So, Chris Algieri, you beat his guy Ruslan Provodnikov on June 14, showing a lion’s heart enroute to getting the UD12 and winning the WBO junior welter crown. So what do you think of Provodnikov’s trainer, Freddie Roach, who also trains Manny Pacquiao, saying he thinks that some of Manny’s SPARRING PARTNERS are better quality fighters than you?
“OK, let him say that,” said Algieri (20-0 with 8 KOs) to me, from Las Vegas, where he’s knee deep in camp. “What’s the point trying to be made, exactly? I mean, that’s sparring. On fight night, I’m there to win, I’m no partner! I’m a competitor.”
I took it to mean that Dedham Freddie thinks Viktor Postol, especially, who is giving Manny looks in camp, along with Mike Jones and Stan Martyiniouk, is a top-grade pugilist. I communicated as much to Algieri, the 30-year-old Long Islander who today drew raves from promoter Bob Arum, for being a constant and effective media presence on mainstream outlets, like CNBC and such.
“There are plenty of talented fighters who never win championships,” Algieri said, in closing. “Champions arise from intangibles.”
Basically, put that in your pipe and smoke it, Dedham Freddie!
