MACAU – What are the chances of Chris Algieri pulling off the biggest upset of his career against Manny Pacquiao this Sunday?
As far as Freddie Roach is concerned, Algieri has none.
Roach sat down with reporters here Friday and fielded some questions, including whether it’s possible that Algieri will knock out Pacquiao as the American’s camp earlier predicted.
“I don't think so. With the power he has? Come on. There will be no stoppage,” said the multi-awarded trainer, who earlier declared Algieri won’t last a round against Pacquiao.
Roach even brushed off the possibility of Algieri slugging it out with Pacquiao in hopes of stopping the Filipino icon.
“I expect him to try to outbox us,” he said, adding they’re ready for that.
“We're gonna try and make it exciting. We're gonna cut the ring off. We're gonna set traps. We're well prepared for that. We're not gonna make this a boring fight,” Roach continued.
Algieri is not known for having heavy hands, with only eight of his 20 wins coming by way of knockout. But he said he’s willing to slug it out with Pacquiao if needed.
But can he put Pacquiao down for good?
"No," Roach said with a chuckle, although his mood quickly changed when the knockout question came up again in the session.
"No chance. He doesn't have punching power. Give me a break. Have you seen him fight? He can't punch," said an irked Roach, obviously fed up with the question.