Former WBO light welterweight champ Chris Algieri has won the respect of fight fans not for his recent loss against elite fighter Manny Pacquiao but for his ability to withstand massive attack during his 12-round encounter against Pacquiao last weekend.
With 20 career wins leading up to his title fight against Pacquiao in Macau, China, Algieri is miles apart against the veteran eight-division world champion, who has a career record of 64 pro fights. In his statement after the fight, Pacquiao said that Algieri still lacks experience in the ring as he dominated the fight for a convincing unanimous decision. “It?s too much, too soon for him,” said Pacquiao, who seems to have showed pity on Algieri after knocking his down at least six times in the lopsided fight. Experience seems to be the the best teacher for Pacquiao as he prepares for his fourth straight win since his KO loss to Marquez against a tough opponent early next year. ?The way he moved and fought, he was inexperienced,? Pacquiao added. Despite his first career loss, Algieri has great and promising career ahead of him as he looks back to his rich experience with Pacquiao. In his 20 pro fights, Algieri had only one major or nigh-level title fight before facing Pacquiao in the ring. This was against Ruslan Provodnikov, who dropped him twice but survived the distance to win via a split decision. It would now be easier for Algieri to land another major fight or even a title fight against elite fighters in his division for a prize that will be worth more than $1 million, a far cry from his $100 thousand prize he got for the Provodnikov fight.
On top of his would-be promising boxing career, Algieri icould be on his way also to a promising career in Hollywood because of his good looks. The fact that he rubbed elbows with popular stars, Silvester Stallone, Mike Tyson and Eva Longoria, among others, during his training camp in Las Vegas prior to his Nov. 22 date with Pacquiao, Algieri for sure will be noticed by enterprising filmmakers to capitalize on his soaring popularity. He could also land lucrative commercial endorsement jobs because of his name recall which got a boost when he made it to the entertainment and sports headlines in his buildup to the Pacquiao fight. Algieri’s potential as a rising boxer and potential movie star is for him or his manager to explore. As popularity ratings rise and fall depending on his media exposure, timing is very important for his manager and publicist to take advantage of his soaring popularity. If done right, Algieri will be on his way to super stardom.
