MANNY Pacquiao and Chris Algieri face each other during the official weigh-in at Cotai Arena in Macau on Saturday. photo by roy luarca
MACAU—Don’t blink. Be there early. Take the cue from the man himself. Manny Pacquiao intends to go after Chris Algieri with his fists flying right from the opening bell.
“Get your seat early, you don’t want to miss the fireworks,” Pacquiao said after the official weigh-in Saturday at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena. “It’s gonna be great action.”
Algieri could prove an easy target for the in-form Pacquiao, who looked ripped and ready during the weigh-in. Algieri, meanwhile, missed the weight on his first try, putting doubts on just how ready he is for the bout—and how fit he will be to avoid the show of combinations Pacquiao intends to display.
“He has nowhere to run,” said Pacquiao. “It’s still just a 20-foot (by 20 feet) ring.”
And even if he had the space, is Algieri fit enough to run?
When he first stepped on the scales, Algieri registered 144.4 pounds, raising a howl among fans who witnessed the early morning weigh-in Saturday.
Stripped bare, with his jacket covering his front, Algieri weighed 144.2, a shade over the catch weight of 144 pounds set for their WBO welterweight crown showdown, and was given two hours to shed it off.
After jogging in his suite and going to the bathroom, Algieri returned and checked in at 143.6 lb, even lighter than Manny Pacquiao, who posted 143.8 on his first try.
Algieri’s trainer, Tim Lane, actually admitted that Algieri was still 148 on Friday, so it took some doing for the challenger to hit 144.
Lane, however, blamed the calibration of the weighing scale, saying Algieri tallied 143 and 143.8, respectively, on two tries using the same equipment. He claimed Algieri even had oatmeal, eggs and coffee for breakfast.
“We thought we were where we needed to be,” said Lane. “[Trainer] Freddie [Roach] thinks he (Algieri) looks dehydrated. He looks like Superman to me.”
Roach laughed off Lane’s claim of a broken scale, saying all the other fighters featured in Clash in Cotai II used the same equipment.
Informed of Algieri’s 148-lb weight Friday, Roach said it must have taken some effort for Algieri to go down to 144. “If he’s struggling [to make weight], then he’s not a good dietician. He’s supposed to know that.”
The 5-foot-10 Algieri maintains weight isn’t an issue.
“I’d rather be well fed that withdrawn and sucked up,” said the nutritionist who cooks his own food.
With a 72-inch wingspan and a stiff jab, Algieri plans to use his mobility to try to lure Pacquiao to follow him in order to sneak in counter rights.
But Pacquiao said he has planned for that and his corner has manufactured a fight plan that will have him stepping in front of Algieri without offering an opening for a counter.
“It’s a challenge for me because he’s so tall,” said Pacquiao, who welcomes the challenge offered by the unbeaten Algieri (20-0, 8 knockouts).
“The difference between Algieri and myself is this: I’ve been there before.”
Pacquiao is in 64th fight, winning 56 with 38 knockouts, losing five and drawing twice.
Pacquiao said he’ll be waiting for Algieri’s reaction come fight time.
“I know how he will react when the moment of truth comes, let’s see how he reacts when he has his meeting with destiny.”
Algieri may be in for a rude awakening as Pacquiao believes his strengths—speed and power—are there, just like the old days.