Manny Pacquiao wins first fight back from 'retirement' in one-sided victory over Jessie Vargas

Manny Pacquiao (R) throws a punch at Jessie Vargas during their fight Saturday. (AP)

The old Manny Pacquiao probably would have take Jessie Vargas out sometime in the first half of the fight. Even at only a few weeks before his 38th birthday, Pacquiao was far more precise than the defending American champion.

But for all the criticism that could be leveled at Pacquiao, what he did on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in lifting the WBO welterweight title from Vargas was still a remarkable feat.

Fighting as a sitting, nationally elected senator from the Philippines, Pacquiao scored a clear-cut decision victory over Vargas, who is more than 10 years younger.

Judges scored it 118-109 twice and 114-113 for Pacquiao, who ended a brief retirement and regained the WBO welterweight belt he once held. Yahoo Sports also had it 118-109 for Pacquiao.

He won despite a training camp in which his days frequently began before dawn, ended as the clock neared midnight and included precious little time for either rest or family.

“I feel happy,” he said. “I’m trying every round to knock him down, but [I don’t want to] get careless.”

To win a world championship at any time, at any age, is a feat. To do is at nearly 38 is remarkable. But to do it at nearly 38 while serving as a full-time politician is almost mind-blowing.

It’s hard to underestimate what he did.

He knocked Vargas down with a sharp, straight left in the second. He pushed the fight and opened a cut on Vargas’ right eyeline and swelled up the right side of his face. He consistently beat Vargas to the punch and had little difficulty in controlling the action.

“Fighting Manny Pacquiao is like playing a very fast game of chess,” Vargas said. “You have to be alert at all times because there were a lot of punches coming in. He was very fast. He was very sharp.”

His long-time rival, Floyd Mayweather, who beat Pacquiao in a hugely hyped fight down the street a year-and-a-half ago, was unexpectedly seated at ringside. When Pacquiao saw Mayweather as he was awaiting the first bell, he raised his hand, smiled and nodded.

A crowd of 16,132 filled the large arena on the UNLV campus to pay tribute to one of the era’s greats, who had won so many dramatic victories in this city before. A 28-, or 30- or even 34-year-old Pacquiao might have been quicker and stronger and finished the fight long before the final bell, but what Pacquiao did given his position can’t be overstated.

He’s no longer the best fighter in the world, and he’s probably not even in the Top 10 pound-for-pound, if the truth be told. But he remains an elite talent and would be hard for all but the best of the best to defeat.

A solid, talented but not elite fighter like Vargas simply didn’t have the tools to pull that off. He tried, and occasionally caught Pacquiao with a right hand, but Pacquiao was quicker, was firing a lot and was moving his head when he was in punching range.

Mayweather shrugged his shoulders when asked about Pacquiao.

“Not bad,” he said.

But Pacquiao landed 147 of 409 shots according to CompuBox, compared to 104 of 562 for Vargas. Nearly all of the hard, decisive shots came from Pacquiao.

Pacquiao climbed the ropes in a neutral corner after the decision was announced and pounded his chest. He turned to his right and saw Mayweather, smiled and mouthed, “Thank you.”

On this night, Pacquiao fought smart and used the tricks he’d learned in a more than 20-year career which began when he put heavy objects in his pockets to try to get up to the limit of 105 pounds.

He did it after not missing a day in the senate after he was criticized for absenteeism during his two terms in the Filipino congress.

He became an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, introducing a number of bills. He did his road work early, tended to his senatorial duties until the evening and would then show up to train at night, as late on occasion as 10 p.m.

Judged in the context of what he had to deal with, his bout was a smashing success. It’s not fair to judge him against the younger, faster stronger guy he once was who had nothing else to do but fight.

“I’ll fight whoever the people want me to fight,” Pacquiao said. “I am not picking an opponent. I’ll fight whoever my promoter gives me. I will fight.”

It’s likely to be super lightweight champion Terence Crawford next, which is also remarkable given that Crawford is unbeaten and among the world’s most talented fighters. It’s quite an accomplishment for a nearly 38-year-old.