Manny Pacquiao turned back the clock Saturday.
The 37-year-old officially ended his seven-month retirement to outpoint Jessie Vargas and win the WBO welterweight title by unanimous decision (114-113, 118-109, 118-109).
True to previous claims of feeling 10 years younger while training for the bout, "Pac-Man" looked exceptionally spry, flaunting fluid footwork and head movement behind his trusty left hand en route to his second straight victory.
The eight-division world champion needed the opening pair of rounds to find his rhythm, after which his vaunted left found Vargas with regularity. The southpaw scored the tilt's lone knockdown with a straight left late in Round 2, and switched gears in the later frames once he'd deemed it his to lose.
Pacquiao, who'd previously maintained he wasn't merely returning to the ring for a quick payday, refrained from naming his next desired opponent post-fight. The newly crowned champion instead simply stated his willingness to take on any welterweight up for the challenge.
The senator's performance was short on highlights, but stellar enough to temporarily silence his detractors and leave the HBO brass questioning their decision to pass on hosting the bout. The longtime premium cable giant relinquished their rights to broadcast Pacquiao's fights, citing a reluctance to do so with Andre Ward's light heavyweight clash with Sergey Kovalev just two weeks away. Bob Arum's Top Rank shouldered the load themselves.
Related: Pacquiao-Vargas: Are fans still hungry for Pacman?
Vargas, on the other hand, never quite settled into a groove. "La Nueva Generacion" scored points with his jab and straight right, piecing more intricate combinations together in the middle rounds, but his right eye began gradually swelling shut from there, as Pacquiao's left had long found its home.
As the 27-year-old's vision diminished, so did his output, and he leaned heavily on his right in the championship rounds as a result. Vargas' gamesmanship was unquestioned heading into the bout, but his punching power and shot selection both left much to be desired.
Vargas' reign was short-lived, as he'd only won the then-vacant strap this past March with a ninth-round finish of Sadam Ali. Saturday's loss was just the second of his career, the first a June 2015 split decision to Timothy Bradley.
Vargas' record now stands at 27-2.
