Pacquiao vs. Algieri Fight Time, PPV Schedule, Odds and Predictions
Manny Pacquiao has long been the face of boxing, along with Floyd Mayweather, having fought in 17 world championship bouts. However, in Chris Algieri, "Pacman" is facing a rare combination of size and speed he has rarely encountered. Thus despite the vast gulf in name recognition, Pacquiao will almost certainly face his stiffest test since his debilitating knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in Dec. 2012.
A hidden variable to consider is that the fight is being contested at the catchweight of 144 pounds, a move down for Pacquiao and up for Algieri, who holds the light welterweight belt. This will force both to adjust to a weight class they are unaccustomed to fighting in, which should force intriguing strategic moves as they stray from their respective comfort zones.
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With Pacquiao's belt on the line, this fight has an opportunity to become a seminal moment. For those looking to catch the megafight, check out full pay-per-view information as well as odds and a full predictions for the fight's complexion.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 22
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Macau, China
Odds: Manny Pacquiao -660, Chris Algieri +540 (via Odds Shark, as of Nov. 22 at 9 a.m. ET)
| Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri | WBO Welterweight | HBO PPV |
| (c) Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo | Featherweight | HBO PPV |
| (c) Jessie Vargas vs. Antonio DeMarco | Light Welterweight | HBO PPV |
| Zou Shiming vs. Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym | Flyweight | HBO PPV |
Fight Predictions
Pacquiao Goes for the Early KO
Pacman has not recorded a knockout since 2009 against Miguel Cotto, a drought that has spanned nine fights. The diminutive Pacquiao is used to boxing opponents with a size advantage—Algieri has a 3.5-inch height advantage and five-inch reach advantage—but few also possess the speed and footwork of the New York native.
Thus, Pacquiao's best opportunity to win the fight is early. In Algieri's previous bout against Ruslan Provodnikov, the 30-year-old was caught off guard and knocked down twice. Indeed, Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach believes his fighter is honing in on the potential KO:
Roach is also supremely confident that Pacquiao will catch Algieri off guard early. Though much of that could be chalked up to typical pre-fight bravado, the Daily Mail's Jeff Powell reports that Roach is actually frightened of a dominant victory scaring away Floyd Mayweather for a potential fight of the century:
"Master trainer Freddie Roach is torn between urging Manny Pacquiao to land the first round knock-out which both believe is possible here or taking his time so as not to scare off Floyd Mayweather.
Pacquiao has to win to keep alive the chance of finally meeting Mayweather in what could become a billion dollar super-fight. But if he does so in devastating fashion then Floyd the Money man might shy away from jeopardising his unbeaten record.
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Against a much taller opponent, Pacquiao's speed and deception will be indispensable. Pacman will have a tough time keeping Algieri at bay if the fight goes the full 12 rounds, but if he can use his jab to offset Algieri and prevent the American from establishing a rhythm, there is a chance this fight could end early.
Algieri Wins by Unanimous Decision
However, since the impetus is on Pacquiao to push the action early, expect a more defensive early-round strategy from Algieri. In spite of those two early knockdowns against Provodnikov, Algieri went on to dominate the rest of the fight, recording 217 more punches in the fight, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.
The 30-year-old possesses enough guile to go toe-to-toe with Pacquiao, a claim few can boast. As he tells Rafael, Algieri's game plan calls for versatility to keep Pacquiao at bay, where the bigger boxer can wear down the Filipino superstar in the later rounds:
"We are going in with a smart strategy. Timing and rhythm beats speed. This is a battle of wits and smartness. Now they tell me Manny has his killer instinct back. Well, come and try to get me. This is like a battle of high-stakes chess but with a lot of punches.
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How will we control this fight? Jab, range, timing and rhythm. We're very excited. Our work is done. We are ready to fight.
Things have been all business in the Algieri camp, as he does not have the resume to line up next to Pacquiao. But this bout is not about how each boxer would have fared against each other, but rather a reflection of one desperately trying to hold onto the belt as the other ascends up the ranks.
Most would prefer to see a Pacman victory not only because of his popularity, but also to preserve the faint hopes of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Still, this looks like an extremely poor matchup for Pacquiao, and so long as Algieri moves well enough in the early rounds, look for him to take most of the latter rounds and score a convincing upset.
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