NNBABA | Page 6 RUGBY | Page 8 LeBron passes Ireland Olajuwon claim fi rst To Advertise here on all-time win over All Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 scorers list Blacks Monday, November 7, 2016 CRICKET Safar 7, 1438 AH SA close in on win GULF TIMES as Aussies lose wickets in stiff chase SPORT Page 3 BOXING MANNY PACS UP VARGAS IN VEGAS ‘Fighting Manny Pacquiao is like playing a very fast game of chess. You have to be alert at all times’ AFP Center. row seat for Saturday’s bout. ponent as the Filipino learned early on few times he was able to trade punches Las Vegas “I feel happy,” Pacquiao said. “I’m try- Pacquiao said he was retiring following that he could counter Vargas’ left jab with with Pacquiao. ing every round to knock him down but his April 9 two-knockdown victory over a right to the jaw. He had a big smile on his face while also not be careless.” Bradley in their third fi ght. walking back to his corner after the bell to ilipino southpaw Manny Pacquiao Pacquiao, 59-6 with two drawn and 38 Pacquiao looked impressive in stopping STUMBLING BACKWARDS end the eighth. reclaimed the World Boxing Or- knockouts, showed he still has a lot left in Bradley, showing that he has recovered That’s what happened in the second round “Fighting Manny Pacquiao is like play- ganization welterweight title for the tank but he failed to get the knockout from a shoulder injury which hampered when Pacquiao connected on a right ing a very fast game of chess,” Vargas said. the third time with a unanimous victory that has eluded him for the past him in his mega fi ght against Mayweather counterpunch that sent Vargas stumbling “You have to be alert at all times. He was Fdecision victory over former champion seven years. in May 2015. backwards and onto the canvas. very fast but I was able to get in a few Jesse Vargas in his comeback fi ght on Sat- All three judges scored the bout for Pacquiao took seven months off to con- Pacquiao said he had to respect Vargas’ counters.” urday. Pacquiao, two of them by 118-109 and the centrate on his job as a newly elected poli- punching power. Las Vegas boxing fans showed their love The 37-year-old Pacquiao systemati- other by 114-113. tician in the Philippine Senate. After serv- “I’m very careful to go inside because I for Pacquiao. Even with a hometown box- cally dismantled the former welterweight Pacquiao won the WBO title for the fi rst ing his fi rst stint as a rookie senator, he knew he would counter me. I felt I could er in the ring, the crowd was chanting his champion despite Vargas’ size and reach time in 2010 when he beat Miguel Cotto. says the fi re was rekindled and the stage do more but every round I tried to knock name and cheering for Pacquiao to get the advantage. He lost it two years later to Timothy Bra- set for a return to boxing. him out,” Pacquiao said. knockout. He used a short right-handed counter- dley, then got it back by winning the re- On Saturday, both fi ghters felt each oth- Vargas started coming on in the middle The two fi ghters traded heavy blows in punch to fl oor Vargas in the second round match with Bradley in 2014. er out as very few punches were thrown in rounds. the eighth round as Vargas’ face started to en route to a one-sided win in front of a He then lost it last year to the now-re- the fi rst round. His confi dence grew after a strong sixth show some of the damage from Pacquiao’s crowd of 16,132 at the Thomas & Mack tired Floyd Mayweather, who had a front Pacquiao was quicker to size up his op- round which turned out to be one of the potent right hand. Gulf Times 2 Monday, November 7, 2016 BOXING REACTION Manila likens Pacquiao’s win to bloody drugs war ‘Courage and grit... same qualities we must demonstrate as a nation to rid society of drugs, criminality and corruption’ AFP win eight world championships, then Manila amassing a fortune in commercial en- dorsements before going into politics. But the crowds watching the match he Philippine presidency yes- with Vargas seemed thinner this time in terday hailed the latest victory contrast to other fi ghts when the entire of boxing idol Manny Pacqui- nation seemed to shut down. ao, comparing his resolve to its “There was still a lot of people, just Town bloody and controversial war on not as many as before,” said construc- drugs. tion worker and longtime fan Efran Pacquiao, 37, reclaimed the World Bagaporo, 49. Boxing Organization welterweight ti- He was among the 3,000 people tle for the third time with a unanimous gathered at a square in a Manila suburb decision victory over former champion who rose to their feet in cheers when Jesse Vargas in a comeback fi ght in Las they saw Pacquiao knock Vargas, 27, Vegas. down in the second round. As with previous Pacquiao fi ghts, the But even Bagaporo admitted that match was broadcast on large screens “Vargas isn’t a match for him so the in public plazas and malls so the public fi ght wasn’t so exciting”. could see their hero in action. Pacquiao has also suff ered some “Once again, Manny’s triumph unit- setbacks, losing a long-awaited match ed and brought joy to our people and to American rival Floyd Mayweather our nation,” a palace statement said. in May 2015. He offi cially retired from “The courage and grit displayed by boxing in April after beating American our Filipino boxers in Las Vegas are the Timothy Bradley. same qualities we must demonstrate as After a few weeks in Congress, he an- a nation to rid society of drugs, crimi- nounced a comeback against Vargas. nality and corruption,” it said. But mechanic Bebot De Ocampo, 57, “Government has been success- noticed that both Pacquiao’s prowess fully waging a war on these fronts and and the fans’ fervour seemed to be fl ag- we as a people — emulating our box- ging. ers’ toughness against all odds — must Less than 50 people gathered at a continue the strong gains as we battle mall in the southern city of Digos to see towards victory.” the latest fi ght compared to the more Pacquiao, who parlayed his sport- than 200 who fl ocked there for previ- ing fame to secure election to the Sen- ous matches, he said. ate in May, endorsed President Rodrigo “He has slowed down and his Duterte’s war on drugs, which has left strength has fallen from when he was in more than 3,700 people dead in four his late 20s,” De Ocampo told AFP. months and has been condemned by “He should retire now. He has won human rights groups and foreign coun- a WBO title. Now he can focus on the tries. Senate,” he added. The boxer admitted in September Former government sports commis- that he himself indulged in illegal drugs sioner Richie Garcia also told AFP that when he was an impoverished teenager. Pacquiao should retire, saying only a Manny Pacquiao (right) of the Philippines lands a right to the head of Jessie Vargas during their WBO welterweight championship fight at the Thomas & Mack Center in Over the years Pacquiao has galva- rematch with Mayweather would jus- Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday. (Below) Filipino fans cheer as they watch a public screening of the WBO welterweight title boxing match between Pacquiao and Vargas, nised the nation, rising from poverty to tify another comeback. in Marikina, Metro Manila, Philippines, yesterday. (AFP / Reuters) Mayweather invite stirs speculation of second fi ght Manny Pacquiao showed he still the ring. plenty of energy by dominating Pacquiao beat Vargas with a unani- Jessie Vargas in a WBO title fight mous decision victory to capture the on Saturday — and his rival Floyd WBO belt for the third time. Mayweather was there to see it with After the fight Vargas was asked a ringside seat. if he wanted to see Pacquiao and Pacquiao, who turns 38 next month, Mayweather go at it again. floored Vargas in the second round “Of course,” Vargas said. “I wouldn’t en route to a one-sided victory mind seeing it again. We are still which allowed him to reclaim the very interested in seeing what could WBO welterweight title which both happen again.” he and Mayweather held previously. But both Pacquiao, and his promoter It is a title that Pacquiao surrendered Bob Arum, were non-committal when he lost last year to May- about a second fight with May- weather in the richest fight in boxing weather. history. “Floyd Mayweather is retired. As far The retired Mayweather’s ap- as we’re concerned he’s retired and pearance at ringside Saturday, at we respect that,” Arum said at the Pacquiao’s request, will certainly stir post-fight news conference. talk of a Pacquiao-Mayweather 2. Pacquiao had to skip the event be- “Yes I invited him to come tonight,” cause of a cut from a head butt that Pacquiao said of Mayweather. needed 16 stitches to repair. Asked if he wanted a rematch with Arum did mention other potential Mayweather, Pacquiao said, “We will his daughter just before the fight Pacquiao opponents, including Vasyl see.” started.