Pacquiao vs. Vargas: Tale of Tape, Fights Records and More for Both Boxers

Manny Pacquiao's six-month retirement ends on Saturday night when he steps into the ring to challenge Jessie Vargas for the WBO welterweight championship in Las Vegas. 

At 37 years old, Pacquiao is looking to turn his career around. His stock has dropped after a lackluster loss against Floyd Mayweather in 2015 and another precise-but-uninspired win over Timothy Bradley in their third fight in less than four years. 

Vargas at least presents Pacquiao with a new challenger. The 27-year-old American has one career loss, against Bradley, though he is not known as a dynamic fighter. His right-handed power is solid, but he's not regarded as any sort of knockout specialist. 

Tale of the Tape

Pacquiao	Stat	Vargas
58-6-2 (38 KOs)	Career Record	27-1 (10 KOs)
431	Career Rounds	189
37	Age	27
5'5"	Height	5'10"
67"	Reach	71"
Southpaw	Stance	Orthodox

Key to Victory: Manny Pacquiao

Even though no one needed to see Pacquiao's third fight with Bradley in April—and based on the buyrate, no one wanted to see it—there were a lot of positive signs for Pacquiao to take away from that match. 

Bradley was knocked down twice in the fight, during the seventh and ninth rounds. Pacquiao ultimately won a unanimous decision, but that was certainly his most impressive performance perhaps since the second Bradley fight in 2014. 

Making Pacquiao's effort more encouraging is it was his first bout after undergoing surgery on his right rotator cuff that was injured in preparation for his fight with Mayweather. 

After the win over Bradley, Pacquiao said his shoulder was fine. 

"I was looking for a knockout in every round," Pacquiao said, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "He's a very tough fighter and a very good counter-puncher. Bradley is a good boxer, a great fighter and a good man. It was not easy tonight, [but] my right shoulder was fine. It gave me no problems."

Per CompuBox stats from the fight (via BoxingScene.com), Pacquiao was lethal with his power punches (92-of-201) and only connected on 12.6 percent of his jabs. 

Even though Pacquiao doesn't have a knockout win since 2009, the way he came storming out of the gate against Bradley and had him back on his heels in the later rounds suggests the power is back in a big way. 

ESPN.com's Brian Campbell noted in a preview for Saturday's fight that breaks down Pacquiao and Vargas in 12 categories that Pac-Man's speed remains elite:

"

It's almost absurd how Pacquiao has been able to retain (not to mention rely) on his explosive hand and foot speed at 37. He remains one of boxing's truly elite fighters and proved in his convincing victory over Bradley in April just how futile it was to suggest father time had caught up with him in his high-profile loss to Floyd Mayweather one year earlier.

"

The blueprint for Pacquiao's success is not that complicated, even though few fighters are capable of stopping it. He's not a great defensive fighter, though hardly bad, but his strategy is to put an opponent back on their heels using his speed and a near-constant relentless attack that wears them down in the later rounds. 

Key to Victory: Jessie Vargas

Vargas does have a distinct size and reach advantage against Pacquiao.

That size will be Vargas' biggest asset, as it allows him to bring down that powerful right hand against Pacquiao while being able to keep a safe distance from the challenger. 

Of course, this assumes Vargas is able to overcome the substantial difference in speed. He doesn't move well and can get caught flat-footed frequently, which can work against an average opponent who is slow to capitalize on an opening. 

In the aforementioned article by Campbell, Vargas earned high marks for his technique in the ring and how he is able to disguise the most dangerous weapon in his arsenal:

"

The best example of Vargas' craft is the development of his dangerous overhand right, which he disguises nicely by dipping down and bending at the waist before firing straight down the middle. It's the one punch that gives him a chance against Pacquiao, and it relies upon perfect technique to surprise, which Bradley and Ali can equally attest to.

"

Due to the way Pacquiao fights, he leaves himself vulnerable to opponents with one-punch knockout power. Juan Manuel Marquez took advantage of that in the sixth round of their 2012 bout when he dropped Pacquiao with a right hand straight to the jaw. 

Prediction

Vargas does have the most dangerous weapon an underdog can have in a fight: one-punch knockout power. But he has to go through a lot of steps to properly set it up that Pacquiao should have no problems avoiding it over the course of 12 rounds. 

Pacquiao is the better all-around fighter. He's coming into the bout with more confidence after his April showing against Bradley and looked as healthy in that match as a 37-year-old with over 400 professional boxing rounds in the books possibly can. 

Since Pacquiao hasn't scored a knockout in seven years, it's difficult to go that far with a prediction. He will win the fight via unanimous decision. 

Pacquiao wins via unanimous decision.