Manny Pacquiao on Chris Algieri: 'He's just a boy'

MACAU — For Manny Pacquiao, Chis Algieri is just a boy.

 

Pacquiao kicked off the final leg of the buildup for his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title clash with Algieri at Cotai Arena inside The Venetian here with a media briefing.

 

Algieri, the former kickboxer whose claim to fame came when he outpointed Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia to capture the WBO light welterweight crown last June, was a picture of confidence, strongly believing that he will knock Pacquiao cold to score the greatest upset in the history of professional boxing.

 

Pacquiao, for his part, said he understands where the confidence of his 30-year old foe is coming from.

 

"He's just a boy," Pacquiao said before a pack of local and international journalists Tuesday. "But that confidence is just part of boxing. He still has yet to do what I already achieved in boxing."

 

Even former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and actor Sylvester Stallone, who will both attend their showdown this weekend, have already congratulated Algieri and called him "champ" ahead of the biggest, and richest, fight of his career.

 

The New Yorker noted that he was dropped by Provodnikov a couple of times during their clash, but he still stood up to claim the victory by a close shave, so it's impossible for Pacquiao to clinch an early stoppage. 

 

"I'm very excited," Algieri said. "The team is very positive with all the energy in camp and the positivity we're experiencing from people here in Macau. It seems like it's flowing into my entire camp, and we are performing above and beyond.

 

"I expect to go out there and control everything. That includes my opponent. Control, control, control. That's what this sport is all about."

 

Algieri's father, Dominick, said his son wasn't terrified when stacked against a more seasoned foe in Provodnikov.

 

"He told me the minute he walked into that ring, he knew he was going to win," said the elder Algieri. 

 

“We always told him if you’re going to do something, do it right, the best you can. I pushed that on my kids, and they’re the same way.”

 

'100 percent focused'

 

Pacquiao, meanwhile, refused to talk about the possibility of scoring an early knockout, saying that the stoppage would come for as long as he does those little things that made him successful in the past. 

 

His last knockout win came in 2009 when he stopped Miguel Cotto in the 12th round of their WBO welterweight title match. Three years later, the tables were turned as he was knocked down by Juan Manuel Marquez in the sixth round of their non-title fight.

 

"I know the feeling, I've been knocked down before," Pacquiao said. "But if you don't to get knocked down, then don't fight. Boxing is not for you.

 

"I'm a hundred percent focused on the fight, I don't want to take my opponent lightly. I'll just go there and do what I have to do."

 

He added that there's nothing to worry about as far as his preparation is concerned.

 

In fact, the seven-week camp in General Santos City has been his most productive in the past five years. He floored his sparring partner, 5-foot-10 Stan Martyniouk, twice and requested for an extra four-round sparring with Viktor Postol before flying to this Chinese gambling city late Monday. And a day after their arrival, he worked out inside his suite to break a sweat before plunging into another round of mitts and sparring early in the afternoon.

 

"I'm so happy with this training camp, we did a lot of drills," he said. "We started early and we prepared hard. There's nothing to worry about." — STR/JST, GMA News