Pacquiao vs. Algieri: Fight Time and Scorecard Predictions
Manny Pacquiao's best days of boxing may be behind him, but he'll aim to continue his late-career resurgence Saturday night in Macau, China, with a WBO welterweight title bout against undefeated foe Chris Algieri.
He's not one of the household names Pac-Man is used to fighting, but Algieri comes in worthy of having his name opposite Pacquiao's on the card. He hasn't fought in a single fight outside his native New York, but his last win was a shocking upset over Ruslan Provodnikov to win the light welterweight title.
Algieri's title belt won't be on the line against Pacquiao, but that doesn't mean a victory would be any less huge. Such a result would send shock waves through the sport and all but put to an end the distant dream of a bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
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At the same time, nothing short of a dominant win would help Pacquiao stay relevant.
But that's why the fight is scheduled, to turn those woulds into wills. One way or another, Pacquiao and Algieri will settle things in the ring in Macau.
Pacquiao vs. Algieri Fight Info
Date: Saturday, Nov. 22
Location: Cotai Arena, The Venetian Macao, Macau, China
Time (ET): 9 p.m.
TV: HBO pay-per-view
Odds: Pacquiao -660, Algieri +540, according to Odds Shark.
Pacquiao vs. Algieri Preview
In the midst of what could be a career-defining fight for both Pacquiao and Algieri, much of the focus has shifted toward the fight that might never happen.
Much of the reason for that is this quote from Pacquiao, per SuperSport:
Alas, there's really no point in wasting time or energy talking about a potential Pacquiao-Mayweather fight—not when Algieri is looking to make those conversations irrelevant.
The 30-year-old has competed in 20 fights and has never lost, most recently taking the light welterweight title from Provodnikov in a brutal and entertaining fight. But it's his style that could give Pacquiao the most trouble.
Long and mobile, Algieri has a massive size and reach advantage over his opponent and maintains the in-ring fortitude and awareness to hang with a scrappy opponent such as Pacquiao. He's also a slow starter, often taking a few rounds to get into his groove before becoming unstoppable.
“I think I bring a lot of energy and combinations and punches every single round," Algieri told Ring Magazine's Lem Satterfield. "Even when I’m not throwing, I am moving my upper body. I’m moving my feet. I’m moving my head; I am changing levels—all those things are important and they count and they are a part of boxing.”
Algieri will come in with bounds of confidence, but that's to be expected—he's never lost a fight. It won't matter against a boxer with the pedigree of Pacquiao, however.
Pacquiao may be much shorter and not quite as long, but he typically fights at a higher weight, so it's not like Algieri will be outmuscling him. While his opponent is known for being quick and decisive, Pacquiao has built his stardom on those very traits.
Perhaps trainer Freddie Roach was being a bit too blunt, per Rappler's Ryan Songalia, but the confidence isn't lacking:
Algieri will make that statement from Roach seem like a lie when he finds some success in a few of the early rounds, but it won't last long. Pacquiao's tenacious fighting style will come out after he's tested early, and it will wear Algieri down by the fifth round.
At that point, Pacquiao will smell blood and do everything he can to notch his first knockout victory since 2009.
Prediction: Pacquiao wins via fifth-round TKO.
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