Will Manny Pacquiao's Knockout Drought End Against Chris Algieri?

Manny Pacquiao’s illustrious career is hallmarked by some of the more sensational knockouts in recent boxing history.

In 2008, Pacquiao destroyed Oscar De La Hoya in eight rounds, brutalized Ricky Hatton in Round 2 just a year later and stopped Miguel Cotto in Round 12 a few months after to become one of the most feared hitters fighting in and around the welterweight division.

But Pacquiao, 35, hasn’t scored a knockout since, going 6-2 over the last five years while also falling victim to a knockout himself at the hands of his great rival, Juan Manuel Marquez, in 2012.  

Is Pacquiao’s knockout drought headed to an end next month against Chris Algieri?

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Some might argue it is. After all, Algieri doesn’t exactly bolster the name recognition of Pacquiao’s most recent opponents like Marquez, Timothy Bradley and even Brandon Rios.

Moreover, Algieri was floored twice by Ruslan Provodnikov in his controversial, split-decision win over the tough brawler in June.

While Provodnikov is considered a hard puncher, he doesn’t have the elite credentials Pacquiao possesses as an offensive force.

Perhaps most telling is that none of Algieri’s previous 19 wins came against anyone near the level of either Provodnikov or Pacquiao. He’ll be in deep water once the bell rings against Pacquiao, and if he had trouble adjusting to the pace Provodnikov set early in their fight, he’ll find himself gasping for air even faster against the leaner, faster and more skilled Pacquiao.

Even worse? How will Algieri keep Pacquiao off of him?

While he appears to tower over the relatively diminutive Pacquiao when the two stand next to each other for photo ops, Pacquiao is a master of cutting off the ring and attacking his man once the bell sounds.

Algieri is a fine boxer, and he’ll try to use a stiff jab, a five-inch reach advantage and fancy footwork to keep Pacquiao at arm’s length. But with only eight knockouts in 20 fights, it would seem Pacquiao won’t have much to worry about as he roars into punching range.

Yes, all professional fighters can punch, but no one would call Algieri a power puncher.

Still, Pacquiao hasn’t knocked out any of his last eight opponents. And while he still seems to posses the power he crushed De La Hoya, Hatton and Cotto with, he doesn’t quite seem as willing to engage at the same frenetic pace.

Much has been made of Pacquiao’s extracurricular activities as of late. He’s heavily involved in Filipino politics. He likes to sing, dance and appear in movies. He enjoys playing basketball.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of those things, especially when someone is able to enjoy life’s many spoils while still maintaining elite status at what pays the bills.

Make no mistake: Pacquiao is still quite elite. His dominant win over the previously undefeated Bradley in April proved he’s still one of the top two or three fighters in the world.

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But something seems missing in Pacquiao. He doesn’t quite seem as willing to go the extra mile in fights like he did before. In his last two fights, he showed a patience not seen during his prime years.

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Pacquiao’s career. Fighters should, for the most part, evolve as they age.

Pacquiao has every right to become a wiser combatant. Case in point: He appeared on his way to a win over Marquez in their last bout until he attacked too recklessly at the end of Round 6 and paid the price.

But as Pacquiao moves toward being the kind of fighter who is as comfortable taking the decision as he is butchering someone into a heaping mess, fans should be prepared for his fights to stretch over all 12 rounds, even against the likes of the unheralded Algieri.