Pacquiao defeats Vargas to clinch WBO welterweight title on return to the ring

Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao came up with a superb return to the ring after a brief retirement to score a unanimous win over champion Jessie Vargas to clinch the WBO welterweight title.

Pacquiao won on all three ringside scorecards - 118-109, 118-109 114-113 - to take the piece of the title Vargas won in his last fight, reports the Guardian.

What was noteworthy was that the Filipino's former world title rival Floyd Mayweather Jr had a ringside seat.

"I came to take my daughter to the fights," Mayweather said, with his daughter sitting next to him.

The 37-year-old Filipino, who reportedly earned USD100 million to fight Mayweather in the richest ever fight, was guaranteed USD4 million in addition to the revenue of the fight. His opponent Vargas got USD 2.8 million.

Pacquiao, who boasted an enviable record of 58 wins in his 66 professional fights, called curtains on his illustrious career after beating Timothy Bradley by unanimous decision in April before being elected to the Philippines senate a month later.

The 37-year-old boxer-turned-politician suffered his last defeat against Mayweather during a heavily anticipated ' Fight of the Century', the highest-grossing bout in history which grossed more than 500 million dollars.