I’m already old. I tried to train and push myself the way I did 20 years ago,” he said.