Marquez sees Pacquiao KO win over Algieri

MANILA, Philippines – If there’s one previous opponent who knows Manny Pacquiao from head to toe, it’s got to be Juan Manuel Marquez.

The Mexican star, who fought Pacquiao four times and even knocked the Filipino out cold in their last meeting, recently gave his thoughts on his rival’s upcoming fight with Chris Algieri.

Marquez is picking Pacquiao even as he gave Algieri a slim chance to pull an upset in their Nov 23 fight in Macau.

“He (Algieri) barely has a chance to win. Algieri is strong and he's durable. He has also 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,” he explained in a report by Salvador Rodriguez of boxingscene.com.  

So certain is Marquez that he even predicts a knockout win for Pacquiao.

“I believe that Pacquiao can win by knockout,” added Marquez, who has gone 1-2-1 (win-loss-draw) against the fighting congressman.

Pacquiao and Algieri will meet at the Cotai Arena of the posh Venetian Resort in Macau, with the Filipino icon an overwhelming favorite to emerge victorious.

But the undefeated Algieri (20-0, with 8 knockouts), a 16-1 underdog, is unfazed with the odds.

“That is fine by me. That is on paper. And on paper, I am not supposed to win,” the WBO light welterweight champion told Michael Woods of thesweetscience.com.

The New Yorker added that it’s too early to consider the betting odds.

“Championships are won on intangibles, not on paper. Not to mention we are three and a half months away. Those odds will tighten up as the world sees my hard work and dedication," Algieri ended.