Macau – Chris Algieri is fighting a lost cause, Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach said on Friday.
Asked what would entail Algieri to win against Manny Pacquiao on Sunday at the Cotai Arena, the 54-year-old Roach motioned with his right hand to form a zero.
In the eyes of Roach, there is no way Pacquiao can bow down to the ambitious New Yorker.
“Zero (chance). He (Algieri) doesn’t belong in the same class as Manny,” said Roach, noting that while Ruslan Provodnikov lost to Algieri, it doesn’t follow that Algieri will do the same thing against Pacquiao.
“They’re (Pacquiao and Provodnikov) worlds apart (in skills),” said Roach, who also trains the Russian slugger.
Algieri, undefeated in 20 fights with eight knockouts, doesn’t even possess a decent punching power, something that he badly needs against the battle-tested and soon-to-be 36-year-old Pacquiao.
Roach said Pacquiao told him that he is determined to “bring back the old days.”
“He told me he wants to go back to the days when we were fighting (Lehlo) Ledwaba to show that he is still the best.”
Roach feels Pacquiao doesn’t have to tell him that as he could sense that nothing has changed since they first met each other one sunny day in Los Angeles in mid-2001.
“I can see he still has it. The focus, the (punching) power and the speed.”
To show that he still has the hunger and the competitive fire is still burning, Pacquiao showed up for training Friday afternoon.
“This is the first time we are training this close to a fight,” said Roach.
Roach initially thought they had their last workout Thursday but Pacquiao pleaded that they go at it again.
Told that Paquiao might burn himself out for crossing the line, Roach dismissed it.
“We’re okay,” said Roach.
“I will make sure he doesn’t leave everything in training camp.”
Besides, Pacquiao is already on weight and meeting the catch weight of 144 lbs is the least of their worries.
The official weigh in will be held at 8 a.m. and Pacquiao expects to be at 142 or 143 lbs and 145 to 146 when the bell rings.
Meanwhile, the third man on the ring for the Pacquiao-Algieri duel will be Geno Rodriguez of Illinois while the judges are Michael Pernick of Florida, Levi Martinez of New Mexico and Patrick Morley also of Illinois.