Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri Fight Time, Projected Winner and Vegas Odds
Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) could have his hands full on Saturday against a dangerous underdog in Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs) with the WBO welterweight title on the line.
Here is a look at the essential information for the anticipated bout.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 22
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Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Macau, China
Odds: Manny Pacquiao -705, Chris Algieri +570 (via Odds Shark, as of Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET)
There is no way to sugarcoat this for Pacquiao—this is something of a no-win situation for the eight-division champion. If he beats Algieri, it was supposed to happen, but if he loses or is even challenged, there will be plenty of criticism considering Algieri’s status as a major underdog.
It is the same type of mentality that often prevents big-time college football programs from playing against the likes of the Boise States of the world.
Still, Pacquiao would be wise not to overlook his challenger, even if this is Algieri’s first fight of this magnitude in front of millions of viewers. After all, he is undefeated and took the boxing world by surprise against Ruslan Provodnikov, who could have been Pac-Man’s next opponent had he beaten Algieri.
Algieri was knocked down twice in the early going against Provodnikov and still managed to resiliently battle back for the stunning victory.
It caught Pacquiao’s eye if his comments were any indication, via Santos A. Perez of the Miami Herald:
“We are not taking him lightly for this fight, and we are training hard for this fight because of what he proved in the Ruslan fight. Chris Algieri is a very dangerous fighter, and we are taking nothing for granted.”
While that win was very impressive, Pac-Man is a different kind of fighter than Provodnikov at this point in his career. Provodnikov is more of a powerful knockout artist who looks to unleash that strength in one punch, while Pacquiao is more of an athlete who brings quickness and impressive footwork to the table. Pacquiao utilizes flurries of punches rather than powerful swooping ones, which could be an issue for Algieri.
In fact, Pacquiao, who was once known for his ferocious knockouts, has not stopped an opponent since his 2009 bout with Miguel Cotto.
That probably says more about the field of boxers he faced in that stretch than anything else, and Pacquiao certainly does not have to knock Algieri out on Saturday to notch an impressive result.
Pacquiao has plenty of momentum on his side after overcoming two straight losses against Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez with a rematch win over Bradley and a dominating performance against Brandon Rios. That momentum will be tested against the taller and athletic Algieri.
Algieri has a reach and height advantage in this bout and will look to capitalize on that with his signature long jab. Not everyone believes the hype for the undefeated challenger, though. You can add ESPN’s Nigel Collins to that list:
Algieri may have the jab in his back pocket as a go-to move, but Pacquiao’s quickness and ability to unleash deadly combination attacks at any given moment will be like nothing Algieri has ever seen in the ring. Beating a one-punch fighter like Provodnikov, while impressive, is one thing, but handling Pac-Man’s speed and technical ability is another altogether.
Look for Pacquiao to utilize a number of different angles on his attacks as he waits to seize an opening in the middle of the fight, when a worn-down Algieri loses some gas. Pac-Man won’t notch a knockout, but he is just better from a technical standpoint in this one and will dispatch the challenger.
Prediction: Pacquiao wins by decision.
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