Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri: Career Records, Keys to Victory and Prediction
Manny Pacquiao makes his return to the ring on Nov. 22 against American Chris Algieri in Macau, but defending his WBO welterweight title will not be straight forward for the Filipino.
Since falling to a crushing defeat against Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012, Pacquiao has won his last two fights against Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley.
His opponent Algieri won the WBO light welterweight title by beating Ruslan Provodnikov in a split-decision bout in June and is unbeaten in his 20 professional fights.
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Here are the key statistics ahead of the fight, per BoxRec, as well as a look at what factors will prove decisive:
| Record | 56-5-2 (38 KO) | 20-0 (8 KO) |
| Age | 35 | 30 |
| Height | 5'6 | 5'10 |
| Reach | 67" | 72" |
| Weight (last fight) | 145 | 140 |
Keys to victory
Experience
A few years ago, this fight would have been seen as a walkover for Pacquiao on paper, but in recent years, the Filipino's star has waned somewhat.
The defeat to Marquez showed the world that Pacquiao was more than beatable, and at the age of 35, Manny has lost some of the ferocity in his whirlwind technique.
For years, the best form of defence for Pacquiao was a good offence, but even in his declining years, he still has enough tricks up his sleeve to see off his relatively green opponent.
Algieri's height advantage
One of the key factors in this bout is that Pacquiao gives away four inches in height and five inches in reach to Algieri, which should allow the American to maneuver his opponent around the ring.
To prepare for this, Pacman has been sparring with welterweights Viktor Postol and Mike Jones, per Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook, with trainer Freddie Roach confident the duo are preparing his man well: "Mike Jones is a big puncher and Manny is doing very well with him. Manny has hurt him a couple of times too. ... Viktor is very smart and has been making Manny think, like Chris will."
Pacman's Power
Despite having the advantage in reach over Pacquiao, Algieri packs little force in his punches, according to Bleacher Report's Kevin McRae.
The American has stopped a fight early just eight times in his career, with the other 12 going the full distance. Without a knockout, it is hard to see Algieri coming out on top against the wily Pacquiao.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, recorded the last of his 38 knockouts in 2009 against Miguel Cotto, with his last six wins going all 12 rounds.
Nevertheless, he has shown over many years he has the power off either wing to turn out the lights.
Prediction
While his win over Provodnikov proved he is the deserved challenger to Pacquiao's welterweight crown, it's hard to see the American pulling off an upset in Macau.
Commentator Larry Merchant thinks Pacquiao has reinvented himself as a boxer in recent years, and he believes Algieri will have to out-think the veteran to stand a chance of winning.
"Bradley couldn’t cope with his quickness and smarts," he told James Myhre of Tha Boxing Voice. "The question is whether Algieri can, and Algieri has a lot going for him in this match-up.”
With recent history going against the likelihood of a knockout, Pacquiao should have the smarts to walk away with a unanimous decision from the judges.
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