BEVERLY HILLS: Manny Pacquiao is determined to fight on, even without Floyd Mayweather across the ring or HBO in his corner.

Five months after the fight Pacquiao expected to be his finale, the Filipino senator stood opposite unheralded welterweight champion Jessie Vargas on Thursday and declared his excitement for yet another chapter in what’s now a sprawling pugilistic story with a murky ending.

Pacquiao is a politician and a father with multiple reasons to walk away, but trainer Freddie Roach believes that Pacquiao’s skills haven’t sharply declined.

Even after repeatedly claiming he would retire into his political career following his win over Timothy Bradley in April, Pacquiao can’t deny that fighting is irresistible, both for the competitive rush and the fat paychecks.

“It’s a big challenge for me to prove I can still manage serving the people and being a bo­x­er,” Pacquiao said. “I want to give back to the fans who supported me for all these years.”

Pacquiao diplomatically encouraged fans to buy thousands of $50 seats for Nov 5 at Las Vegas’ Thomas and Mack Center, where he will go after the 27-year-old Vargas’ WBO welterweight title.

“It’s an honour for me to challenge the champion,” Pacquiao said. “I respect him because he’s the belt-holder at 147 pounds.”

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2016