On Saturday, November 22nd, Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring against an unlikely foe. Pacquiao, who at 35 years old is coming to the end of an illustrious 20-year career as a boxer, steps into the ring against undefeated Chris Algieri, who up until five months ago, was an unknown in the boxing world. Algieri didn’t even start boxing professionally until he was 23-years-old, and had no amateur fights whatsoever before embarking on his professional boxing career.
The 30-year-old Algieri came to fame earlier this year when the local boy from Long Island defeated the heavy favorite, Ruslan Provodnikov, at the Barclays center in Brooklyn, NY. Algieri was knocked down twice in the first round of that fight and went on to out box the Russian power puncher over the next 11 rounds with only one eye. His right eye was swollen shut after being knocked to the canvas by a hard left hook in the opening minute of the fight. Algieri looks to bring that same boxing style that won the Provodnikov fight to Macao when he goes toe to toe with Pacquiao.
Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach (who also trained Provodnikov), believe that this will be a much different fight than when Algieri faced Provodnikov. Pacquiao is a much quicker, faster and better boxer than the Russian and the drop in weight class for Pacquiao should work to his advantage.
“When you are fighting a 147-pounder and you only weigh 135 yourself, or 140, you are in there against much stronger guys,” said Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach about Pacquiao’s last few fights. “Manny only has two knockouts as a welterweight and he has a lot of knockouts at 135 and 140, and the thing is this is a catch-weight of 144, and if he feels good at 144 we may go to 140 again.”
On Friday during the weigh-in, Algieri ,who is a nutritionist in his spare time did not make weight during the initial weigh in. Algieri weighed 144.2 pounds on the scale and was given two hours to come back and make weight. He returned in one hour, weighing in at 143.6 pounds and qualifying for the fight. Algieri has had success as a boxer for his height and reach, and he will try and use that to his advantage against Pacquiao. Algieri is 5-foot-10, four inches taller than Pacquiao and has a longer wingspan than the Filipino by almost six inches. When Algieri uses his jab, speed, evasiveness and wingspan to his advantage, he is unbeatable.
“He is a pretty good mover. He moves pretty well and he is very defensive,” said Roach “His jab is his beast weapon and it is something that we have to really take care of.”
The Pacquiao vs. Algieri fight is seat to headline a four match card that begins at 7:00PM EST on HBO PPV. It is being broadcast live from the Venetian hotel in Macao, China. Join us at www.LatinTimes.com and on twitter @thelatintimes as we will be tweeting live round by round updates and a post fight recap as soon as the judges’ decisions are in.
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