Pacquiao on Algieri: He’s an ‘okay’ fighter

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao doesn’t see anything remarkable about Chris Algieri, his upcoming opponent for his Nov. 23 fight in Macau.

Speaking to reporters in a press conference at The Venetian Macao that served as the opening salvo of a two-week media tour to promote his fight with Algieri, Pacquiao acknowledged Algieri’s boxing skills.

The fighting congressman pointed out Algieri’s bout with Ruslan Provodnikov, which is widely credited as the New Yorker’s claim to fame and the sole reason for him landing a shot at Pacquiao.

“I saw his fight with Ruslan. He took a lot of bad punches from Ruslan but he’s tough,” said Pacquiao, referring to the June 14 fight that saw Algieri upsetting Provodnikov to take the WBO light welterweight title.

Algieri (20-0, with 8 knockouts) survived two first-round knockdowns to outbox Provodnikov en route to his career-defining win. But it’s far from impressive, according to Pacquiao.

“He can box. I’m not saying he’s really good but he’s not bad. He’s okay,” the Filipino icon continued.

The Macau presser is the first of the 12-day Pacquiao-Algieri media tour, which includes appearances in Shanghai, China, and San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York in the US.

While Pacquiao dismissed Algieri as an “okay” fighter, he’s wary of the American’s height advantage.

“The biggest challenge for me is to fight another tall guy. I have to use my speed and footwork for this fight,” said Pacquiao of the 5-foot-10 Algieri.

Pacquiao, who formalized his entry as a basketball player in the PBA as Kia Motors’ 11th pick in Sunday’s PBA Draft, is expected to spend the bulk of his training in the Philippines. He faces Algieri at the Cotai Arena of The Venetian Macao.