Manny Pacquiao determined to deliver a KO of Chris Algieri

With a return to his older training methods, Manny Pacquiao is punching harder than ever, says his trainer, Freddi Roach. Chris Hyde / Getty Images

MACAU // A rejuvenated Manny Pacquiao will look to make short work of Chris Algieri on Sunday to defend his World Boxing Organisation welterweight championship belt and raise his chances of a showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Few believe the eight-weight world champion, oozing confidence and surrounded by a 300-plus entourage in Macau, will be seriously troubled by Algieri.

“Algieri will be overwhelmed by Manny’s speed straight away,” Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said.

“Manny deep down really wants to win by a knockout.”

His 30-year-old American opponent, unbeaten in 20 career fights, is a capable and likeable former kick-boxer from Long Island with a master’s degree and an ambition to be a doctor.

In June, he got up from the canvas twice in the first round to shock Russia’s formidable light-welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov and take the WBO belt on a split decision.

Now he says he wants to pull off a major upset and possibly end the career of the Filipino hero and congressman.

“Manny’s going to be put to sleep, go home and then retire,” Algieri’s trainer Tim Lane said yesterday.

The last man to make such a bold prediction was another American, Brandon Rios, at the same venue a year ago. Rios was then destroyed by Pacquiao.

Pacquiao, who once described Algieri as an “OK” fighter, is dismissive of his challenger.

“I know my opponent is excited to win, but I won’t let that happen,” he said at the Venetian Macau venue. “He’s got a good jab, a good left hand,” Roach said of Algieri.

“But once we take that away he’ll be lost. Manny’s been exploding on me with the counter-punch. He’s punching really hard.”

Pacquiao, whose record stands 56-5-2, with 38 knockouts, had a mixed build-up, during which he made his professional basketball debut in the Philippines league last month.

But he says his intense training camp has helped him regain the aggression and power that put away world-class adversaries such as Oscar De La Hoya, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton and Shane Mosley.

“Manny wanted to go back to the old workouts with more heavy bags, more strength, less mitts,” Roach said. “He’s punching a lot harder, I feel, and his punch rate has gone up.”

Only by stopping Algieri will Pacquiao prove the fearsome “fighter of the decade” in the 2000s is back, two weeks before his 36th birthday.

If he does, a potential US$1 billion (Dh367bn) mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr may become closer to reality next year.

The fight is another example of Macau’s growth as a rival to Las Vegas for major boxing matches.

The card is expected to start 6am UAE time with Pacquiao and Algieri entering the ring 8am.

Mayweather doubtful, Garcia next for Pacman, says Roach

Trainer Freddie Roach played down hopes of a Manny Pacquiao showdown with Mayweather and said unbeaten two-belt world champion Danny Garcia could be next for “Pacman” after he fights Algieri.

The drop to light welterweight (63.6kg) would be a further blow to prospects of a US$1 billion (Dh367bn) mega-fight with the unbeaten Mayweather, whose last three contests have been at light middleweight (70kg).

Roach instead is targeting the impressive Garcia (29-0, 17 knockouts) who holds both the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association belts at light welterweight.

“I’ve been waiting three-and-a-half years for this fight,” Pacquiao’s trainer said of a Mayweather bout. “I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

He said promoter Bob Arum says “it might happen, but can they deliver Mayweather? I don’t think so. If it was going to happen I think it would have happened by now.”

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