It's just two weeks away from Manny Pacquiao's fight against Chris Algieri, slated for Nov. 22 in Macau, China, and boxing fans already know which side they'd root for. Pacman is the obvious favorite, but referee Joe Cortez is not so confident that the Filipino boxer would come home the winner.
On the Ropes Boxing Radio interviewed referee Cortez and was asked his personal opinion about the fight. Cortez was honest and he said that Pacman will have a tough opponent in Algieri. He noted two key factors: Algieri's size and effective jabs.
"I think it will be a very difficult fight for Pacquiao. I think Pacquiao may not get through this kid. This kid is like 5'10" and he has great boxing skills, he has a long jab. He's gonna keep Pacquiao at a distance, Pacquiao is gonna try to come in and put him away. Pacquiao is gonna have his hands full," Cortez said.
Algieri is definitely bigger but there's one more factor going his way. Algieri is elusive, he has a style that makes it difficult for the opponent to hit him.
As Cortez described, "[He] stays so very active with a lot of combinations... he's gonna box him all night long and he's gonna win a decision."
But what about Pacquiao, what does Cortez think about him winning the bout? For Cortez, he admits that Pacquiao will have his punching power as his advantage. Nonetheless, he also said that punching power may not matter too much in this fight since Algieri has an elusive fighting style. Then again, boxing fans believe that Pacman's speed will be the deciding factor for him to take home the win.
Meanwhile, referee Cortez also gave his opinion about the rumored Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight.
He said, "If Pacquiao loses to Chris Algieri, it's gonna be hard for Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight next year because people are not gonna want to buy it."
To conclude, Cortez said that he wants Pacman to win simply because he wants to see the mega bout happen. However, he also points out the possibility of an upset for the Filipino boxer.
