No KO but who cares?

MACAU – WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao failed to knock out Chris Algieri in retaining his crown by a unanimous 12-round decision at the Cotai Arena here last Sunday but it didn’t really matter to his legion of fans that he hasn’t scored a stoppage in nine fights or since Miguel Cotto was halted in 2009.

Algieri took six trips to the canvas in the lopsided fight where judge Michael Pernick saw it a shutout 120-102. It was one of Pacquiao’s most dominant performances ever. Decision victims who were blanked by at least one judge in Pacquiao’s fight history included Sugar Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Joshua Clottey and Oscar Larios. So now, Algieri has joined the Hall of Shame.

Pacquiao was absolutely masterful in trouncing Algieri whose pre-fight boasts of outsmarting, outpunching and outworking the Filipino turned out to be a lot of hot air. Algieri didn’t come to fight. He came to survive and take his money to the bank. From the onset, Algieri was on the race track, the tassles in his boots swaying with every step he took to keep a safe distance away. He was scared of getting knocked out, it showed in his eyes. He was intimidated and had too much respect for Pacquiao’s power.

Pacquiao floored Algieri once in the second, twice in the sixth, twice in the ninth and once in the 10th but couldn’t finish off the 5-10 stylist. Pacquiao gave chase at the start then adjusted his strategy to stand in the middle of the ring, inviting Algieri to show some pride. That switch opened opportunities for Pacquiao to land some heavy bombs, resulting in knockdowns. Pacquiao’s conditioning was evident as he sustained a frenetic pace up to the final bell. He never got tired, he never gasped for air, he never eased the pressure.

Once, Pacquiao glanced at referee Geno Rodriguez wondering when he would stop the fight as Algieri clearly had no chance of winning the one-sided contest. Pacquiao also glanced at referee Laurence Cole when Margarito looked in no condition to continue late in their 2010 bout. Rodriguez never stepped in to halt the carnage because Algieri wouldn’t stay down for good and kept throwing even if not landing. If Algieri showed heart in surviving two knockdowns to beat Ruslan Provodnikov on points, this time, he displayed guts in repeatedly beating the 10-count.

Pacquiao’s win was a total team effort. Pacquiao did his part in executing the fight plan, blasting Algieri with a barrage of punches from all angles. Freddie Roach did his part in guiding Pacquiao throughout the bout, making adjustments and readjustments. Justin Fortune also deserved credit for getting Pacquiao in sharp form. Cutman Miguel Diaz had little to do but his presence was invaluable as was his experience of over 40 years in the business. Buboy Fernandez completed the lineup and contributed to the win by constantly reminding Pacquiao to watch for Algieri’s left uppercut and right straight combination. Since Pacquiao fights for the Filipino nation, it wasn’t just his victory, it was the entire country’s.

Algieri had no antidote for Pacquiao’s speed and power. His skill level was inferior to Pacquiao’s by a mile. Algieri’s left jab was supposed to be his best weapon but he couldn’t throw it consistently for fear that Pacquiao would counter it with an overhand right or a left straight moving laterally. Algieri’s inexperience was also a major handicap.

At the end of the fight, Pacquiao had a slightly reddened bruise on his left temple and a scratch under his left eye. The damage was caused by Algieri’s right hand, not a left jab. Once, Algieri jarred Pacquiao with a right straight to the cheek as he came forward. Pacquiao left himself open for a counter right as he swung his right. That reminded him to be a little more careful. You could count with one hand how many clean connections Algieri had.

Referee Geno Rodriguez wasn’t kept busy as both fighters went about their business without fouls. Pacquiao complained of a few low blows but as soon as Algieri was reprimanded, he immediately apologized. There was no intent to foul. Their heads hardly clashed because Algieri wouldn’t oblige to engage. All the damage was done with fists.

Pacquiao exposed Algieri for what he really is – an average fighter with little power.  Ironically, he displayed guts in refusing to lose by knockout but fought scared from the opening bell. It’s not a crime to be frightened or intimidated.  In boxing, it only becomes a crime when a fighter refuses to fight because he’s scared – that’s shortchanging the fans who pay good money to watch a battle, not a dance recital.

Pacquiao’s showing puts him back as a serious contender in the Mayweather sweepstakes with his third straight win after those back-to-back losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez. He promised a convincing victory and delivered. Algieri was badly beaten and promoters will take a long, hard look at what the New Yorker can really bring to the table as a crowd drawer before bringing him back in the ring.

At 35, the world is beginning to open up again for Pacquiao who crushed Algieri so severely that everyone’s excitedly talking about how he’ll put the first stain on Floyd Mayweather’s record if and when their rumored trilogy unwraps in May next year, possibly in Las Vegas. Pacquiao looked like he was 10 years younger in the ring last Sunday. That could be good or bad news for those hoping for a Mayweather showdown. Good because Pacquiao now looms as a dangerous threat to Mayweather, making for a highly marketable fight. Bad because Mayweather may continue to duck the Filipino, knowing he’ll be a formidable opponent in an extremely competitive encounter.