Roach: Some of Pacquiao’s sparring partners are better than Algieri

10/23/2014 Rob Smith

At today’s press conference in the Philippines, Freddie Roach, the vocal trainer for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs), took the opportunity to point out that some of Pacquiao’s sparring partners are better than Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs), who Pacquiao will be fighting on November 22nd on HBO Championship Boxing from the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, in Macao S.A.R., China.

The sparring partners that Roach is likely referring to as being better than Algieri are Mike Jones and Viktor Postol. They are certainly good fighters, and it would be a toss-up if Algieri were to face either of these guys.

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Algieri wants to take Pacquiao’s place

10/21/201410/20/2014 Rob Smith

Unbeaten Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs) is hoping to beat the old lion WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) next month in their fight on November 22nd and take his place at the top of the boxing world. Pacquiao has showed signs of aging in his recent fights, and the taller and younger Algieri could be the guy to knock the soon to be 36-year-old Pacquiao of his throne.

Algieri would still need to beat Pacquiao in a likely rematch before he could move on to face guys like Floyd Mayweather Jr, Kell Brook, Amir Khan and Keith Thurman. Financially, a victory over Pacquiao will set Algieri up for life because it would enable him to get a bigger purse split in a rematch against Pacquiao.

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Golovkin defeats Rubio; Walters stops Donaire

10/19/201410/18/2014 Rob Smith

In a quick stoppage, WBA Super world middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (31-0, 28 KOs) obliterated a badly over-matched Marco Antonio Rubio (59-7-1, 51 KOs) by a 2nd round knockout tonight at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Golovkin knocked Rubio down with a scorching right uppercut to the head and then a left hook to the head that put Rubio on the canvas. Referee Jack Reiss stopped the fight at 1:19 of the 2nd round much to the disappointment of the sold out StubHub Center crowd.

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Arum expects Rubio to give Golovkin a tough time tonight

10/18/201410/18/2014 Rob Smith

(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is expecting #2 WBA Marcos Antonio Rubio (59-6-1, 51 KOs) to give World Boxing Association Super World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs) a tough time tonight when the two sluggers clash at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. The fight will be televised on regular HBO, and it should a good fight for as long as it lasts.

Arum thinks that most of Golovkin’s opponents come into the fights against him intimidated by his reputation, and that makes tougher to beat.

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Roach: Haymon won’t let his fighters face Pacquiao, he’s scared

10/17/201410/16/2014 Rob Smith

Freddie Roach, the trainer for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, says that high powered adviser/manager Al Haymon won’t let his fighters like Danny Garcia and Floyd Mayweather Jr fight Pacquiao because he’s scared of him. Roach doesn’t buy the excuses about the fighters and Haymon not liking Bob Arum of Top Rank. Roach thinks Haymon is basically afraid of the 35-year-old Pacquiao.

“Al Haymon will not fight Manny Pacquiao, guarantee that,” Roach said to Rappler.com. “Because they’re scared, all of them. His lead guy all the way down. It’s not going to happen. All of the excuses about they don’t like Bob Arum; it’s just excuses.”

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Algieri: I’m going to beat a legend [Pacquiao]

10/14/2014 Rob Smith

Undefeated light welterweight Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs) says he knows had the talent to defeat WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) for ages ever since he saw him fight Tim Bradley a couple of years ago. He saw the flaws in Pacquiao’s game even then, and obviously he hasn’t improved in the last two years since the first fight. Pacquiao has aged since the first fight with Bradley, and he’s now getting close to 36-years-old.

“I’m really in it and focused at the task at hand. I’m going out there to beat Manny Pacquiao and to beat a legend,” Algieri said via CBSSports.com. “That’s the only thing on my mind.”

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Pacquiao’s sparring partner doesn’t expect Algieri to be a tough fight

10/12/2014 Rob Smith

Sparring partner Stan Martyniouk doesn’t think World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) will have too many problems in his fight next month against unbeaten Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs) on November 22nd at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, in Macao S.A.R., China.

Martyniouk, one of four sparring partners that Pacquiao will be using to get ready for the 5’10” Algieri, thinks that Algieri will have a tough time with the speed and power of Pacquiao next month. Martyniouk says that he learned a lot from the sparring session with Pacquiao.

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Rubio will beat Golovkin by fighting smart, says Robert Garcia

10/11/2014 Rob Smith

WBC interim middleweight champion Marco Antonio Rubio (59-6-1, 51 KOs) is a big boxing underdog for his fight next Saturday night against WBA Super World Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs) on HBO from the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Rubio’s trainer Robert Garcia says he’s watched enough of the 32-year-old Golovkin’s past fights to know that he’s got flaws that Rubio can exploit on Saturday night.

Garcia says Golovkin can be hit due to his come forward style of fighting, and that’s something that the hard hitting Rubio can take advantage of with his power.

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Mayweather: Khan has Danny Garcia problems & Pacquiao has Marquez problems

10/10/2014 Rob Smith

WBA/WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr says the recent quotes coming from a British boxing site about him being interested in facing Amir Khan are total lies. Mayweather says he didn’t make those quotes, and he’s not sure who he plans on fighting next.

Mayweather says Khan still has unfinished business with WBA/WBC 140lb champion Danny Garcia, who knocked Khan out in the 4th round two years ago in July 2012. Khan never avenged the loss to Garcia, and he still hasn’t avenged his losses to Breidis Prescott and Lamont Peterson.

Mayweather also says that Manny Pacquiao still has unfinished business with Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao was knocked out cold by Marquez in the 6th round by him two years ago, and he still hasn’t fought Marquez since then to try and avenge the defeat. Marquez reportedly priced himself out of the November fight against Pacquiao by asking for too much money.

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Pacquiao/Algieri getting only one episode on HBO 24/7

10/10/2014 Rob Smith

The November 22nd fight between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Chris Algieri, which will be televised by HBO pay-per-view, is getting only one thirty minute 24/7 series on HBO on November 8th at 1:00 a.m. (ET/PT) following the World Championship Boxing match-up between 49-year-old grizzled veteran Bernard Hopkins and the younger 31-year-old Sergey Kovalev.

This is a huge departure for Pacquiao for what his fights have previously received by HBO, and it begs the question whether this will be a new trend or a one-time thing with HBO. Granted, the Pacquiao-Algieri fight isn’t exciting many boxing fans, and it’s pretty clear already that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum made a mistake in selecting Algieri instead of someone a little more marketable and more charismatic.

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