Pacquiao vs. Algieri

Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2) vs. Chris Algieri (20-0)

Manny Pacquiao looks to defend his welterweight belt as he goes up against Chris Algieri on Saturday in China.

Every fight that Pacquiao goes into, there is a disappointment among the fans because he is not facing Floyd Mayweather. However, this matchup against Algieri could prove to be a great fight, as some of Algieri’s strengths could give Pacquiao some problems. Pacquiao is back on the winning track after avenging a previous loss to Timothy Bradley. In that April 12 fight, he was able to earn the unanimous decision. There were many questions whether Pacquiao would be able to bounce back from a devastating knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, but he has shown he is still the Manny Pacquiao of old. He will be going up against an up-and-comer in Algieri. In his last match, Algieri jumped onto the scene with a victory against Ruslan Provodnikov. No one expected him to get the victory, especially after getting knocked to the mat twice in the first round. However, he was relentless attacking Provodnikov the rest of the way to earn the split decision. At nearly four inches taller, he has the length that could make things very difficult for Pacquiao to get the victory, but in the end, PACQUIAO is just too good, and will prevail.

Pacquiao is back on track after losing those two consecutive fights, as he has gone 17-2 in his past 19 matches. Of his 56 career victories, 38 of them (68%) have been by way of knockout, with the other 18 by decision. In his rematch against Bradley, "Pac Man" was able to exact some revenge in large part because of a great start. Bradley did a good job of competing, but Pacquiao was in control of that fight from the very beginning. The Filipino fighter, who stands 5 feet, 6.5 inches with a 67" reach, was once known as a fighter who had the ability to end a fight at any given moment. However, he has lost some of his knockout power, and he has not won in that fashion since knocking out Miguel Cotto in 2009. In this sport, when it goes to the judges, it can be anybody’s guess. If Pacquiao allows Algieri have a chance to get the win by going the distance, he just may be in trouble.

Algieri has 20 victories in his career, with only eight of them coming by way of knockout, with the other 12 coming by decision. He started off his career by knocking people out, winning four of his first six fights in that fashion. At 5-foot-10, he has nearly four inches on Pacquiao, which should play a huge role in this fight. With Pacquiao not having the knockout power he once does, it has made it a lot tougher for him to win matches. With his advantage in length, Algieri could be able to keep him at bay, which should allow him to get more points. However, what Algieri has never experienced in his career is someone with the speed and quickness of Pacquiao. If he can avoid being shell-shocked in the first few rounds, then he could pull the stunning upset.