Manny Pacquiao was victorious in his first fight since his brief retirement. The 37-year-old beat Jessie Vargas on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

The judges scored it 118-109, 118-109, 114-113 in favor of Pacquiao, according to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.

The win was further evidence that Pacquiao can still provide excitement in the ring but that he'll never return to the days when he was an unstoppable monster capable of ending a fight with one punch.

Pacquiao tagged Vargas with some significant blows and sent the 27-year-old to the canvas in the second round. He was helped by the fact Vargas looked completely overmatched at times, which Rafael noted:

Boxing legend Lennox Lewis thought Vargas was wearing down in the middle rounds:

Although Vargas didn't quit, stamina became a big issue in the bout's final stages. He looked visibly tired by the ninth and 10th rounds, and his offense became sloppier. Pacquiao had little trouble avoiding Vargas' attempted strikes.

Pacquiao also grew more confident and connected with shots that knocked Vargas back a bit. Yet, despite his sizable advantage, he was unable to put Vargas down for a 10 count. His streak of fights without a knockout victory extended to 12 after Saturday.

Especially with the absence of a knockout, beating Vargas doesn't mean much for Pacquiao in the long run. He was heavily favored coming into the fight, boasting 1-10 odds, according to Odds Shark.

In addition, Pac-Man's legacy is largely cemented at this point. He's one of the best fighters of his generation, and nothing that happens in the ring down the line will change that.

At the least, Saturday's win may open the door slightly for a potential rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr., whereas a loss for Pacquiao would've all but eliminated the possibility.

In July, Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said he thought Pac-Man would jump at the chance for another crack at his rival.

"I want the rematch with Mayweather," Roach said, according to Boxingjunkie's Bob Velin. "Manny thought he won that fight, and he would definitely want that fight, for sure."

Mayweather was in attendance for Saturday's event, and Pacquiao acknowledged him during his fight, according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Mannix:

Still, the odds of Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 are slim.

ESPN.com's Darren Rovell reported in May that Mayweather Promotions filed for various trademarks surrounding a 50th fight for Mayweather. He has largely remained quiet, though, after his proposed bout with UFC star Conor McGregor fell through.

The unbeaten legend may come out of retirement if the price is right, and Pacquiao is one of the few opponents who could possibly deliver the kind of payday Mayweather will be demanding.

Mayweather's picking Andre Berto for his last fight was a big surprise, but he wouldn't go in that direction again should he pursue one more lucrative event. He'd want to create as big a spectacle as possible, thus limiting the pool of candidates.

Most fans had given up hope of ever seeing Mayweather vs. Pacquiao until the bout was finalized, so it would be foolish to write off a rematch ever happening. With that said, Pacquiao will want to keep his options open in the event Mayweather isn't a realistic opponent for his next fight.