Manny Pacquiao achieved a points victory of extraordinary dimensions in Macau but not the first knock out in six years which he so mightily desired.
The six knock-downs he inflicted on a road-runner in reverse called Chris Algieri thrilled the packed south-east Asian crowd in the Cotai Arena but were not quite enough to finish off the American.
New York?s holder of degrees in medicine and nutrition looked after his health through 12 rounds spent going backwards so fast and so far that if they had taken out the ropes he would have backed himself into the car park of the Venetian casino.
Mere survival is not enough in a world title fight. So perhaps Algieri?s real achievement was that of preventing the PacMan from sending so far into oblivion that it may have frightened Floyd Mayweather from ever agreeing to the richest fight in ring history.
Team PacMan had considered carrying Algieri a few rounds so as not to look too devastating on television back in Mayweather?s home town of Las Vegas
As it transpired, Algieri did that job for him by being fit enough to run a marathon while facing the wrong way and – well, yes – brave enough to keep getting up every time Pacquiao bowled him over.
So when he was asked if him against Mayweather might finally happen, the PacMan was able to say: ?Yes, I want that fight and the fans deserve it.?
He praised Algieri for regaining a vertical position once in the second round, twice in the sixth, twice more in the eighth and once yet again in the ninth.
His fabled trainer Freddie Roach disagreed with that assessment, saying: ?All he did was run. He showed none of the guts that got him off the canvas to win his light-welter title against Ruslan Provodnikov.?
Algieri was stripped of that belt the second the first bell rang here, for accepting this catch-weight fight for Pacquiao?s world welterweight title.
Where he goes from here after a performance after trying to smother the life out of a major television event is anybody?s guess.
But Pacquiao is stil on course for a date with destiny and a large share of a potential one-billion dollars purse in Las Vegas, Money Mayweather agreeing.
Even though Algieri refused to join the party, Pacquiao was able to demonstrate that his punching power is almost regenerated to the level which destroyed our own Ricky Hatton in 2008.
The heaviest knock down was the first of the two in the sixth. Somehow Algeiri made it to the bell even though it could easily have been stopped then by the referee, his own corner?. or one more blow of that magnitude from Pacquiao.
Algieri hits the canvas after another pinpoint punch from Pacquiao Algieri hits the canvas after another pinpoint punch from Pacquiao
Algieri sits on the canvas after being put down by Pacquiao and takes the count from the referee Algieri sits on the canvas after being put down by Pacquiao and takes the count from the referee
Algieri gets to his knee as he takes the count from the referee in Macau Algieri gets to his knee as he takes the count from the referee in Macau
Reminded that he had questioned the power of the PacMan, he graciously conceded: ?He?s a great fighter. He does everything well.?
As for himself, he did so little that I concurred with the judge who gave Pacquiao every round, in addition to the knock-down deductions, on a 120-102 card. The two other judges scored it 119-103.
The crowd did not care either way. Inside the arena they squealed to the rafters every time Filipiino idol landed. Outside, the thousands waiting to see Pacquiao roared their approval.
And it was still lunchtime here as we all emerged into the sunshine of another PacMan victory.
Pacquiao entered the ring to the strains of ?We Will Rock You.? Once he had knelt to pray in a corner and announcer Michael Buffer had told us to get ready to rumble, the roars of ?Manny, Manny? filled the packed Coati Arena. Then began his pursuit of the American, who was clearly intent on back-pedaling behind his naturally longer jab.
