Pacquiao vs. Algieri: Fight Card Odds and Undercard Predictions
Chris Algieri has fought 20 times as a professional boxer and won every single time. Virtually unknown outside of the boxing world, the King of New York is stepping onto the canvas for the 21st time as a pro on Nov. 22 in a bout against the legendary Manny Pacquiao. It will be the first time he fights outside of his native Empire State, and it's only his second bout scheduled for 12 rounds.
Pacquiao will be defending his WBO welterweight title, which he took from Timothy Bradley in a vicious rematch earlier this year. Algieri is coming off a stirring win over Ruslan Provodnikov and holds the WBO light welterweight title, which will not be on the line Saturday night at Cotai Arena in The Venetian Macao.
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This bout has a good chance of going the full distance, but fans shouldn't fear they will get shortchanged on boxing action if they shell out the big bucks to attend the match or watch it on pay-per-view.
There is a large and diverse undercard for this special fight night—one that should whet fans' appetites for the main draw.
Here is a look at the latest odds for every bout on the slate in Macau, followed by a quick rundown of the undercard fights and some predictions for the outcomes.
| Chris Algieri (+475) vs. Manny Pacquiao (-750) | Manny Pacquiao |
| Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym (+1000) vs. Zou Shiming (-2500) | Zou Shiming |
| Vasyl Lomachenko (-10000) vs. Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (+1600) | Vasyl Lomachenko |
| Antonio DeMarco (+230) vs. Jessie Vargas (-300) | Jessie Vargas |
| Fadhili Majiha vs. Jerwin Ancajas | Jerwin Ancajas |
| Espinos Sabu vs. Rex Tso | Espinos Sabu |
| Stephen Attard vs. Kuok Kun Ng | Stephen Attard |
| Andrew Robinson vs. Qu Peng | Andrew Robinson |
Note: Fight card courtesy of TopRank.com and odds via OddsShark.com and updated as of Friday, Nov. 21 at 7 a.m. ET.
Predictions for Top Undercard Bouts
Zou Shiming vs. Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym
Zou Shiming will take on Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym in a 12-round flyweight contest that should get the crowd buzzing early on. Both fighters are 33 years old and utilize orthodox stances.
Shiming is late to the professional game but is one of mainland China's best fighters. He should find plenty of support from the crowd in Macau.
His opponent is perhaps best noted at this point in the buildup to Saturday for bearing a striking similarity to Pacquiao. HBO Boxing couldn't help but notice:
The diminutive Thai fighter has taken it all in stride.
"It's better for me if they think I fight like him [rather] than I look like him," Onesongchaigym said, via Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole.
The resemblance might have the uninformed thinking this is a gimmick, but Onesongchaigym has a fine boxing record in his own right, with 27 wins, zero losses and two draws in his career dating back to 2010.
It's an impressive record but deceptively so. Thirteen of those wins have come against opponents making their debut, per BoxRec.com.
Shiming doesn't have much professional experience, but he's won all five of his matches (one via knockout). However, his greatest achievements came before he joined the professional ranks. He won Olympic gold as a light flyweight at the 2012 London Games and 2008 Beijing Games. There will be a lot of pressure on him to perform in Macau, but he's focused on the task at hand.
"The best way to deal with the pressure is to keep training hard,” he said, via RingTV.com's Anson Wainwright. “There’s no shortcut to success. If you do your best, the result is not important. You must have a strong willingness to win to become a real champion. All in for success; believe in yourself. Sacrifice."
He also has some of the best training in the world. He told Wainwright that he's been preparing for this match with trainer Freddie Roach, who also happens to coach up Pacquiao.
This bout should go the distance, with Shiming impressing the judges with his excellent defensive technique that should frustrate the opportunistic Onesongchaigym. Look for a unanimous decision to go Shiming's way and boost the crowd's spirits.
Jessie Vargas vs. Antonio DeMarco
Twenty-five-year-old Jessie Vargas (25-0-0, 9 KOs) will put his WBA world light welterweight title on the line against challenger Antonio DeMarco (31-3-1, 23 KOs) in what should be an interesting undercard slugfest.
DeMarco is the heavier hitter, as evidenced by his 65.71 knockout percentage, but he struggles against quicker opponents. Adrien Broner carved up the 28-year-old in November 2012 to strip him of his WBC world lightweight title.
Vargas might be doing more than just making a title defense in Macau. He could very well be auditioning to fight Pacquiao, if promoter Bob Arum is to be believed, via Ring Magazine's Ryan Songalia:
DeMarco is a worthy opponent for Vargas, but he's struggled to maintain his place in the upper tier of boxing, although he is currently on a three-match win streak, with two of them coming by way of TKO.
One would expect DeMarco to be the aggressor in this bout, but Vargas' light-hitting, outpointing days might be behind him after training with the legendary Roy Jones Jr. According to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, Jones Jr. watched Vargas scrape out a couple of wins and wanted to help him with his power. He also had a specific punch in mind to add to Vargas' repertoire.
"I seen him fight the last two fights, but both times he just squeaked by," Jones said, via Rafael. "I was like, 'You didn't show no improvement so come by my gym and at least let me teach you how to [throw a left] hook."
Vargas hasn't yet had a chance to debut a stinging left hook in an actual bout, but having the backing of an old pro like Jones Jr. certainly boosts his chances. If he can combine power with his incredible stamina and penchant for throwing punches in bunches, this one could be over quickly.
That being said, DeMarco will likely be wary of Vargas' style and should be able to control the pace and stay upright for 12 rounds. It's not like he lacks the motivation to win this fight. DeMarco's sister, Mariana, is receiving treatment for bone cancer, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times. DeMarco cites fighting for his family as one of the reasons for his prior successes.
"I have to work to keep supporting the obligations,” DeMarco said. “The motivation of fighting for my family made me a world champion two times. It’s the most beautiful thing in my life."
It's an admirable, worthy attitude, and a hungry fighter is a dangerous opponent 12 rounds out of 12. Still, Vargas' technical ability, training and speed should be enough to earn yet another victory by unanimous decision.
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