Pacquiao shows punching power, drops Algieri six times
WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri of the U.S. right, falls after he got a punch from WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines during their world welterweight title boxing match at the Venetian Macao in Macau, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014. Pacquiao got the big knockdowns he desperately craved, battering Algieri around the ring Sunday on his way to a decision win in a lopsided welterweight title fight. AP
MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao’s knockout drought may have to be extended for another year but his masterful handling of the taller Chris Algieri showed that his fists still pack explosives.
Pacquiao’s last stoppage was five years ago when he scored a TKO win over Miguel Cotto. Since then, skeptics have begun to question his punching power.
Article continues after this advertisementThe champion responded by dropping Algieri six times through 10 rounds of their 12-round fight, before the previously unbeaten American ran his way out of trouble in the final two rounds, and finally dragging Pacquiao to the score cards.
Algieri wouldn’t acknowledge Pacquiao’s power in a post-fight interview saying he got hurt just “once” when he laid flat on his back in the ninth round. That time, the referee seemed ready to stop the fight to save the American from further punishment.
“It’s not his punching power but his ability to mix his punches,” Algieri said. “He’s very good at being Manny Pacquiao. And Manny Pacquiao is a hell of a fighter.”
Article continues after this advertisement“He hurt me once when he buzzed me with a left hook but that was the only time,” Algieri said. He also insisted that two of the six times he tasted the canvas were “slips.”
To some, having decked an opponent more than once is enough testament to a boxer’s power.
Pacquiao said he saw an opportunity to go for the knockout in the ninth, but the lesson learned from his crushing loss to Juan Manuel Marquez stopped him from being careless.
“Tonight, I did my best. I’m satisfied with my performance,” said Pacquiao. “I’m trying to go for the knockout but I’m trying not to be overconfident.”
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