line-up and what you saw against Sevilla is the team he is goi

As far as the history of brief retirements in boxing is concerned, Manny Pacquiao barely gave himself enough time to fall out of shape.Pacquiao (58-6-2), the Filipino legend who was recently elected to the senate in his native country, found enough time in his schedule to train for his return just a handful of months removed from his April retirement.At 37, Pacquiao will challenge current 147-pound titlist Jessie Vargas (27-1, 10 KOs) on Saturday in a pay-per-view main event at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.Vargas, 27, enters the bout fresh off a ninth-round TKO over previously unbeaten Sadam Ali to capture the vacant title in March. Pacquiao rebounded from a 2015 loss to Floyd Mayweather when he impressively outpointed Timothy Bradley Jr. in April to close out their trilogy.Heres a look at how the two fighters match up in 12 different categories:Round 1: PowerWhen it comes to Pacquiao, the same adage has always been true: His speed is his power. Despite the fact that he hasnt recorded a knockout this decade, its the shots you dont see coming that still remain the most dangerous. Even at 37, no one in boxing is better at landing punches from awkward angles than Pacquiao, which gives him the edge. The pair of knockdowns he recorded against Bradley in April confirms this, as did the six he added against Chris Algieri in 2014. Vargas, meanwhile, has turned his overhand right into a one-punch weapon seemingly out of nowhere, using it to stop Ali in March and badly hurt Bradley late in Round 12 in 2015. But he had never been known as a big puncher before this, with his stoppage of Ali having snapped a streak of 11 fights that went the distance, including the loss to Bradley.Advantage: PacquiaoRound 2: ExperienceVargas has held world titles in two divisions and has steadily increased his level of competition in recent years after a successful amateur career. But its almost unfair to compare any active fighter to Pacquiao when it comes to experience. PacMan is the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight weight classes and has a résumé littered with current and future Hall of Famers. He has fought (and mostly defeated) every style imaginable while regularly seeking out difficult challenges along the way. Its unlikely we will ever see a fighter rise as dramatically in weight as Pacquiao did over a three-year span beginning in 2008, when he captured world titles from 130 to 154 pounds.Advantage: PacquiaoRound 3: SpeedIts almost absurd how Pacquaio has been able to retain (not to mention rely) on his explosive hand and foot speed at 37. He remains one of boxings 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. Its no secret he has slowed down and certainly isnt the same ball of unrelenting fire he was when he first arrived in the division. But his quickness is still top notch for the division, and he has avoided ever looking his age. If recent performances against a common opponent in Bradley are any indication, Pacquaio should hold a significant speed advantage against the flat-footed Vargas, who will need to rely on timing.Advantage: PacquiaoRound 4: DurabilityTheres a case to be made for Vargas in this category, considering he has never been stopped and has been dropped just once, when a body punch from Wale Omotoso briefly caused him to touch his knee to the canvas three years ago. His case only increases when you consider the fact that Pacquiao has been stopped three times, including being knocked cold by Marquez in one of the most vicious one-punch stoppages in boxing history. But Vargas case becomes inconclusive when you look at the number of dangerous punchers he has faced compared to Pacquiao, who has never lacked for toughness or a great chin.Advantage: PacquiaoRound 5: TenacityThere was a time in Pacquiaos career, before his legendary skill set completely matured under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, when tenacity alone camouflaged his raw technique and predictable style. Simply keeping him off of you was half the battle. It remains essentially his calling card and the foundation for his success as even an aging Pacquiao still relies on multipunch combinations and explosive bursts in and out of his opponents punching range. He holds a considerable edge in this regard on Vargas, who typically doesnt throw enough punches or attack the body as frequently as critics believe he should. This has led to him sweating out a handful of close decisions.Advantage: PacquiaoRound 6: StaminaWhen was the last time you saw Pacquiao fading late in a fight or coasting his way to the finish line? Outside of a relatively tame performance late against Mayweather, in which he was either nursing a right-shoulder injury or simply unwilling to excessively gamble in the face of Floyds frustrating mastery, no one outworks Pacquiao. He can still give you 12 hard rounds, even with nagging calf pain which has threatened to tame him at times in the second half of his career. Vargas has 10 years of youth on his side in this fight and has looked good late in his last two fights. But he has just as equal a track record of looking pedestrian in the final rounds, only to receive the benefit of the doubt from some generous judging more than once.Advantage: PacquiaoRound 7: VersatilityWhile theres a good argument to be made that Pacquiao is a more cautious and less explosive fighter in recent years as a result of his knockout loss to Marquez, the experience has helped his steady evolution into a more complete boxer. Pacquiao can box from the outside and rely on his speed just as well as he exchanges flurries on the inside. He can also hurt opponents with both hands and routinely lands punches from unforeseen angles. Vargas, meanwhile, has struggled with the label of being a basic, predictable fighter who uses his jab to set up his right hand. He doesnt throw enough combinations and typically marches forward in a straight line. Mayweather may have been able to brilliantly confuse Pacquiao and make him appear one-dimensional, but he remains a world of problems for just about everyone else.Advantage: PacquiaoRound 8: DefenseAlthough he has evolved into more of a counterpuncher in recent fights, Vargas remains very much a traditional boxer who stands behind his guard and looks to trade punches. With that has typically come a respectable level of defense. And its not that Pacquiao is a reckless fighter by any means, especially at this stage of his career. But his aggressive style of darting forward does leaves him more vulnerable to big shots than the average fighter. Give Vargas the slight edge.Advantage: VargasRound 9: TechniqueRoach has done well over the years to help Pacquiao blend technique with his naturally raw and unorthodox style. But hes still a whirling dervish at heart and not the exact technical fighter as Vargas, who has a good jab and is an accurate puncher. 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. Its 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.Advantage: VargasRound 10: Current formPacquiao may still be an elite fighter at 37 and one who is likely to reappear on most pound-for-pound lists should he defeat Vargas following a brief retirement. But hes still a good deal removed from being the same guy he was in career-defining victories against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. Those werent just great performances and versions of himself, they were all-time great and borderline superhuman. In relation to their absolute primes, Vargas holds the advantage. At 27, he continues to improve and is in the midst of finding out his true potential. Hes also fresh off the breakthrough performance of his career in his ninth-round TKO of Ali.Advantage: VargasRound 11: CornersThis one is not even close. Roach is not only already a Hall of Famer and one of the most respected trainers in history, he plays as much of a fatherly role as he does friend to Pacquiao. Vargas, meanwhile, has had a revolving door in his corner in recent years. Current trainer Dewey Cooper, who made his debut with Vargas in March, is the fighters fourth different trainer over his last six bouts and five overall in his career.Advantage: PacquiaoRound 12: Wild cardIf theres one strategy that would make the most sense for Vargas to employ against Pacquiao, its the blueprint laid down by Marquez. The Mexican veteran relied on a combination of perfect timing, good footwork and the toughness to dig deep and be willing to punch with Pacquiao in order to land big shots and offset his speed disadvantage. Vargas is by no means the same class of fighter as Marquez, who is rightfully destined for the Hall of Fame. But he has a similar style and has worked hard to develop a legitimate right hand. He also has one other thing going for him: size. Vargas is nearly five inches taller than Pacquiao and holds a four-inch reach advantage. Landing one big shot to hurt Pacquiao and alter the course of the fight is, in many ways, Vargas only chance to win. But hes facing an opponent with the kind of fighting style that just might open the door for that one chance if Pacquiao darts in and the taller and longer Vargas can time his answer perfectly.Advantage: VargasRunning Shoes UK Outlet . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Running Shoes UK From China . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.runningshoessaleuk.com/ . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Cheap Nike Shoes UK Discount . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Cheap Running Shoes UK . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season.In his weekly column, Sky Sports Spanish football expert Guillem Balague reflects on the competitiveness of La Liga after the top two slip up, what happened in Atletico Madrids shock defeat and Reals best performance of the season...La Liga as competitive as any, Barcelona are just extraordinarily goodA lot of people think the Spanish league is not competitive because they see the likes of Barcelona nine points ahead of Atletico Madrid, and 10 points ahead of Real Madrid. The problem is that if Barcelona were in the Premier League there would be that difference or even more, and it would be the same in the German league or the Italian league as well. We are seeing something extraordinary from Barcelona. It hasnt been seen before, certainly not this consistency at this level for that long. However, when you see a team like Villarreal, who are fourth in the table, doing well in Europe, in fact the top six teams in La Liga are still in Europe, that should kill any suggestion the league is not competitive.Sporting Gijons energy was too much for over-confident Atletico Celebrations for Sporting Gijon after surprise win over Atletico Madrid In the last 15 years the difference between top and bottom in England and Spain is shorter. That may surprise some but it is the case. These kind of games like the one between Villarreal, who only made one change from the game against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, and Barcelona where the visitors went 2-0 up before being pegged back to 2-2, suggests the teams in Spain are very sophisticated. Tactically they work very hard without the ball, they run a lot, they are more aggressive than people think, but what makes them difference is the variation of what they do with the ball.People say that doesnt happen in La Liga but it happens more than you think, and Sporting Gijon were proof of it. Atletico were too conservative after scoring the first goal. They were partly tired and they thought they had the job done, and Sporting with their youth, exuberance and the fans managed to turn it around. Atletico Madrids hopes of winning La Liga were dealt a huge blow as they were beaten 2-1 by Sporting Gijon Real Madrid produced best performance of the season, thanks to the reformation of their deadly front three Real Madrids Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale celebrate It was interesting to see what happened at the Bernabeu. It was the best Real Madrid of the season. They had the BBC [Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo] up front and that has only happened 11 times this season in the league. Imagine if Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar had only jooined forces 11 times this season, we may be seeing a story!It feels like a good point in the season for Real.dddddddddddd Everybody is fit and they are all playing well, especially Karim Benzema, Keylor Navas and Casemiro. It is a more balanced team and that is what Rafael Benitez was working towards, but he had everyone working against him. Ronaldo fluffed his lines as he tried to extend Real Madrids lead against Sevilla from the penalty spot Zinedine Zidane has found the same need to balance the team with Casemiro, the same need to get rid of Isco and James Rodriguez from his line-up and what you saw against Sevilla is the team he is going to use more often with Sergio Ramos and Pepe, who were absent at the weekend, at the back.They are too far away to win the league, but they seem to have been lifted by the fact Wolfsburg is the next team they have to face in the Champions League. It probably means they will be in the semi-finals and then they are getting closer and closer to glory. Karim Benzema scored a stunning volley as Real Madrid opened the scoring against Sevilla When that happens it seems everyone has shaken off their injury problems and are ready for battle. Real Madrid certainly looked that way against a Sevilla side that could have got something from the match at the Bernabeu, if Kevin Gameiro had scored the penalty they had missed, and then there was the disallowed goal that should have counted after Gameiro fired past Navas.However, Real also had decisions go against them with Gareth Bale also have a goal wrongly chalked off. Sevilla caused Real problems for a while but the home side were playing at a very high level with key performances from Benzema, Navas, Casemiro and also Marcelo, who makes the team tick. For me he is as important as any forward in the team.Also See:Real win as Bale makes historyBarca throw away lead to drawZidane ready for El ClasicoGuillem Balague ' ' '