Where does Algieri honestly stand?

Boxing expert Hermie Rivera mentioned medical reasons behind his decision to skip Manny Pacquiao’s defense of his world welterweight boxing crown in Macau. Truth is he had never been excited about the bout since its first announcement months back.

Rivera, with a sharp eye for talent and the lack of it, readily brushed off the unbeaten Chris Algieri as a nonentity.

A couple of paragraphs, saying they could send in Algieri with Floyd Mayweather Jr. the same night and Pacquiao would massacre the two one after the other, was sent to this reporter.

Sorry, the ringing paragraphs we’ve already lost.

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However, Hermie, without being asked, has affirmed his conviction about Algieri. Please share it:

“Awfully difficult for Chris Algieri to evade Manny Pacquiao’s all-purpose blows by running all night long. Manny’s ring versatility is just too  troublesome for the rangy challenger to handle in their November ring affair at touristy Macau. Somewhere in the scheduled 12 round-thriller, Pacman will nail him with a left or a right  (doesn’t matter) and the taller boxer will fold like a shuffled deck at the posh Venetian Hotel  Casino. Happy Thanksgiving.”

The bout, thanks to Sylvester Stallone’s endorsement of Algieri, has started to sell better.

There has also started an influx of American media people to the fight site, thereby causing the denial of media passes to several Asian applicants.

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So where does Algieri honestly stand? Last checked out, the handsome New Yorker remained an awful 10-1 underdog.

Trainer Freddie Roach, although initially admitting Algieri was definitely not in Pacquiao’s level, has somewhat softened and reconsidered.

Yesterday, Roach was quoted by scribe Abac Cordero as saying Algieri has the power—but not the speed.

“Algieri is a tough kid and he’s strong. He doesn’t have the skills Manny has. But he has the power.”

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It’s hard to determine how and why Roach has come up with a new assessment of Algieri, which he had previously described as lacking the necessary firepower in his fists.

Maybe it’s to help boost the pay-per-view sales or whatever.

Algieri, for his part, has remained adamant about a win. He told one interviewer he’s going to Macau not to fight—but to win!

There were of course fears he could end up running once he feels Pacquiao’s fabled power.

Yes, Roach agreed, Algieri also has power.

The Hall of Fame trainer was however quick to stress that, “tough guys don’t win big fights.”