Roach: Take out Algieri’s jab and it’s over

MACAU – Once Manny Pacquiao gets past Chris Algieri’s jab, it will be over for the American challenger.

Pacquiao’s chief trainer Freddie Roach believes the jab is Algieri’s bread and butter, and he’s confident the Filipino icon can neutralize it on Sunday at The Venetian Macao here.

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“If his (Algieri’s) jab doesn't work, I think he's gonna be lost after that,” Roach told reporters in a roundtable interview on Friday.

 “He's got a good jab, a good left hand. I think that is his best weapon and once we take that away, I feel he will be lost,” added the bespectacled trainer.

The taller Algieri is expected to box his way in hopes of frustrating Pacquiao, who is also at a disadvantage in reach.

Roach said he asked Pacquiao to take the day off, but the WBO welterweight champion insisted on hitting the gym again. On Friday, the fighting congressman spent another two hours working out in front of mediaman, displaying the same relaxed but fierce form that he’s been in all week.

“Manny's exploding on me. He punches really hard,” Roach continued, recalling their mitts session wherein not even a thick body protector could prevent him from feeling Pacquiao’s blows.

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It’s all system go for Pacquiao, who according to Roach would breeze past the official weigh-in on Saturday.

“He’s still at 141 pounds,” the cornerman noted. That’s still three pounds under the contracted limit of 144 pounds.

Team Pacquiao had done its homework, ready for whatever version of Algieri that will show up at the high-capacity Cotai Arena.

“We had sparring partners that came forward. We had sparring partners that run. We had sparring partners that did a little bit of both. We tried to cover all bases,” Roach explained.

“You never really know what to expect so we're ready for whatever he brings.”