Pacquiao: KO win means a lot

CEBU, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao understands the importance of knocking out Chris Algieri in their clash this Sunday in Macau.

Pacquiao arrived at The Venetian Macao Monday night with a huge entourage, and on Tuesday made his first appearance before the press and supporters who trooped to the posh hotel in Asia’s gambling capital.

The Filipino icon chatted with reporters before working out, saying he had to prepare harder given Algieri’s height and reach advantages.

More importantly, Pacquiao pointed out how a knockout win in Sunday’s fight could help boost his career, which has been hounded by questions of his declining skills and purported lack of hunger.

“It would mean a lot if the knockout comes,” Pacquiao told reporters as posted in Top Rank’s official Twitter account (@trboxing).

Freddie Roach badly wants a stoppage victory for his ward, saying Pacquiao only needs one round to knock Algieri out.

But the fighting congressman, for his part, thinks it’s a tough task.

"He showed his toughness. He showed his boxing skill," Pacquiao said, referring to Algieri’s duel with Ruslan Provodnikov last June.

In that fight, Algieri rose from two first-round knockdowns and, with a badly swollen right eye, outboxed the heavy-handed Russian to pull off an upset. He clinched the WBO light welterweight that night, and more notably positioned himself for a date with Pacquiao.

Since then, the unbeaten Algieri’s confidence is at an all-time high, believing he can fashion out a bigger upset against Pacquiao. The New Yorker possesses a significant edge in height, standing 5-foot-10 compared to the 5-foot-6 Pacquiao.

WBO welterweight champion acknowledged it on Tuesday

“This training camp is more intense. Because my opponent is taller than me,” Pacquiao said. Philippine STAR News Service (FREEMAN)