Top Rank PPV (Main Event)

Jessie Vargas vs. Manny Pacquiao

Usually when Manny Pacquiao fights he does so on HBO.  However, after recent controversial statements HBO has distanced themselves from Pacquiao and his fight on Saturday against Jessie Vargas will be a Top Rank pay-per-view, Top Rank being the promoter of both Pacquiao and Vargas.  Saturday's fight is scheduled to go 12 rounds and Vargas will be putting his WBO welterweight title on the line.  For Pacquiao, now a senator in the Philippines, this will be his first fight back from a comically short retirement.  

Vargas is fresh off the biggest win of his career

The big advantage for Vargas in this fight, besides being 10 years younger than Pacquiao, is his height.  Vargas is a lot taller and longer than Pacquiao and he could use that t his advantage on Saturday.  Vargas is an orthodox fighter with a patient style and a nice jab.  While the jab is Vargas' most used weapon it isn't his best.  His best punch would be his straight right hand which is not only accurate but does serious damage.  Along with the straight right Vargas also has a strong overhand right and a left hook that isn't great and isn't used that often.  One thing that could hurt Vargas on Saturday though is the fact that he isn't a very busy puncher while Pacquiao certainly is.

This will be without a doubt the biggest fight of Vargas' career but Pacquiao is not the first top fighter Vargas has faced.  Among his notable opponents are Timothy Bradley and Sadam Ali.  That fight with Ali was Vargas' most recent and he looked great, dropping Ali twice and finishing him off in the ninth round.  His career record is an almost perfect 27-1 with 10 knockouts and his only loss came against Bradley.  However, in that fight Vargas badly hurt Bradley with only seconds to go but was denied the chance to finish him when the referee mistakenly ended the fight before the final bell.  Now Vargas will look to take his career to new levels by beating Pacquiao.

Pacquiao is an active fighter and senator

After what has to be one of the shortest retirements ever Pacquiao is back.  The Filipino senator is a southpaw and one of the best fighters of his era.  One thing that has made Pacquiao so successful is his awkward style where punches come from all angles.  Pacquiao likes to work behind a good jab and his hand speed is still blazing.  One thing Pacquiao still does is throw a ton of combinations and he does so very well.  His best punch is his piston-like straight left hand but his right hook can do damage too.  However, Pacquiao's finished power seems to have vanished in recent years and he hasn't knocked out an opponent since stopping Miguel Cotto in 2009.

The career of Pacquiao has been one of the best ever and he has always fought top opponents.  With names like Floyd Mayweather, Timothy Bradley, Miguel Cotto, and Shane Mosley on your resume you've definitely fought good competition and Pacquiao's career record is 58-6-2 with 38 knockouts.  Pacquiao's last fight was against Bradley and he looked brilliant in that fight which is probably bad news for Vargas.  Despite his job as a senator and recent retirement it seems that Pacquiao is back for the foreseeable future and a win over Vargas could potentially set up a rematch with Mayweather.

The fighter to watch on Saturday will be Vargas.  Fans already known what Pacquiao brings to the table and his legacy as one of the best of his era is already cemented.  In fact when Pacquiao does officially retire for good he will go to the International Boxing Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible.  Vargas is still somewhat unknown though because he has never fought at this level before.  Yes, his fight against Bradley was a big one but Pacquiao is a step up from Bradley.  Vargas isn't going to outwork Pacquiao so instead he will need to use his height advantage.  Look for Vargas to stay on the outside where he can keep Pacquiao honest with his jab as he looks to set up his powerful right hand.  Also, look for Vargas to try and catch Pacquiao on the way in with check left hooks.  As for Pacquiao he will probably be a flurry of activity as usual so look for him to get inside on Vargas and go to work.

PREDICTION: Jessie Vargas may be a big underdog but he has the straight right hand that could potentially put Manny Pacquiao to sleep much like Juan Manuel Marquez did.  However, Pacquiao is the favorite for a reason and his constant flurry of activity should thwart anything Vargas tries to do.  Because of his activity Pacquiao will win this fight by the way of unanimous decision.