Fortune assures Manny victory in Macau bout

MANILA, Philippines - Strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune said yesterday he never predicts how a fight will end but made an exception in WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s title defense against unbeaten Chris Algieri in Macau on Nov. 23.

“I guarantee (that) Manny wins,” said Fortune, now working with Pacquiao in the gym in General Santos City. “I never predict how a fight will end but I can tell you Manny beats Algieri. How does Manny win? He fights his fight, he listens to Freddie (Roach), he stays sharp and that’s the end of it.”

Fortune, 48, brushed off the notion that Algieri’s speed will be a factor in the fight, the same way it was a factor when the challenger survived two knockdowns in the first round and a swollen-shut right eye to upset Ruslan Provodnikov last June. “Let’s face it, Provodnikov made Algieri look good, better than what he really is,” said Fortune. “Provodnikov stood in front of Algieri. He was in great shape for the fight but that’s not how you fight Algieri. Is Algieri’s speed a concern? We’ll soon find out. Manny’s quick, too. I don’t think Algieri’s quicker. Once Manny starts hitting Algieri, I’d like to see how quick Algieri runs.”

At the moment, Fortune said Pacquiao weighs about 148 pounds. The fight against Algieri is set at the catchweight of 144, three under the welterweight limit of 147. “Making weight has never been a problem with Manny because he’s always in shape,” he said. “When I came over, Manny was already in very good shape. That’s because he’s playing basketball or working out in the gym. He can fight at 140, 144 or 147, any weight he wants and he’ll be fine. From 144 to 147 is just three pounds. It won’t matter to Manny. If you’re talking about dropping down by six to 10 pounds, then it’ll matter. Manny will be fast either at 144 or 147. I don’t think anyone is faster than Manny at either weight, he’s certainly faster than (Floyd) Mayweather. There’s no fighter out there who’s faster in the welterweight division even if Manny might have slowed down a bit one or two notches. That’s just the way he is.”

Fortune said whether Pacquiao plays in Kia’s PBA debut on Oct. 19 or not is the champion’s call. “Manny’s his own man,” he said. “I heard Freddie doesn’t want him to play. That’s up to Freddie and Manny. I stay out of that. If I’m asked for my advice, I’ll say Manny’s smart not to take any risk. Maybe, he can play about 10 minutes if he wants to but he’s got to play smart. Manny knows what he’s doing, he’s been playing basketball and doing boxing for a long time. He knows he can’t afford to let his boxing suffer because of basketball. As for conditioning, there are lots of things that are common to both sports like doing cardio work, exercises for the feet and legs. My worry about basketball is accidents happen, you’ll never know if you get a sprain or some kind of injury.”

Fortune said he’s introducing new drills for Pacquiao. “We’re trying out new stuff but everything boils down to strength and speed,” he said. “The key is you don’t want boxers to get bored working out. Doing over 50 fights is a long grind and boxing can be boring after a while. You’ve got to make things interesting in the gym so you can find the edge to stay competitive and sharp. We’re doing plyometric and core workouts. Right now, Manny’s doing distance running. By the end of next week, he’ll start doing sprints.”

Asked about hitting Pacquiao’s ribs with sticks, Fortune said he’s reserving that for another fight, maybe against Mayweather. “There’s a reason and a method for it,” he said. “When you’re expecting a brutal and hard fight, I do that to toughen up a fighter. Not that I’m taking Algieri lightly. It’s just that I think Manny will be facing a different kind of opponent. For Mayweather, we might go back to the sticks.”

Fortune worked with Pacquiao for five years until 2007. They were together when Pacquiao stopped Erik Morales twice, Marco Antonio Barrera and Jorge Solis. A financial dispute with Roach ended the relationship. But last year, Pacquiao asked Fortune to return after Alex Ariza’s departure and back-to-back losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez. Fortune, however, couldn’t go to Macau for the Brandon Rios fight because of visa restrictions and Gavin McMillan took over on an interim basis. He was back in Pacquiao’s corner for the Bradley rematch in Las Vegas last April and it was like reliving the good, old times.

A former fighter himself, Fortune campaigned as a heavyweight and in 1995, lost to Lennox Lewis on a fourth round technical knockout in Dublin. He wound up his ring career with a record of 15-9-2, including 9 KOs. The Australian was once the Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation heavyweight champion. When he broke off from Roach, Fortune opened his own sweat shop in Los Angeles in 2008 and now runs a successful facility, a 15-minute drive away from the Wild Card Gym.

Muscleandfitness.com writer Eric Velasquez once quoted Pacquiao as crediting Fortune for improving his strength and conditioning. “It’s good to have Justin back,” said Pacquiao. “I feel very strong and my punches have an explosiveness to them that they have not had in a very long time.” Pacquiao has not stopped an opponent since halting Miguel Cotto in 2009. It’s been five years and eight fights ago that Pacquiao has scored a knockout.

At the moment, Las Vegas oddsmakers are quoting -$1,300 for Pacquiao and +$700 for Algieri, meaning a $1,300 bet on Pacquiao will earn only $100 while a $100 bet on Algieri will earn $700. The odds installed Pacquiao a 13-to-1 favorite.