Pacquiao promises ‘great action from start to finish’ in high-stakes fight vs. Algieri

MACAU — The stakes are sky-high as Manny Pacquiao clashes with Chris Algieri to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title at high noon Sunday at the Cotai Arena inside the sprawling Venetian Macao here.

 

Pacquiao, the eight-division world champion battles a rising star in Algieri in a titanic showdown that could either elevate him back to elite status or see his professional boxing career fade into oblivion.

 

His professional boxing record stands at 56 wins, five losses and two draws, but he has yet to score a victory by way of knockout since stopping Miguel Cotto in the 12th round to win the WBO welterweight crown in 2009.

 

He was also beaten by American Timothy Bradley via unanimous decision before suffering a career-ending knockout loss to Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, casting doubts on his star power and ability to put on an emphatic finish.

 

Experts say that a resounding victory will not only net him a whopping $23 million, but will also give him a golden opportunity to face Floyd Mayweather in a fight that is expected to become the biggest and the richest in the history of the sport. 

 

More than that, it will also shine his brand even more, making him a billionaire athlete, an able endorser and a winnable political candidate in 2016 should he decide to stroll into the sunset of his professional boxing career.

 

Pacquiao said his back is against the wall and he is highly motivated to pull off a convincing win.

 

In fact, he feels the same kind of thirst, the same kind of hunger that transformed him from a skinny construction worker from General Santos City to a cold-blooded knockout artist who ended the careers of Hall of Fame fighters like Erik Morales, Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya.

 

"It's going to be great action from start to finish," said Pacquiao, vowing to jump on Algieri right at the opening bell of their scheduled 12-round showdown that will be presided by Puerto Rican referee Genaro Rodriguez.

 

"Regardless of how fast he can run, it's still a 20-foot ring. I'm going to cut all avenues of escape. It is a challenge for me because he is so tall. I'm planning to take away his jabs and attack him relentlessly."

'Cinderella man'

 

Algieri, on the other hand, offers a story that is somehow similar to the Filipino ring idol's.

 

The 30-year old New York native who styles himself as a modern-day Cinderella man for his meteoric rise to stardom, earned a bachelor's degree in healthcare science from Stony Brook University and a master's degree from New York Institute of Technology before plunging into kickboxing.

 

He soon shifted to professional boxing and competed in small arenas in New York before a crowd of less than 500, mostly consisting of his friends and relatives.

 

His biggest break came when he outpointed International Boxing Federation's number-four contender Emmanuel Taylor. It was a victory that earned him the right to face Ruslan Provodnikov, a rugged fighter from Russia who was being groomed as Pacquiao's next opponent.

 

But things did not go according to the script. Algieri, despite being floored twice in the first round, outboxed Provodnikov to book a split decision victory.

 

"We were prepared to meet Provodnikov, but this Algieri kid spoiled the plan," said Freddie Roach, the five-time Trainer of the Year who prepares Pacquiao. "Anyway, Algieri is no Provodnikov. They are worlds apart. Algieri has no chance against Manny. He has no punching power."

 

Algieri said that he is bracing for a brutal fight, but claims that his intelligence, heart and willingness to survive would overcome Pacquiao's craftiness and ring experience. After all, surviving this battle will turn him from a nobody into a legitimate rising star.

 

"I think both of us will go hard and try to make a statement. Manny has a lot to prove in this fight. I get the feeling that he will also come down hard to make a real statement," said Algieri, who has yet to lose a match in his 20 professional fights.

 

He also added that 35-year old Pacquiao is already on a decline.

 

"I'm 30, but I'm a young 30," said Algieri, who still lives in the basement of his parents apartment and drives the same car he used in college.

 

"Could age be a factor? I think so. It could be. Let's see what happens come fight night. All I know is that I'm ready and I will do whatever it takes to win."

 

"Let's get ready to rumble." — JST/JDS, GMA News