Pacquiao relaxed as Algieri has weighty problem; Zou eyes Thai
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MANNY Pacquiao weighed in at 143.8 pounds yesterday for his welterweight world title defense, but his opponent Chris Algieri had trouble on the scales ahead of today’s fight in China’s Macau.
Undefeated Algieri could not make the catchweight limit of 144 pounds and was still 0.20 pounds over after a second attempt despite stripping down to his bare essentials at yesterday morning’s weigh-in at the Venetian Macau’s Cotai Arena.
American Algieri (20-0, 8 knockouts) was given two hours to sweat off the remaining weight and came back for a third attempt which saw him finally go under at 143.6 pounds.
Despite the hiccup, which would have thrown Algieri’s final preparations for today’s fight slightly behind schedule, the former kickboxer from Long Island predicted he would win.
“I did all the hard work I needed to do,” said Algieri. “I know I can count on my skills to do it. This is dream come true and I’m ready to rock.”
Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) has been relaxed and confident all week in Macau. The Filipino eight-weight world champion has been impressing all who have watched him train with the intensity and power he has shown in his workouts.
“I’ve been preparing like the early days in my career,” said Pacquiao at the weigh-in. “I want to get back the hungriness and the aggressiveness that I had when I was young.”
Earlier this week Pacquiao had said he enjoyed fighting unbeaten boxers, such as Algieri, because he liked to teach them what it is like to lose. But yesterday the Filipino congressman was more diplomatic. “I like to fight undefeated fighters like Algieri because it’s an honor to be in a fight like that,” Pacquiao said.
The stakes are always high anytime Pacquiao fights. This, though, is a fight he must not only win but look good while doing so if there is to be any hope of a megafight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“A fifth- or sixth-round knockout would be perfect,” promoter Bob Arum said. “But who really knows?”
Heavy favorite
Pacquiao is a heavy favorite against Algieri, who seemingly came out of nowhere to get the fight. But Algieri poses problems for Pacquiao with both his height — he is a half head taller — and a left jab that he used to come back from two first-round knockdowns to beat hard-hitting Ruslan Provodnikov in his last bout.
Pacquiao will make more than US$20 million for the fight regardless of what happens, but an even bigger payday with Mayweather, a bout boxing fans have been clamoring for years. That would likely be out the window for good if Algieri somehow finds a way to win.
“I’m not predicting a knockout but I’m looking for a good fight and looking to prove I can still fight,” Pacquiao said. “I’m looking to maintain my speed and my power in this fight.”
Talk about a possible Mayweather fight heated up this week. Though Algieri is an attractive and articulate opponent, the tantalizing possibility of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight suddenly seems real again.
But before Pacquiao and Algieri square off for the World Boxing Organization welterweight title at around noon local time Chinese double Olympic gold medalist flyweight Zou Shiming (5-0, 1 KO) will take on Thailand’s Kwanpichit 13 Rien Express (Onesongchaigym) (27-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round final eliminator for a world title shot.
Kwanpichit, an uncanny Pacquiao look-alike dubbed ‘mini-Manny’ by the media, and Zou both weighed in right on the 112-pound flyweight limit.
There are two other world title contests on the undercard.
WBO featherweight champion and double Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko (2-1, 1 KO) defends his title against Thailand’s Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (52-1, 33 KOs) with both exactly on the 126-pound limit.
World Boxing Association super lightweight champion Jessie Vargas (25-0, 9 KOs) from Las Vegas weighed in on the 140-pound limit for his defense against Mexico’s Antonio DeMarco (31-3-1, 23 KOs) who was a little lighter at 139.3 pounds.
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