Manny Pacquiao Highlights and Training Info Before Chris Algieri Fight

After a brief stretch of uncertainty for Manny Pacquiao following losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, he's bounced back with a pair of convincing victories to get back on track. Up next is a tricky challenge in the form of undefeated Chris Algieri.

The American hasn't faced the same level of competition as the eight-division world champion. That said, he's coming off a strong showing against Ruslan Provodnikov and brings a bit of mystery into the equation for the Pac-Man camp.

It sounds like Pacquiao has certainly been training with the same vigor as if he was facing one of the sport's biggest names.

Unus Alladin of the South China Morning Post passed along comments from famed trainer Freddie Roach, who said Pac-Man did some outstanding sparring sessions with Viktor Postol back in October.

"The thing is I have my number one contender from Ukraine [Postol] and he's a very good boxer and he could beat Algieri right now. That's why I brought him in as a number one sparring partner because he has that style," he said. "Manny broke Postol's nose three days ago. But Postol's okay. I train him. He's a fighter, he's a tough kid and he's not going home."

At the very least, those comments give off the same vibe as the days when Pacquiao was rolling through opponents with a rare combination of power and quickness.

He's not alone, though. Algieri has also stepped up his training in the months leading up to this fight and for good reason. This is the 30-year-old New York native's chance for a massive breakthrough on a global boxing stage.

Those situations don't come along often. If he's unable to capitalize on this one, who knows when his next golden opportunity to elevate his career to that next level will come.

Dan Rafael of ESPN provided remarks from Algieri about his preparations, and he's convinced all the work he's done has him ready to roll.

"I worked hard for over 10 weeks in the most strenuous and productive training camp of my career," he said. "I had a lot of different sparring partners, including [former welterweight and junior welterweight titlist] Zab Judah, giving me different looks to prepare me for anything Pacquiao decides to throw at me. I am 110 percent prepared for our fight."

Now he just has to hope the effort pays off.

While it's a great chance for Algieri, the main focus is Pacquiao. There are still murmurs about a potential superfight with Floyd Mayweather, but in order for that to happen he must keep winning to increase pressure on the Money camp.

Furthermore, the legacy question is still very much in play for Pac-Man. He was climbing up the ranks during the extended winning streak he put together over six years during his prime, but those aforementioned losses have raised questions about where he belongs in the bigger picture.

As for how long Pacquiao has to write the final chapters, he isn't sure. In a piece for ESPN, he explained what his outlook is for the rest of his time in the boxing ring.

"As long as my skills and my passion remain strong I want to continue my boxing career. When I retire, I want it to be on my terms," he said. "I do not want to spend my retirement regretting that I walked away from boxing before I was ready. I do not want to come back and fight after I retire."

Based on his effective training sessions, to which Crystina Poncher attests, it appears one of the generation's top fighters will be around for awhile yet:

Ultimately, for Pacquiao and his camp to walk away from this fight satisfied he needs to control it from start to finish. Algieri is a boxer to watch over the next few years, but this is a major step up, and Pac-Man must take advantage of that.

A knockout victory, which would be his first since 2009 over Miguel Cotto, is obviously preferred. If he can't manage that, then definitely a clear win by unanimous decision. Anything less would probably be a disappointment.

Both fighters seem confident after successful training stints. Now it's almost time to prove it in the ring.