Thurman ‘di uubra kay Pacquiao--Algiere

MANILA, Philippines – Base sa kanyang karanasan, alam ni World Boxing Organization (WBO) international junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri na hindi uubra kay reigning WBA regular welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao si Keith Thurman sa kanilang duwelo sa Hulyo 20 (Hulyo 21 sa Maynila) sa MGM Grand Garden Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kabisado ni Algieri ang estilo ni Pacquiao – mabagsik na kamao at matikas na footwork.

“Honestly, I think Manny can win that fight. Yeah. Yeah. Manny’s incredible, for one. It’s amazing that he’s at the age that he’s at now and he’s still beating top fighters, he’s still willing to take these top fights,” ani Algieri sa panayam ng Bad Lefthook.

Naramdaman na ito ni Algieri matapos lumasap ng unanimous decision loss sa Pinoy champion noong 2014 sa Cotai Arena sa Macau.

At muling nakita ni Algieri ang bagsik ni Pacquiao dahil personal itong nanood sa Malaysia nang pulbusin ng eight-division world champion si Lucas Matthysse.

“I was live at the Matthysse fight in Malaysia, and I saw Manny and I was curious to see how — not how the fight was gonna go, I knew he was gonna win the fight — but how he was gonna react with someone who’s a real puncher,” ani Algieri.

Naniniwala si Algieri na nananatili ang bagsik ni Pacquiao sa kabila ng edad nitong 40-anyos.

Hindi pa rin nawawala ang kakaibang estilo nito na tunay na magiging mapaminsala kung hindi ito matatapatan ni Thurman.

“There was no problem pulling the trigger. His in-and-out was still there, his ability to see and to pull the trigger and to react, which usually goes first in the older guys, is still there. That makes him an incredibly dangerous fighter, even for the top welterweights now,” ani Algieri.

Mas matatangkad ang mga boksingero sa welterweight division kumpara kay Pacquiao subalit hindi ito nakikitang problema para kay Algieri.

“I just think size-wise he’s a little under-armed for some of these welterweights that are out there. But, yeah, I think I would — not only a boxing standpoint, but a nostalgic standpoint — I’d be in Manny’s corner for that fight,” aniya.