By Edward Chaykovsky
Former WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri (20-1, 8 KOs) has promised to let his hands go and be aggressive when he faces British superstar Amir Khan (30-3, 19 KOs) on May 29th from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The fight headlines a Premier Boxing Champions card on Spike TV.
Last year Algieri upset the plans of Ruslan Provodnikov by winning a twelve round split decision to capture. Later that year, Algieri got the biggest opportunity of his career by landing a fight with WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. The WBO stripped him for moving up. Pacquiao dominated the fight, dropping him six times to win a very wide decision.
Against Khan, Algieri promised to show a different side to himself - one that will shock the viewers and Khan. Algieri is now working with coach John David Jackson.
"I think I have a huge advantage when it comes to a little bit of mystery," Algieri told New York Newsday. "A lot of people only saw my last two fights, and to tell you the truth, neither one of those fights defined me.
"The Ruslan fight, I had a damaged eye in the first round. I didn't really get to show my style. The Pacquiao fight wasn't my style. These guys don't really know who's going to show up. Now that I'm working with John David Jackson, there are things he's cultivating that we think are going to be pretty surprising."
"If I keep the jab pumping like when I'm at my best, the combinations will flow freely. I'm still being smart, but I'm definitely letting my hands go, pushing the pace. Aggression is going to be a big part of this fight."
