Pacquiao on Vargas KO threat: Impossible

Manny Pacquiao has shaken off the flu, leg cramps and a bold prediction from Jessie Vargas that he’ll knock Pacquiao out on Nov. 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao was impressive during sparring last Thursday as he drew closer to the WBO welterweight title clash against the 27- year- old American with Mexican roots.

Last week, he missed two days of training due to the flu, and last Thursday his training was halted when he suffered leg cramps.

Vargas, holder of the title which Pacquiao used to own, recently told the boxing media in the United States he can knock the Filipino icon out in eight rounds.

Pacquiao must have heard what Vargas said.

“That’s easy to say but hard to do,” said Pacquiao, who will be fighting for the first time since he was elected as senator during the Philippine elections last May.

“That’s impossible,” said Pacquiao told GMA News.

Well, not really, because in 2012 he suffered a devastating knockout in the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez in the final chapter of their long rivaly. But Vargas is not Marquez. Pacquiao is not making any predictions, especially on scoring a knockout because he hasn’t had any since he stopped Miguel Cotto in 2009. He knows it’s not easy. “I’m just doing my best in training,” said Pacquiao, who leaves for Los Angeles on Oct. 22 for another full week of training at the Wild Card Gym.

Then he’s off to Vegas on the Monday of fight week.

Pacquiao said training is in high gear now, and sparring with Jose Ramirez and whoever is thrown inside the ring at the Elorde Gym should hit 10 to 12 rounds this coming week. “Patindi na ng patindi yung sparring ( Sparring is getting tougher and tougher). Pahaba nang pahaba yung rounds ( The rounds are getting longer),” he added.

The fight is just around the corner.