Pacquiao vs. Algieri Undercard: Breaking Down Biggest Bouts Before Title Fight
Everyone tends to weigh endings disproportionately to the beginning and middle, which explains why Manny Pacquiao and Chris Algieri receive all the attention heading into their main event fight on Saturday night.
Pacquaio's quest to uptick his 56-5-2 record while handing Algieri his first loss headlines the action in Macau, China. It's also, however, far from the sole intriguing bout dangling on the lengthy card. Several other talented competitors will aim to steal the show before the final attraction.
Chief among those underlying stars in Chinese phenom Zou Shiming, a national hero who burst onto to scene after scooping up Olympic accolades. He'll lace up in one of the event's seven undercard fights, all of which are listed below.
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| Flyweight | Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym | Zou Shiming |
| Featherweight | Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo | Vasyl Lomachenko |
| Super Lightweight | Antonio DeMarco | Jessie Vargas |
| Super Flyweight | Fadhili Majiha | Jerwin Ancajas |
| Super Flyweight | Espinos Sabu | Rex Tso |
| Super Welterweight | Stephen Attard | Kuok Kun Ng |
| Light Heavyweight | Andrew Robinson | Qu Peng |
Zou Shiming vs. Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym
Shiming and Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym will each fight to stave off their first loss in a flyweight clash that will captivate the crowd.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Shiming turned his attention from amateur to professional competition with resounding success. The 5'4" dynamo is 5-0 with darting footwork and quickness. He recently described his transition to the pro circuit, courtesy of HBO Boxing:
Without his rising global appeal, fellow Bob Arum client Pacquiao isn't taking the ring in Macau. Ed Tracy, CEO of Sands China Ltd, the hosting Venetian Macao's parent company, credited Shiming for bringing this event to China. Per Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole:
"We have to talk about how this all happened and it really happened around Shiming. You know his story. To have an opportunity to coalesce our boxing program around someone who is a national hero doesn't happen every day. [Top Rank CEO] Bob [Arum] had the foresight to see that and I was happy to go as his co-pilot to push it over the goal line.
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Yet Shiming is far from a lock to win, as Onesongchaigym enters the contest at 27-0-2. Via HBO Boxing, he also looks awfully familiar:
For all their past achievements, neither has received much of a test. Shiming has been fed hand-picked opponents who will bolster his folklore, and Onesongchaigym has defeated 13 competitors who made their boxing debuts against him.
Both 33-year-olds wield limited upside against stout adversaries, but the victor will generate the most buzz outside the night's finale.
Jessie Vargas vs. Antonio DeMarco
There's more at stake for Jessie Vargas than his WBA world light welterweight title, which he'll defend against Antonio DeMarco.
Vargas is also auditioning for his big break into the main event scene, as he's popped up as a contender for Pacquaio's next fight. Arum discussed Pac-Man's future with ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.
“There are a lot of opponents,” Arum said. “Let’s see how Jessie Vargas looks on the card.”
He'd need a convincing win to remain in the hunt, but knockouts are not a prominent part of his arsenal. The 25-year-old has not won by KO in his last nine fights, a drought dating back to July 8, 2011. DeMarco, on the other hand, packs a mean punch with 23 knockout victories, giving the 28-year-old a 65.71 KO percentage.
After dropping the WBC world lightweight title to Adrien Broner, DeMarco has since bounced back with three successive victories, two by technical knockout. He'll have to outpower the champion to put a belt back around his waist this weekend, but Vargas will fight to dictate the tempo at his own pace to avoid any major blows.
Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo vs. Vasyl Lomachenko
Vasyl Lomachenko, another Olympic gold medalist-turned-pro, only has three fights under his belt. The last one resulted in a majority decision over Gary Russell Jr., handing the 26-year-old his first loss in 25 tries.
Arum had high praise for the Ukrainian featherweight, per Iole:
At 52-1, Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo has much more professional experience to flaunt. Yet the 29-year-old hasn't quite combated anyone of prominent stature. BoxRec.com still rates him the No. 42 featherweight despite the sterling win-loss margin.
This matchup appears to demonstrate another case of a boxer boasting an inflated record, one that may receive a rare blemish at the hands of his renown amateur foe.
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