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by Cliff Rold - It’s been awhile since a pay-per-view star has used the medium to face such an unfamiliar face. Maybe the last time was Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Sturm?
It’s been awhile.
Unlike Sturm, Chris Algieri is American, has been seen on US airwaves, and has been marketed hard to casual audiences where hardcore skeptics abound. There is also, unlike the case for De La Hoya, no looming superfight.
Oh, sure, there is always the tease of a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Boxing’s longest running set of blue balls shouldn’t be considered close to relief just because there is the latest rash of chatter. When the fight everyone wants is the one seemingly they can never have, this is where it ends up.
What Algieri could do is put a fork in the conversation. Can Chris Algieri play the same kind of spoiler role Sturm (almost) did a decade ago?
The biggest disparity in this fight for many will be in experience level. Pacquiao is a historically proven fighter coming off his best official win, the rematch victory over Bradley, since a 2009 win over Miguel Cotto. Algieri has come from prospect to contender to titlist just this year.
Algieri is a good fighter. We’ve seen that much. He nearly shut out Emanuel Taylor to start his 2014 campaign. The same Taylor gave Adrien Broner everything he could handle later in the year. There is still debate about the rightful winner of Algieri’s 140 lb. title win over Ruslan Provodnikov. This corner scored it 6-6, with a two point final edge to Provodnikov based on first round knockdowns.
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It’s been awhile.
Unlike Sturm, Chris Algieri is American, has been seen on US airwaves, and has been marketed hard to casual audiences where hardcore skeptics abound. There is also, unlike the case for De La Hoya, no looming superfight.
Oh, sure, there is always the tease of a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Boxing’s longest running set of blue balls shouldn’t be considered close to relief just because there is the latest rash of chatter. When the fight everyone wants is the one seemingly they can never have, this is where it ends up.
What Algieri could do is put a fork in the conversation. Can Chris Algieri play the same kind of spoiler role Sturm (almost) did a decade ago?
The biggest disparity in this fight for many will be in experience level. Pacquiao is a historically proven fighter coming off his best official win, the rematch victory over Bradley, since a 2009 win over Miguel Cotto. Algieri has come from prospect to contender to titlist just this year.
Algieri is a good fighter. We’ve seen that much. He nearly shut out Emanuel Taylor to start his 2014 campaign. The same Taylor gave Adrien Broner everything he could handle later in the year. There is still debate about the rightful winner of Algieri’s 140 lb. title win over Ruslan Provodnikov. This corner scored it 6-6, with a two point final edge to Provodnikov based on first round knockdowns.
[Click Here To Read More]
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