WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and his much unheralded opponent Chris Algieri are just hours away from their much-talked about fight at The Venetian Macao.
While Pacman comes in as the heavy favorite, many are going to tune in to see if Algieri can become a modern day Rocky. Which is only fitting seeing how Algieri met the man behind the famous silver screen boxing character in the build up to the fight.
Pacquiao is a huge star in Macau, China, but that hasn’t stopped the Chinese fans from catching Algeiri fever, which should make for an electric fight atmosphere Saturday.
Here is a complete fight breakdown of the Pacquiao-Algieri bout, including the tale of the tape, betting odds, keys to better both fighters chance of victory and lastly a prediction on who will win the last big PPV of 2014.
Catch all the fights Saturday, Nov. 22, live on HBO PPV beginning at 9 p.m. EDT/ 6 p.m. EDT.
Tale of the Tape
| Manny Pacquiao | Chris Algieri | |
| Record | 56-5-2, 38 KOs | 20-0, 8 KOs |
| Height | 5’6″ | 5’10” |
| Reach | 67″ | 72″ |
| Weight (Pounds) | 143.8 | 143.6 |
| Age | 35 | 30 |
| Stance | Southpaw | Orthodox |
| Hometown | Kibawe, Philippines | Huntington, N.Y. |
Betting Odds (via Bovada)
Manny Pacquiao: +450 | Chris Algieri: -450
Win via KO: Pacquiao: -185 | Algieri: +1400
Win via Decision: Pacquiao: +170 | Algieri: +1100
Draw: +2500
Manny Pacquiao Keys to Victory
Manny Pacquiao knows how to handle the pressure of a big time fight and that comfortableness in this kind of atmosphere could play out as a factor in the bout.
Pacquiao should be aggressive to attack Algieri on the ropes as much as possible, as he is as good as anyone in the sport overwhelming a fighter with their back to the ropes.
With both fighters having above average hand speed, Pacquiao has a slight advantage and should be able to time his attacks out to beat Algieri to the punch more times than not.
Pacman has the edge in power, despite having a five-year KO drought, but fighting at the 144-pound catchweight could mean Pacquiao netting his first stoppage since his TKO victory over Miguel Cotto in 2009.
Chris Algieri Keys to Victory
Chris Algieri’s biggest advantage in the bout will be his length, as he is four inches taller than Pacquiao and has a five inch reach advantage as well.
Utilizing that length in conjunction with his best punch, his jab, to control the spacing of the bout, deterring Pacquiao from trying to fight inside to land power shots will be key. Algieri was able to win the Ruslan Provodnikov bout doing basically that after his first round debacle, but with Pacquaio being on a different level than Provo, it will be a much tougher task Saturday night.
To help his chances of winning, Algieri must keep the fight in the center of the ring as much as possible, if he gets caught on the ropes often his chances of pulling off the big upset will decrease vastly.
With his lack of KO power, Algieri will have to rely on his fundamentally sound boxing style, as if he fights the perfect fight, he can outpoint Pacquaio, even in the very pro-Pacquaio area of Macau.
Fight Prediction: Pacquiao via 12-round unanimous decision
Despite many not giving Algieri a chance to make it a full 12 rounds, you can’t overlook Pacquiao’s knockout absence. Sure, with his KO percentage being far greater at junior welterweight, which the 144-pound catchweight is closer to, than at welterweight, one can’t ignore that fact that it could just be father time catching up with Pacman.
With the resolve Algieri showed against knockout artist Provodnikov in their bout to weather a two-knockdown Round 1 and win the bout with one eye swollen shut for the majority of the bout, shows that he has the heart of a champion.
Algieri will have his bright spots in the fight and it will not be a complete shut out, as he will win a few rounds. But in the end, Pacquaio will prove to be too much to handle and a unanimous 12-round decision will be Pacquiao’s when the final bell sounds.
