Introduction
As fans we know sports are unpredictable, yet we spend countless hours defending, discussing, and arguing our points about how we believe the future will go. On Saturday night all the hours of “Manny will score the knockout” and “Chris Algieri couldn’t punch his way out of a wet paper bag” and “Manny Pacquiao is not Ruslan Provodnikov” will be put to rest. Chris Algieri will get his chance to live out a real life Rocky tale, while Manny Pacquiao will look to add another young and prime feather to his collection. On Sunday, things that seem impossible today could be glaringly obvious. We’ve seen it happen before with both fighters. For Algieri, it was the time he walked out of a lion’s den. For Pacquiao, it was defeating giants. Saturday is that impossible opportunity for Algieri. For Pacquiao, it’s another fight.
The Fight
Algieri entered his fight against Ruslan Provodnikov as a sacrificial lamb. It wasn’t that Algieri had done anything special to earn his shot against the WBO junior welterweight champion, instead it was that he was the only guy who’d been up for the challenge. Provodnikov had just beaten Mike Alvarado to a pulp and few wanted to take the risk that Provodnikov posed. Except Algieri. When Alfieri’s credentials were read, many scoffed. Algieri stood as the underdog whose face was prettier than his boxing record. Surely this former kick boxer who’d never fought outside of his native New York was in way over his head… but he did have an undefeated record and could move some tickets in the area. As the fight approached the criticism of Algieri’s selection as Provodnikov’s next meal died down. Fans accepted Algieri once statements were made by other junior welterweights. The general sentiment seemed to be that Algieri was the best we were going to get before we started bringing Mexican legends out of retirement. Anyone who looked closely into this Algieri would have seen the writing on the wall. Algieri was exactly the kind of fighter that you’d choose to beat Provodnikov. A guy that would never resort to fighting Provodnikov’s fire with fire of his own. Rather, Algieri was a disciplined tactician that would punish Provodnikov each time he made a mistake. On the night of the fight, Algieri did exactly what was projected. He beat Ruslan Provodnikov and with the shrinking pool of Top Rank opponents he was selected as Manny Pacquiao’s November opponent.
The Catchweight
Part of the official fight details includes a 144 lb. catchweight. Pacquiao is no stranger to catchweights. He last fought at a catchweight in 2011. It was also for 144 lbs. against archenemy Juan Manuel Marquez. Other catchweight opponents for the Filipino star include his encounters with Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. All signs indicate that Pacquiao has had no trouble dropping down to the contracted weight. Algieri will be coming up from 140, though he’s officially weighed as high as 143 1/2 pounds as recently as July of 2013.
The Tale of the Tape
| Manny Pacquiao | vs. | Chris Algieri |
| 56(38)-5-2 | RECORD | 20(8)-0 |
| 35 | AGE | 30 |
| 145.4 lbs. | LAST 5 AVG WEIGHT | 142.1 lbs. |
| 5’6 1/2” | HEIGHT | 5’10” |
| 23” | REACH | 22” |
| Filipino | ETHNICITY | American |
| General Santos City, Philippines | HOMETOWN | Huntington, NY |
| 3(0)-2 | LAST 5 | 5(1)-0 |
| 22 | # OF TITLE FIGHTS | 1 |
| 17(8)-3-2 | RECORD IN TITLE FIGHTS | 1(0)-0 |
The Fighters
Chris Algieri
Born and raised in Huntington, New York, Chris Algieri is 30 years old. If you’ve seen the 24/7 episode, you likely know that Algieri lives in his parents basement. Algieri began his professional combat career as a kickboxer. He amassed a 20-0 record that included a couple of world titles before moving onto boxing. Algieri also has a Bachelors and Masters degree to add to his accolades, which also include wrestling and martial arts.
Manny Pacquiao
Chris Algieri isn’t the only one who can multi-task. Manny Pacquiao is the 35-year-old boxepolitician/basketball head coach/point guard/snooker expert/fatheweight loss motivator and family man who remains one of the premier fighters in all of boxing. His story is now legend. He began as a minimumweight who kept rocks in his pocket to make weight and now sits atop the boxing world as one of the biggest stars in the sport.
The Interesting Bits
- Algieri held titles at 147 and 154 pounds as a kick boxer. Can you guess which other former world champion held a kickboxing title before becoming a professional prizefighter?
- This will be the 19th pay-per-view that Manny Pacquiao has headlined.
- Despite being 30 years old, Algieri isn’t a fighter with a lot of miles on him. He didn’t turn pro until he was 24 years old.
- After losing to Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya was tasked with choosing his next opponent for a mega fight. His first choice was Ricky Hatton. Hatton was offered the fight and rejected because he would not have enough time to get in shape for the fight. The other two options were Miguel Cotto (if he got past Antonio Margarito) and Manny Pacquiao. De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao was signed with an undercard that featured Juan Manuel Lopez, Victor Ortiz, Danny Jacobs, Danny Garcia, and the can man himself Adrien Broner.
- Prior to Algieri facing Ruslan Provodnikov, Robert Garcia had picked Chris Algieri to pull off the upset. While some laughed at the pick, Garcia had seen Algieri live and in person when Algieri spent a couple of weeks in two separate camps training with Garcia. Algieri was able to spar both Brandon Rios and Marcos Maidana during his time there giving Garcia a good sense for how he would do against Provodnikov.
- When Pacquiao moved up to super featherweight to face Mexican legend Erik Morales we first learned of Manny’s love of his Cleto Reyes gloves. In this fight Manny’s then promoter negotiated quickly with Morales’ camp in order to secure the fight (and payday.) In the negotiation, he accepted whatever gloves Morales wanted. Morales’ preference was Winning Gloves. Winning Gloves are sometimes nicknamed as pillows because of the extra protection they offer to fighters with less durable hands. That would be the last time Pacquiao would taste defeat for a long time. Morales would consistently beat the one-dimensional Pacquiao to the punch, while taking everything the southpaw could throw at him. Pacquiao was very upset. He claimed he didn’t want to use the Winning gloves and if he fought Morales again with his gloves, he’d surely knock him out. Morales, perhaps laughing, said okay let’s do it again. We’ll use your type of gloves and I’ll beat you again. Morales would regret that. In the 2nd round of their 2nd fight, Pacquiao sent Morales flying across the ring with only the ropes keeping him from landing in the 3rd row. Again, in the 6th the referee would hold him up from being knocked down officially. The end would come in the 10th when the fight was stopped. Pacquiao was right. The rubber match would ultimately be a bring-your-own-gloves match with Pacquiao in his beloved Reyes’ and Morales in his pillows. Pacquiao would put him away much quicker in the finale.
- Algieri got his start as a boxer due to the lack of quality kickboxing sparring partners. Most guys he found to spar with were boxers. As Algieri held his own against them, trainers began to compliment Algieri on his skill. As he improved as a boxer it became a logical step for him to transition from kickboxing to boxing.
- It's unlikely that Algieri is looking past Manny Pacquiao, but he once stated that his dream fight would be Amir Khan.
- Algieri’s ultimate goal is two-fold. One is to win a world title—which he’s accomplished—and the other is to become a doctor. Should Algieri beat Pacquiao, it might be time to consider giving him a doctorate in boxing.
- Algieri’s preferred emphasis when he becomes a doctor is cardiology. He’s said he’d like to be a ringside physician in the future. It’s one way to get easy access to all the best fights.
- Algieri, being 50% Argentine, is fluent in Spanish. (The other 50% is Italian.)
The Trainers
Manny Pacquiao - Freddie Roach
The tale of Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach’s legendary collaboration is as much a story of fate as any great love story. Pacquiao was a twice beaten, wild, and a gifted offensive fighter without any defense to show for it when his manager brought him to America. He brought Pacquiao specifically to the Wild Card Boxing Club in West Hollywood, California on a mission to find Pacquiao a proper trainer. Freddie Roach agreed to work out Pacquiao and after 1 round of mitt work, Roach said, “this kid can fight.” That’s where it all began. They officially began in the ring as a late fill in against IBF super featherweight Lehlo Ledwaba. Pacquiao, unknown to the American public, would devastate Ledwaba. Ledwaba would taste the canvas, suffer a broken nose, and ultimately finish the fight on his back. Roach is 54 and a former prizefighter himself. He was an all-action, blood and guts featherweight who became known for his ability to absorb punishment. Roach trained under Eddie Futch, a legend in his own regard, and cites Futch as the source of much of his own success as a trainer. As a trainer, Roach has amassed one of the deepest talent pools in all of boxing. He currently trains WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, lineal and WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, former WBO junior welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov, Zou Shiming, Antonio DeMarco, Lucian Bute, Ik Yang, rising prospect Frankie Gomez as well as a slew of other young fighters. If you follow the NBA, the best comparison for a Roach fighter would be the 2007 Phoenix Suns. Roach, like Mike D’Antoni, is an offensive mastermind. His fighters are often dazzling and destructive in the ring. To cover up defensive flaws, Roach creates more offense and attacking to hide his fighter’s flaws. Most notably you can see this with Amir Khan. Until Khan faced Danny Garcia, Khan looked unstoppable and like the defensive lapses that led to his first knockout loss were erased. Post-Roach, Khan looks vulnerable and always on the verge of something terrible happening if he isn’t allowed to smother his opponent.
Chris Algieri - Tim Lane & Keith Trimble
Algieri’s association with Tim Lane began 13 years ago. Algieri started as a sparring partner for Lane, who fought his way off the streets and into a more stable life. Keith Trimble was Lane’s trainer who began working with Algieri in his final fights as a professional kick boxer. Trimble and Lane are the two-headed monster behind Algieri, but because Algieri is still relatively unknown, they're a monster we still haven't seen in full light. Saturday the lights will go on and we’ll see if they are a terrifying duo of martial arts wisdom and discipline or a monster with a visible zipper. What do know from watching Algieri in the ring is that they have an intelligent fighter who uses his natural advantages to be successful. Algieri still has flaws, like his tendency to square up and fight when he should box behind his jab, but thus far the duo have guided Algieri to success. Saturday should reveal a lot about them. If they were an NBA coach, we’d compare them to Steve Kerr. Kerr is off to a hot start with his first gig as a coach. He’s got his team playing tremendous defense with a very potent brand of offense, but it’s still far too early to tell just how good of a coach he is.
Purses
Official purses have yet to be released, though Bob Arum has stated that Manny Pacquiao is earning a minimum of $20 million dollars for Saturday’s fight. For Algieri, the rumored amount is $1.5 million with upside for pay-per-view. In the same interview that Arum stated that Pacquiao would be earning $20 million, he stated that Algieri’s camp in general would earn $2.75 million.
Compubox
- The 474 total landed punches by Manny Pacquiao on Antonio Margarito ranks 11th as the most punches landed all-time in a fight tracked by Compubox.
- Pacquiao lands 34% of his total punches. His opponents land 25%. Landing one in four punches may seem like a lot, but it’s good enough to be rated the 11th most elusive fighter in all of boxing.
- Pacquiao ranks 4th as the most accurate power puncher in the sport.
- Sorry for the lack of Compubox info, but they've put up a paywall for their stats.
The Odds
| Fighter | Bovada | Bet365 | GamblersPalace | SkyBet |
| Manny Pacquiao | -750 | -1000 | -800 | -1200 |
| Chris Algieri | +475 | +600 | +575 | +650 |
For a comparison of where Algieri ranks amongst previous opponents, here are Pacquiao's last 4 opponents:
- Marquez III +500
- Rios +300
- Marquez IV +225
- Bradley II +182
If you're unfamiliar with a Vegas money line, what this means is that if you were betting $100, you'd win the amount above. So if you bet Marquez to win outright in their fourth encounter, Vegas would have paid you $225.
On the reverse, if you are betting a favorite, or if you were betting on Pacquiao beating Algieri outright, you'd have to bet 700 dollars on Bovada to win 100 dollars.
Another note is that Algieri was anywhere from +375 to +575 heading into his match with Ruslan Provodnikov.
Your Best Bet There’s very little value in any bet other than Algieri by decision. Its unlikely Algieri can stop Manny Pacquiao, let alone score some miraculous one-punch knockout. It's a safe bet and should yield a solid payout for very little risk.
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ESPN3 Starts at 1:00 PM pacific
This is the final press conference and final time Bradley and Pacquiao will see each other before the weigh-in. This will be the last time to talk about hungerness, agreesiveness, and killer instinct.
1:05 we start.
Arum talks about how promoters talk about competitive matches all the time and most of the time they're lying. The only way to know if a fight is competitive is to go out to the sports book and look at the betting. He says the line is under 2 to 1 with Manny being the favorite. It's a competitive match, as is the Martinez-Cotto fight in June. The odds on that one are also 2 to 1. He says Alvarado and Marquez is around 2 to 1. (lol, that's bullshit)
He says don't listen to the promoters, look at the sportsbook if you want to see which fights are competitive.
He clowns Richard Stern about hanging the wrong posters for the fights. (Referencing the Mayweather-Maidana signs and billboards everywhere at MGM)
Richard Stern is reading some pre-made up speech. Manny in the corner of the screen looks fucking bored, maybe he's focusing on understanding what this guy is saying. Maybe he's eager to go play a 2 on 2 hoops game. Him and buboy vs Pacman and Shane Mosley's monkey.
Richard Stern has a terrific head of hair. That shit is dense. It looks like a faded Brillo pad.
Arum puts on some spiffy glasses thanking Tecate and mentions a mail-in rebate. Buy a pack of tecate and get 25 bucks off the fight. Also thanks Smart Communications of the Philippines. And lastly, thanks Playstation and ps4. Arum joking about playstation, saying he had no clue what it was but they taught him how to play and that it was actually kind of fun.
Introducing the new chairman of the Nevada State Athletic, a long name. The last two were Francisco Aguilar. He says after 3 weeks of basketball, it's time to get ready for a real sport. lol. He kept it short and disappeared. Arum's build up for him was longer than his speech.
Arum talking about HBO now. Says it's by far and wide the leading, premium network in the US if not the world. It's 5 times the size of any other premium network from the standpoint of reach and from the standpoint of revenue. It's revenue last year was close to $2 billion dollars (or Manny's tax debt), no other premium network earned as much as $500 million dollars. Not only is it the most successful, but it brings the public the greatest in entertainment. We all know the sopranos and sex in the city, game of thrones, true detective (great show), silicon valley, veep, on an on. The best is on HBO... Every single star in boxing was made on HBO. He goes down the list, Leonard, Hagler, Foreman, Tyson, Cotto, Martinez, Pacquiao, Mayweather, Marquez, Bradley, Golovkin, and Kovalev.
And don't forget, on May 31st in Macau (which is vying to become the new big center in boxing) there will be an incredible program of 3 featherweight championship fights including Donaire and Simpawe (which will be on HBO in the afternoon on delay) along with Groves and Froch. (NOT BAD!)
HBO, whatever you chirpers are talking about, there is no question HBO stands for quality at the highest level, in particular the PPV department.
Mark something takes the mic from HBO. "Thank you Bob, i'll see you all Saturday night." He tries to walk off. Comes back. He says Bob covered everything. He talks about the next 8 weeks of fights. He says Pacquiao-Bradley is the best fight of the first half of the year (can't argue with that.)
This guy is just reading from a paper, I got no time for that. I like when dudes shoot straight.
After this fight, Manny will be one of only 2 to generate over $700 million in pay-per-view revenue.
He reminds us about 24/7 Thursday night. Friday from 6-9 on HBO, there's a program block for the weigh-in, the face off, all 3 episodes of 24/7 and a replay of the weigh-in. Then there's a replay again at midnight on espn2, and during the day on Saturday.
Then on 7-830 on HBO latino will air the untelevised undercard before the main card begins on PPV.
Arum welcomes the president of the WBO. Francisco Paco Valcarso (Arum struggled with his name, lol)
This guy has no speech written. He shakes Manny's hand. He talks about the first fight and finally the rematch. He's thanking people. He assures everyone they will watch the fight of the year.
Arum acknowledges the presence of Zou Shiming in the audience, the pride of China, 2 time gold medalist. He says the TV ratings for his fights dwarf anything he's seen. Around $40 million watching. He says Shimings wife is voicing a weekly 2 hour program in China about boxing. Sounds really cool, I wish we could get that here. It sounds like it's gonna be half archive/history and half backstory of fights.
Arum introduces the Pacquiao camp. He calls to the microphone govern Chave Sing Sun??? Arum tells him you're a governer you gotta speak. This guy doesn't know why he's at the microphone, he actually said that. He's wearing the Bret Hart sunglasses. He leaves the mic. Now it's Freddie Roach's turn.
Roach says Cotto helped, they worked as a team together. Manny is in great shape and 100% ready.
Arum back to the podium, puts the specs on and introduces team Bradley.
He welcomes to the microphone 'Fasha', a rapper who made a song for Bradley. Arum jokes that this is the new Top Rank and they're now in the rap business. LOL, Arum fucked his name up. His name is Fashawn and he in turn fucked Arum's name up calling him Ay-rum. Fashawn hopes people likes the record and hopes it matches the intensity of Bradley. He says everyone should get it, turns to Manny and says you too many, you should get it.
He now introduces Bradley's trainer, Joel Diaz. Diaz makes some noise about recruiting, says they're ready and will see everyone Saturday.
Arum thanking Bill Clinton for his kind words on the Jimmy Kimmel show and says maybe Manny will endorse Manny.
Manny comes to the mic and says this is boxing and no politics. He thanks everyone he's supposed to thank. He says everything is all set, both camps are almost finished with training and are ready for Saturday. I think on Saturday it's gonna be a good fight, you never know, only god knows what's it gonna be. But both fighters are doing our best to do our job in the ring to make you guys happy and give a good fight. This fight is very important to me and my boxing career. Of course, my opponent also is very important. It's going to be a very very good fight on Saturday, don't miss it. All the fans who can't come to watch it live, just buy pay-per-view. He thanks all the fans and Filipino people.
Arum back to the mic. The champeen, Tim Bradley has come a long way since he faced Manny Pacquiao, Arum says. Bradley to the stage in sunglasses.
Bradley starts by thanking God. Then his team and his wife. He thanks everyone he's supposed to as well. He talks about his room and the fact that it has stairs, which he's never experienced before in a hotel room. He thanks Pacquiao and his team for giving him another shot and chance to prove to everyone that he's the true champion and a true fighter. He says he's excited for the challenge and for the opportunity.
Bradley steps back and asks Arum if he said all the right things. Arum says why would you ask me that. Arum jokes to Bradley about saying why isn't the guy who's picture is all over the building is going going to fight someone real. Bradley laughs and said I'm not gonna say that, you can say that. Arum going in on MGM about their advertising of fight with 12 to 1 odds. He takes a shot at Showtime well that's why one company makes a billion dollars and the other hustles to pay their debts. He also says nobody on the undercard had to pay to get themselves on the card, unlike some other networks and companies. He says it's an old tactic but doesn't go with HBO and Top Rank.
Arum says if anything he said offended, he's an old guy and he apologizes.
Time for the face-off. They're moving the podium out of the way. Well, trying. Having some trouble moving it. Manny is helping them. What the hell is this shit. The tecate and Top Rank girls pose together in the center. oh boy, these tecate girls, with the exception of 1 look like 4 random girls they got off the street. Bradley and Pacquiao take center stage. They pose with their trainers. Pictures are being snapped away.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (49-0, 26 KOs) is the biggest boxer of this generation. “Money” has proven time and time again to be one of the few draws in a sport that finds itself struggling to gain traction among new viewers. Floyd Mayweather vs Marcos Maidana fight: time, undercard, betting odds, stats, facts and other info behind Las Vegas showdown Floyd Mayweather fights Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas on Saturday night For example, if either Floyd Mayweather or Marcos Maidana fail to meet the contracted weight of 147 lbs., there is a chance that bookmakers will swing the betting odds in either man's favor. Floyd "Money" Mayweather is a perfect 45-0 over the course of his professional career, and is a -1000 betting favorite to improve to 46-0 against Marcos Rene "El Chino" Maidana this Saturday. Mayweather vs Maidana Betting Odds Posted on April 28, 2014 by Noah Williams Anytime there’s a big boxing bout, it catches the attention of everyone, and the Mayweather vs. Maidana betting odds are the next item up for grabs in Las Vegas (and online) sportsbooks.
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