Manny Pacquiao still awaits his first knock-out victory for seven years.

But at coming up to 38 he turned the clock back to his vintage finest to win the 11th title of his phenomenal career.

Whether that will be enough to lure Floyd Mayweather out of retirement for another mega-bucks battle of the legends is unclear. Mr Money broke the habit of his professional lifetime by taking a seat at ringside to watch Pacquiao in action.

With a man this unpredictable it is difficult to calculate his considered reaction.

Pacquiao's failure to finish off a much larger opponent, Jessie Vargas, who he beat to a pulp may give Mayweather an excuse to turn down the invitation.

Alternatively he may sense less danger and be tempted to bank another fortune.

If, say, next September they only made half as much money as in their first fight Mayweather would bank $110 milllion (£88m), Pacquiao $80 million (£64m).

But what Pacquiao has proved is that he can combine his two exacting roles – as a fighter and Filipino Senator – with dignity and success.

That resolved he has made it clear he will continue boxing next year – against Terence Crawford or whoever else his promoter Bob Arum puts in front of him.

Probably in the spring, perhaps then Mayweather next September.

Remarkably, he is almost the Manny of yore. A little more careful maybe – as he admits he needed to be against a much larger world champion.

But wiser and just as phenomenally fast.

Only the full-blown welterweight size of Vargas enabled him to survive to the end.

Pacquiao said: ‘I am so happy with my performance. I felt energised. I felt great in every round. I can only apologise to everyone that I did not knock him out as I wanted. But all you can do sensibly is your best to get the knock down every round.’

When and who will he fight next?

‘We’ll see.’

Mayweather? ‘We’ll see.'


Source: Dailymail