Malaki ang paniniwala ni four-division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez na hindi kaya ng Amerikanong si Chris Algieri ang bilis at lakas ng hahamuning si WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao kaya mapapatulog ito ng Pinoy boxer sa sagupaan sa Nobyembre 22 sa Venetian Resort & Casino sa Macau, China.
Apat na beses nilabanan ni Marquez si Pacquiao at nagtagumpay siya na talunin ang eight-division world champion sa 6th round knockout sa kanilang huling laban noong Disyembre 8, 2012 sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
“He barely has a chance to win. Algieri is strong and he’s durable. He has also has boxing ability, as he’s shown against Ruslan Provodnikov -but he doesn’t have the style to beat Pacquiao, who has great speed and power,” sinabi ni Marquez sa BoxingScene.com. “I believe that [Pacquiao] can win by knockout.”
Halos ganito rin ang paniniwala ni Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach hinggil kay Algieri na bagamat malinis ang rekord ay walang pampatulog ang mga kamao.
“Algieri is tall and is a boxer who has a good jab, but is nothing special. Pacquiao is going to have to press him a bit and will probably knock him out along the way,” ani Roach na sasanayin ang dating pound-for-pound king matapos ang press tour sa laban. “I am pushing for the training camp in General Santos City.” Gilbert Espeña
