SAN ANTONIO – Mark Magsayo doesn’t have any inside information related to whether Manny Pacquiao will remain retired.

The unbeaten WBC featherweight champion hopes, however, that the legend who inspired him to take up boxing nearly 20 years ago goes out a winner. That would require Pacquiao, who announced his retirement after Yordenis Ugas upset him last August 21 in Las Vegas, to return to the ring.

Magsayo has talked to Pacquiao, whose company promotes him, a lot in recent months while Magsayo trained for his first title defense against Rey Vargas on Saturday night at Alamodome. The topic of the 43-year-old Pacquiao’s retirement wasn’t discussed, though, because the former senator focused on the Vargas fight and Magsayo’s future in the sport.

“I don’t know,” Magsayo told krikya360.com. “He’s the one who knows his body and his mind. If he fights, it’s OK, as long as I’m on the undercard.”

That said, Magsayo wants Pacquiao to win the final fight of his celebrated career.

“One more,” Magsayo said, “win and retire.”

Regardless, Magsayo appreciates Pacquiao’s advice, most recently what the Filipino icon told him about how to win versus Vargas.

“It’s very important,” Magsayo said. “He’s teaching me now. He’s talking to me now like a brother, so it’s an honor to talk about boxing and styles. He told me how to win this fight. He encouraged me. He gave me some tips. He gave me some advice, so it really means a lot to me. It’s really good to have a legendary fighter to talk to me about my future fights.”

Despite his upset of Gary Russell Jr. on January 22 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Vargas (35-0, 22 KOs) is a slight favorite to dethrone Magsayo (24-0, 16 KOs) in their “Showtime Championship Boxing” main event (9 p.m. ET). Magsayo and Pacquiao plotted ways to get inside on the taller, rangier Vargas, who stands nearly five inches taller than Magsayo.

“We talked about the fight in his house,” Magsayo said. “He said the key to winning this fight is footwork. So, I’ve been working on my footwork. I already have the power and speed, so my footwork is key.”

Coincidentally, Magsayo’s first title defense will be held at the same venue where Pacquiao produced his career-changing technical knockout of Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in November 2003. Magsayo was 8 years old when he watched the Pacquiao-Barrera fight from his home in the Philippines.

To have Pacquiao mentoring him all these years later seems surreal to Magsayo.

“Even though he’s so busy, he had time to talk to me,” Magsayo said. “For 45 minutes, we talked. That really meant a lot. It was really good for me.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.