?I promise you, I’ve never seen Manny Pacquiao tell me what he told me: one round. He’s not going to repeat it, but he said it. I feel great about this fight.?
“Ok CUT! That was perfect. Lets get another camera angle here and adjust the lighting… Freddie we’re just gonna get a typical straight-up, no bullsh*t statement from you on Chris Algieri and this fight, and we’re outta here.”
Freddie starts grinning in his director-styled chair and nods his head in approval, while adjusting his glasses with a finger.
“Ok guys here it is… Freddie Roach, Take #2… “ACTION!”
?I?m not a big Algieri fan. Good kid, speaks well, has ?Rocky? on his side ? but it?s a very good fight for Manny.?
“CUT! Perfect! Damn Freddie…”
T@z
*** *** *** *** *** ***
Though half a world away, “HOLLYWOOD” never really leaves Roach. Casting aside my own hyperbolic, cinematic austerity; and its fitting that those very real remarks came from Freddie via Lance Pugmire with the Los Angeles Times, on location in Macao, China.
Roach, while overseeing a laser sharp workout Pacquiao conducted in preparation for unbeaten super lightweight world champion Chris Algieri at the Venetian Hotel in Macao, sees an apex predator on a gazelle this Saturday night on HBO pay-per-view. And from my imaginary seat alongside him at ringside – so do I.
Pride is usually the longest distance between two people in conflict, but that gap gets closed in a boxing ring, where someone will be forced to swallow it. Through my lenses I can tell you that I think this will be Chris Algieri. The good thing about this is (since I know how health conscious Chris is) to do this will be calorie free.
The original “Rocky”, Sylvester Stallone, was recently photographed with Algieri and offered his support after witnessing his courageous display against the “Siberian Rocky”, Ruslan Provodnikov. The fight itself was pure cinema, and had the feel of a reverse ‘Rocky’ movie as you watched it unfold.
Imagine Apollo Creed as a brawling, one-dimensional slugger in Provodnikov; and Rocky as a cerebral, upper-class practitioner of the sweet science in a very classical way. If it had really gone according to script, Provodnikov would’ve won the fight (as Creed did- and as I felt, Provodnikov did) and would be facing Pacquiao this weekend.
It would’ve made perfect sense, and probably should’ve happened anyway. I mean, as Apollo Creed himself said after getting the razor-thin win over Rocky in their first bout:
“I won – but I didn’t beat him.” [re: Manny Pacquiao vs. Ruslan Provodnikov: Red Flags]
PACQUIAO VS. ALGIERI: DIRECTOR’S CUT
I thought that Provodnikov and Algieri should’ve had an immediate rematch (and I believe they will fight again), but then again, it also would’ve removed Pacquiao from such a favorable match-up stylistically.
When I watched the fight live between Algieri and Provodnikov, it reminded me of the original fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez that launched a series. The Pacquiao assault on Marquez in the first round was so severe, that its effects lasted a few rounds, masking the work Marquez was doing on Pacquiao, while still basking in the excitement of what Manny did in the beginning.
It probably made it easier for fans scoring from home to just give Pacquiao rounds based on what he did to open the fight, and the way Marquez looked. It was obvious, to me, that I was guilty of the same thing when I re-watched the fight.
Chris showed incredible poise, moxie, and a lot of focus after being ran roughshod over by Provo. He kept dealing him the business in boxing terms, despite a grotesquely swollen right eye. But since he was such an unheralded unknown, no one was paying attention to what he was doing to pull even.
Marquez was obviously on the mind of Team Algieri, as evidenced by photographs which captured the presence of secret synthetic steriod designer Memo “Angel” Heredia in his camp. While I believe comparisons to Algieri vs. Provodnikov and Pacquiao vs Marquez I does have merit, there is absolutely no comparison between Marquez and Algieri, and even less of a comparison between Pacquiao and Provodnikov.
In a primer Marquez, we’re probably talking about the perfect fighter from a technically proficient standpoint, a fighter with tremendous power and quick hand-speed, one of history’s best counter-punchers ever, an all-time great, and a fighter with the perfect mental and physical dimensions to deal with Pacquiao.
He was Tunney to Dempsey, LaMotta to Robinson, Frazier to Ali, Hearns to Leonard, Holyfield to Tyson, or Pacquiao to Mayweather (seriously). In other words, the perfect nemesis for another all-time great.
None of this applies to Algieri.
His commitment, his drive, his passion… Anyone who buries themselves in his parents basement at age 30, while sacrificing so much (I saw no evidence of a woman down there) to become and overcome a legend, has to be considered a threat. His conditioning, knowledge and level of fitness – is world class elite. He is mentally as tough as they come.
And to his credit – he thinks of himself in legendary terms, but I think he’s going to take a legendary beating. Many are making the mistake of believing his boxing skills are such that he can get a clear points win over Pacquiao.
This is ridiculous.
?He?s a boy ? very confident. I?m not worried?. It?s different, I think I?m the smarter guy.? Pacquiao
When the bell rings, the world will witness the vast difference between an all-time great “A” fighters and a world class “B” boxer. Pacquiao will not chase Algieri around the ring at all. Instead, his feet and rhythmic movements will allow Pacquiao to divide the ring into fractions and make Algeiri feel claustrophobic in there.
His dimensions, speed, combination punching and sheer sharpness will shock Algieri. There is nothing he’s faced in training camp, an egg with avocado he’s eaten, or any concoction dialed up by Tim Lane that can prepare him for an opponent that will make him feel like he’s fighting in 3D.
Displaying the guts of a burglar while being mugged like an unsuspecting tourist, Chris Algieri will fight like hell and go down in the flames of round 10, after being gunned down by what will feel like a firing squad. He won’t win a round.
That said, strange things do happen and I could be wrong. I mean… Charles Manson, 80, was given a license to marry a 26 year-old woman. Sh*t happens. But if Algieri even goes the distance – let alone wins this fight – Manson will escape from prison, board a plane to the Philippines and murder Pacquiao in front of Congress.
That’s about as Hollywood as it gets.
