MANILA, Philippines – Chris Algieri says Manny Pacquiao’s southpaw stance would be the least of his worries when they lock horns on Sunday.
Greg Logan of newsday.com spoke to Algieri about how many orthodox fighters often have trouble matching up with left-handed opponents, but the undefeated American stressed he’s not among those.
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"Most guys avoid southpaws, but I didn't have that option because of the way I came up," the New York-based Algieri, a former kickboxer, explained.
“My pro debut was with a lefty. My second pro fight was a lefty. I think we've fought seven already. It's never been an issue," added Algieri, who once described himself as a “master boxer.”
The 5-foot-10 Algieri takes on the biggest fight of his career against Pacquiao at the Cotai Arena of The Venetian Macao, and he’s confident he has studied every aspect of the Filipino’s fighting style.
Getting in the ring with Pacquiao is always a tough task given the fighting congressman’s awkward southpaw stance, which combined with his speed and power will complicate matters for any opponent.
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Algieri’s trainer Tim Lane, for his part, insisted that his ward knows how to deal with boxers like Pacquiao.
"The first hard sparring killer he ever had in front of him was me. He had to make adjustments against a lefty. I'm not as fast as Manny, but he's always done better against lefties. He understands lefty-ism,” Lane noted.
"It's like driving in England. If you've never driven on the left side of the road, what are you going to do? But if you're over there a bunch of times, you know how to do it. Chris is very well-versed in fighting lefties," the trainer added. – Dino Maragay