The world is going to witness Manny Pacquiao fight again this Saturday with a formidable competitor in Chris Algieri. The heavy favorite going into the match is Pacman, but many also say that The King of New York can't be underestimated in this fight.
True enough, Algieri had worked his way up in his boxing career to earn the right to fight with one of the best boxers in the world. His last match with Ruslan Provodnikov sealed it — it showed that the American boxer is the real deal. He won the fight with a split decision, but that wasn't the great story behind it. The 30-year-old fighter already dropped in the first round but withstood a swollen shut right eye throughout the fight, reported New York Daily News. Talk about determination.
That is why when Viva asked Algieri how he'll win this fight with Pacquiao, he had a different answer.
"They expect me to say, you know, my jab or my footwork, and I always say, 'My will to win and my ability to find a way to win," Algieri said.
He also shared that he is not surprised to be fighting Pacman since he has earned it.
"He is standing in the way of what I want," says Algieri. "I have to go through him, and he feels, I'm sure, the same way," Algieri added. "Manny is a master of start-and-stop and herky-jerky, offbeat (fighting). He's a rhythm fighter, so I just gotta go out there and set the pace and keep readjusting the rhythm."
What about Pacquiao, what will be his style in fighting Algieri?
"Because Chris is so much taller and has a longer reach, I will need to cut the distance between us so that I can effectively land shots to the body and connect with my combinations... I had to do the same thing when I fought Antonio Margarito," the Filipino boxer said.
Meanwhile, it can't be helped to ask Pacquiao about his super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Will it even happen at all? Pacman said he wants to and he will be sad if it doesn't happen.
"The fans want to see us fight, and for that reason I want that fight too," he said. "If he wants to fight in Las Vegas, that is fine with me. Random drug testing? I've been doing that for quite some time, so no problem. He wants to have the bigger purse? Fine with me."
The 35-year old fighter also said that he will have a "heavy heart but a clear conscience" if they do not fight. He is making it clear that he wants the fight to happen, as opposed to Mayweather's camp — they haven't made it clear if they want to get it on.
To watch the fight, be sure to tune into HBO's Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.
