Pacquiao, Vargas meet face to face in final press conference

Former multi-division world champion Manny Pacquiao and WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas faced off at the final press conference before their PPV showdown on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas

Manny Pacquiao: I thought I wouldn’t see you again, but now I’m here to continue my journey and all I can say for this fight is I respect Vargas and his team, how dedicated they are. I feel what he’s feeling right now because I’ve been there when I was 27 years old, 28 years old, and how hungry I was. What I’m thinking when I prepared for this fight was I have to make sure I’m in condition, work hard even though I’m working in the office. It’s not easy being a senator working in the office and being a boxer while you’re training. It’s hard, but it’s a good thing when you are happy and enjoying it.

Jessie Vargas: I had a great training camp. This has been my best to date. I’m very happy with my team, they’re bringing out the best in me. I said before my last fight and we’re planning on outdoing that performance. We’re looking stronger, faster, we’ve over-exceeded every aspect in training when it comes to speed, power, intelligence in the ring, ring savvy. We have a strong hook, we have a strong right, either way. If he wants to sneak over to the right we’ll catch him there, if he wants to sneak over to the left we’ll get him there. So we’re ready. I can’t be any more ready than this.

(Report from fightnews.com)

Knockout loss to Vargas will send Pacquiao to retirement

NEW YORK CITY -- Manny Pacquiao "might be forced to retire" in prizefighting if he loses by knockout in his 12-round title fight against WBO 147-lb titlist Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas on Nov 5.
But owing to his not-so-impressive knockout percentage, oddsmakers are giving Vargas a 50--50 chance to win by KO when he defends his title against the former seven-division titlist at the Thomas & Mack Center, according to writer Jefrey Celiz.
In fact, Vargas has been installed as underdog in the first defense of the title he collected via TKO in March this year.
Taller by four inches and younger by 11 years, Vargas managed to secure only one stoppage victory in his last 12 fights.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, hasn't won by knockout since he scored an 11th round TKO against Miguel Angel Cotto in 2009 also for WBO welterweight fight.
His 12-round unanimous decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2, 2015 was viewed by analysts as "the signs of the times" and calls for his retirement reverberated after he claimed he had concealed an arm injury prior to the multi-million bout.

BORING

"Normally, boxing aficionados might think this fight is going to be boring since both fighters have not been so explosive in their previous fights, but fans might be surprised to see that both fighters will be aiming for a knockout win," observed Jeff Randall, a boxing analyst from New York.
Randall said since Vargas is the defending champion, he might press the action and wait for the Filipino senator to commit a mistake and unload his bombs.
Vargas has put to sleep 10 of his 27 victims. His last fight ended with a spectacular 9th round TKO over Sadam Alim to claim the vacant WBO title in Washington, D.C. on March 5, 2016.
The only blot in his record was a unanimous decision defeat to Timothy Bradley for the interim WBO welterweight belt in Carson, California on June 27, 2015.
In September 2008, Vargas won his pro debut against the undefeated Joel Gonzalez by first round KO.

KISSED

Vargas got attention when, during a fight against Trenton Titsworth,  he was kissed on the neck and responded by hitting Titsworth during the break. Titsworth was deducted two points, Vargas one.
In his 12th fight, the Las Vegas-based Vargas knocked out a former IBO light welterweight champion Daniel Sarmiento of Argentina. The bout was the main event of FSN's Fight Night Club. In his next fight Vargas won an eight-round unanimous decision against Mexican Ramón Montaño on the undercard of Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana.
In terms of experience and quality of opponents, Vargas pales in comparison to Pacquiao, who has knocked out 38 of his 58 customers, including a brutal two-round disposal of the feared Ricky Hatton for the IBO lightweight diadem in Las Vegas on May 2009.

KO remains elusive for Pacquiao

By Alex P. Vidal

As expected, Manny Pacquiao walked past unbeaten WBO light welterweight champion Chris Algieri, but failed to score the knockout demanded by his fans since November 2009, winning by a lopsided decision after 12 rounds to keep his WBO welterweight crown at the Cotai Arena inside the Venetian Resort in Macao, China on Sunday.

Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) scored a tension-filled unanimous decision over Algieri (20-1, 8 KOs), who was downed six times and became the seventh man to finish the distance with Pacquiao since March 13, 2010 when Pacquiao beat  Joshua Clottey by 12-round unanimous decision in Arlington, Texas.

Pacquiao, 35, stalked Algieri, 30, the whole fight, as Algieri used his footwork to backpedal and box from outside.

Algieri slipped in round two but referee Genaro Rodriquez credited it as a knockdown for Pacquiao.

Algieri never threatened Pacquiao, who patiently waited to land a solid combination in a hope to nail the elusive knockout victory.  

SOUTHPAW

The Filipino southpaw scored two more knockdowns in round six. Pacquiao floored Algieri two more times in round nine and Algieri, fighting for the first time outside New York, barely survived.

Algieri went down for the sixth time at the end of round ten.

Pacquiao’s last KO was against Miguel Angel Cotto on November 14, 2009.

Freddie Roach had predicted a first round stoppage win for his ward, who is now a playing coach in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Bob Arum negotiates for Pacquiao’s next fight eight against Ruslan Provodnikov or Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Juan Manuel Marquez is one of the names being floated as Pacquiao’s next foe. If the fight happens, it will be their fifth meeting.

BRIEF PRE-FIGHT ANALYSIS: What to expect when Pacquiao and Algieri throw punches

By Alex P. Vidal

--Pacquiao is left-handed. He throws a jab with his right and makes a follow up straight with his left.

--Algieri is orthodox or right-handed. He throws a jab with a left and makes a follow up straight with his right.

--Pacquiao will attack and tries to get nearer Algieri most of the time so he can connect with solid combinations.

--Algieri will try to stop Pacquiao in his tracks by using his reach advantage and sprays Pacquiao with a two-punch (jab-straight) combination.

--Pacquiao, being the shorter, will go in front of Algieri.

--Algieri will use lateral movements (footwork) and steps side by side to avoid a frontal assault.

FINISHING TOUCHES:

--Pacquiao will use a left hook most of the time to catch the taller Algieri. A left hook will come after a set-up right jab. The fight could end with a single shot (left hook). If the impact is not so strong, Pacquiao can make another follow-up left hook or right uppercut. Pacquiao could finish off Algieri in any round with a two-punch combination.

--In order to knock out Pacquiao, Algieri must be able to connect at least five unanswered blows which is a remote possibility considering that Pacquiao moves quickly and can evade Algieri's dragnet after being hit with two unanswered punches.

--To beat Pacquiao, Algieri must start piling up points in the first phase (rounds 1 to 6) of the bout and sustain it in the last six rounds. That is granting that Algieri will survive Pacquiao's juggernaut in the first four rounds which is expected to be violent and bloody.

--Normally it should be Pacquiao, given his vast edge in experience, quality of opponents plus speed and force, who should win by either KO or TKO. If he fails to flatten Algieri past seven rounds, the fight can go to the judges' scorecards.

--Normally it should be Algieri, because of his height and reach advantage and perhaps stamina, who should win on points if Pacquiao can't connect the much-ballyhooed haymakers. If Algieri will run most of the time and forget that the fight will be decided on the scorecards thus he fails to land crisp punches that would convince the judges, Algieri will lose by unanimous decision.

Warning to Pacquiao: Algieri ain’t heavy and he’s not your brother

“The first thing I learned in boxing is to not get hit. That's the art of boxing. Execute your opponent without getting hit. In sports school, we were putting our hands behind our backs and having to defend ourselves with our shoulders, by rolling, by moving round the ring, moving out feet.” Wladimir Klitschko

By Alex P. Vidal

WE were surprised to find out that Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) was heavier than Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs) during the official weigh in a day before their 12-round battle for the WBO welterweight title in Macao on November 22.
Pacquiao was 143.8; Algieri 143.6. 

If the opponent is not heavy and moves like a rabbit, he can be a difficult target.

A moving object is always hard to hit.

If the moving vehicle with a full tank does not carry heavy passengers, its speed is like a bullet in the Ventura highway.  

Even if they will dispute the WBO 147-lb title in a 144 lbs or “catch weight”, we always expected Pacquiao’s opponent to be heavier.

Antonio Margarito, one of the two other tallest trees in Pacquiao’s forest at five feet and 11 inches, weighed 150 pounds as against Pacquiao’s 144.5 pounds when they disputed the WBC light middleweight crown in Arlington, Texas on Nov. 13, 2010.

Oscar De La Hoya, the other giant opponent at five feet and 11 and a half inches, weighed 145 pounds as against Pacquiao’s 142 pounds when they battled for the IBO light welterweight tiara in Las Vegas on December 6, 2008.

Another tall customer, Brandon Rios, weighed 146.5 pounds as against Pacquiao’s 145 pounds when they rumbled for the WBO international welterweight bauble in Macao on Nov. 24, 2013.

Timothy Bradley was 145.5 pounds while Pacquiao was 145 pounds when they fought in a rematch for WBO welterweight championship in Las Vegas on April 12, 2014.

FIGHT DAY

During fight day, their weights are always expected to balloon as they immediately fill up their empty stomachs with juice drinks and heavy meals to replenish the body.

We expect Pacquiao and Algieri to weight between 147 to 149 pounds before the bell rings.

In any weight category, the heavier boxer is the slower.

No one is giving Algieri the benefit of the doubt to score a one-punch knockout against the Filipino KO artist owing to his not-so-impressive ring ledger.

But the lighter Algieri, standing five feet and 10 inches, will be a difficult moving target.

Computer statistics of his previous bouts revealed Algieri’s work rate increases as the fight moves on to the final stanza.

The volume of Algieri’s punches, as the bout progresses, should not be taken for granted.

Experts consider the New Yorker as “a very intelligent fighter” who has channeled his brains to prizefighting.

An intelligent fighter knows what is best and what is dangerous for him.

DANGEROUS

It is dangerous for Algieri to engage Pacquiao in a slugfest.

It is best for him to weave and bob, sidestep when trapped in the corner, use Ali’s rope a dope tactic, and utilize a lot of lateral movements.

With a longer reach and legs, he can survive and live another day until 12 rounds if he can avoid Pacquiao’s early kamizake-like assault which includes a left hook and right uppercut.

“Knowing he doesn't have one-punch power, Algieri smartly has utilized incredible volume and lateral movement to forge his undefeated record,” reported the Compubox.

“In winning the title from Provodnikov, Algieri averaged 82.8 punches per round to Provodnikov's 64.7 and his jab was particularly busy (47.2 thrown, nearly twice the 24.7 junior welterweight norm) and effective (9.2 connects per round was nearly twice the 140-pound average).

HEART

“Despite his Basilio-esque swelling Algeri never lost heart and the result were wide gaps in connects across the board (288-205 overall, 111-41 jabs, 177-164 power; 29%-26% overall, 20%-12% jabs, 41%-38% power).”

Pacquiao will have lot of running to do to cut the ring and catch the tall rabbit for his first KO win after eight fights (six wins by decision and two losses).

The memory of the 6^th round KO lost to nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez is still very much in his mind, thus Pacquiao, 35, can’t afford to underestimate Algieri, 30, even if the American was able to score only eight stoppages in 20 victories.

Algieri will have a lot of adjustments to make since he will be fighting a lefty who can disarrange a bull’s set of teeth with a single punch.

He is prepared to ride in a bicycle and use his footwork diligently to avoid losing a single tooth.

Referee Genaro Rodriguez probably has prepared to run around for 12 rounds as we expect the clash to finish the full route with Pacquiao winning by unanimous decision.

Algieri sent to Macao to be massacred

“Boxing is not about your feelings. It's about performance.” Manny Pacquiao

By Alex P. Vidal

In terms of style and skills, Chris Algieri, 30, pales in comparison to Manny Pacquiao, 35.

Experience wise, the difference is like an automobile and a pushcart.

Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs) joined prizefighting at 23 while Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) has been boxing as a pro since 15.

He was an amateur boxer at 9 in Gen. Santos City.

Algieri, five feet and 10 inches, has a KO of 40 percent while Pacquiao, five feet and six inches, tots a KO of 60.32 percent.

Judging from his record, Algieri does not possess a one-punch KO power.

Pacquiao has demolished more than a dozen fighters with a single blow.

Because of his longer reach, Algieri is expected to use a two-fisted assault (jab-straight combination) to prevent brawler Pacquiao from penetrating his breadbasket when they clash for the 12-round WBO welterweight title at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort in Macao on November 22.

TACTIC

The same tactic Algieri used when he survived two knockdowns in the first round en route to escaping with a 12-round split decision against Ruslan Provodnikov (23-3, 16 KOs) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on July 14, 2014.

Criticized for his failure to score a knockout since 2009, Pacquiao knows he badly needs a stoppage victory in Macao to convince his fans he isn’t yet over the hill.

Top Rank’s Bob Arum picked the unbeaten but inexperienced Algieri to make sure Pacquiao will satisfy the bloodthirsty fight fans.

But Team Algieri thinks the big break is more than a blessing in disguise for the previously unknown former world kickboxing champion.

Algieri himself believes his come-from-behind win against Provodnikov was not a fluke.

ENDING

He foresees Pacquiao’s ending in the 10^th canto on a technical knockout (TKO).

But Algieri’s record does not indicate he can easily eat alive fighters of Pacquiao’s caliber.

All his eight KO victims were either patsies or dishwashers. No big names; all small fries: Ken Dunham (TKO3), Rakeem Carter (TKO4), Clarence Smith (TKO1), Eric Rodriguez (TKO3), Julias Edmonds (TKO4), Winston Mathis (TKO3), Wilfredo Acuna (TKO7).

Pacquiao, on the other hand, has demolished some of the most destructive fighters in the world en route to collecting eight world crowns in eight different divisions.

Tall fighters like Algieri are actually Pacquiao’s favorite hitting targets.

The hard-hitting Filipino superstar can stop an opponent with a body attack. 

He is trained to assault even a dinosaur and an elephant in the square jungle.

The congressman from Mindanao also loves to rumble against opponents who move forward and engage him in waterfront brawl.

AVOID

Algieri will avoid this type of war, of course.

As the defending champion, Algieri is expected to make a lot of lateral movements and will not press the fight.

Pacquiao will be coming out like a house on fire in the first three stanzas.

The longer the fight develops, the more that Pacquiao becomes dangerous.

At the back of his mind, only a knockout win will redeem his name after six victories, all by decision, interrupted only by a split decision defeat to Timothy Bradley on June 9, 2012 and an embarrassing 6^th round KO loss to Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8, 2012.

A mistake by Algieri in the first three rounds could end the fight by a quick knockout once Pacquiao is able to connect with a left hook, the same punch that sent Algieri to the canvas for a mandatory eight count in the first round against Provodnikov.

Algieri was sent to Macao to be massacred. 

Pacquiao needs a samurai to bring down Bradley

Pacquiao needs a samurai 

to bring down Bradley

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see."

Winston Churchill

By Alex P. Vidal

Manny Pacquiao's fiery eleventh hour assault against Timothy "The Desert Storm" Bradley in their first meeting on June 9, 2012, failed to convince judges Duane Ford and C.J. Ross, who scandalously awarded the WBO 147-lb title to the unbeaten black fighter from Palm Springs, California via 12-round split decision.

Both judges scored an identical 115-113 for Bradley to obscure Jerry Roth's 115-113 in favor of the eight-time world champion, who plans to run for senator in the Philippines in 2016. In the eyes of both the experts and fans, Pacquiao was the clear winner. 

Pacquiao (55-5, 38 KOs) got tired of chasing the elusive Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs) and "lost" in the last three rounds. Both ended the 12th and final round throwing wild punches.

I was at ringside at the MGM Grand from start until the 10th round. I hurriedly left my assigned seat (Floor "G" Row "F" #18) before the 11th round. By 11th and 12th stanzas, I was watching the fight inside the media center and saw a lopsided duel with Pacquiao landing most of the haymakers. I wanted to be the first to get the official scorecards transmitted immediately to the media center.

WINNER

To my horror, Bradley, 30, was declared the winner by split decision. I pulled the first piece of paper that came out from the copier machine and downloaded it on my Facebook account. Thousands of "friends" shared it as the world exploded in outrage over the "highway robbery."

Fans had expected a come-from-behind KO win for Pacquiao in the first Bradley duel but were ready to accept a decision when Pacquiao could not nail the lucky punch. But not a bum decision. They crucified the two judges, not Bradley.

Although Pacquiao, 35, has not scored a stoppage win since Nov. 14, 2009 when he snatched Miguel Angel Cotto's WBO welterweight belt via 12th round TKO, he is no stranger to late round knockout victories. Pacquiao retired Oscar De La Hoya in 8th; halted David Diaz in 9th; demolished Jorge Solis in 8th; TKO'd Erik Morales in 10th in their rematch; stopped Marco Antonio Barrera in 11th; put away Nedal Hussein in 10th. They were some of his fiercest battles en route to become a ring legend.

BACK-TO-BACK

In their rematch on April 12, Bradley seeks to become the first fighter to score a back-to-back victory over the famed Pacquiao. His confidence boosted after rolling past Ruslan Provonikov (23-2, 16 KOs) and Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7, 40 KOs), Bradley increased muscles and posed for photographers in apparent copycat of Marquez, who did the same trick prior to knocking out Pacquiao in 6th last December 8, 2012.

The message Team Bradley wanted to impart was: "I'm willing to engage Pacquiao in a brawl and I won't run away." This could be meant to confuse Team Pacquiao which expects Bradley to again dance and avoid a head-on collision.

Nobody survived with Pacquiao in a phone-booth brawl except Marquez, whose one-punch demolition of Pacquiao was considered as a "lucky punch". In order to beat Pacquiao, Morales, in their first meeting on March 19, 2005 also in MGM Grand, sprayed the Filipino superstar with blinding and dizzying jabs and confused him with consistent lateral movements from start to finish.

EXPOSED

No boxer has been very much exposed in Las Vegas than Pacquiao in as far as styles and weaknesses are concerned. Even those who have been vanquished have studied Pacquiao, but only a few of them have been given the privilege to face him again in a rematch and a trilogy.

Like in his previous bouts, Pacquiao is again under pressure to satisfy bloodthirsty fans with a knockout win. But given Bradley's mental and physical preparations, it looks like the Filipino congressman will need to bring a samurai or revolver to fulfill this difficult mission assigned to him by fans baying for Bradley's flesh and blood. 

Bradley's camp is aware of the danger their ward faces once the reigning WBO welterweight champion makes a mistake of forcing a KO win against the durable Pacquiao only because Bradley now looks like Incredible Hulk. Team Bradley is also aware that finishing the full route against Pacquiao is already half winning the bout -- with or without "cooperation" of the judges.