In the days before his last fight — a stunning upset few in boxing saw coming — Chris Algieri worked his regular job as a personal trainer. At night, he went home to his parents’ house on Long Island, where he lives in the basement.
Unusual for a fighter, but Algieri is nothing if not an unusual fighter.
He has an advanced education, a martial arts background and looks that make the female fans smile. He also has a fight against Manny Pacquiao this month that, should he win, would make him not only one of the best stories in boxing, but one of the sport’s biggest names.
“He’s one of the greatest fighters that ever lived,” Algieri said about Pacquiao. “But I have the tools and talent to win this fight. I just have to go out there and be myself.”
Fresh off a training camp on the Las Vegas Strip, Algieri heads to China this week to fight Pacquiao on Nov. 22 in the gambling enclave of Macau. He will arrive with an undefeated record and holding a title, but oddsmakers make him a heavy underdog against the Filipino, who has long been one of the biggest attractions in boxing.
And he will do it largely unknown to all but the most avid of boxing fans.
“People seem to think I’ve come out of nowhere,” Algieri said on Tuesday. “I’ve been an underdog in a lot of fights, and this one is no different.”
What is different about this fight is that it is bigger than any Algieri has ever been in. He is going around the world to fight one of the world’s best fighters in a pay-per-view bout that, aside from a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr, is about as big as it gets.
There is little outside of his height advantage and a very good left jab that makes anyone think he will win. However, there is no one in his camp who does not think he is ready for both the moment and everything Pacquiao has to bring.
“Everything leading up to this fight has been a kind of dress rehearsal for the big show,” Algieri said. “But I guess we won’t really know until the 22nd.”
So far, at least, Algieri has outperformed expectations as he prepares for Pacquiao. His story as a college graduate who wants to become a doctor has resonated with fans, and he has embraced his turn in the spotlight.
Just do not buy the pay-per-view expecting to see the light-hitting (eight knockouts in 20 pro fights) Algieri getting in any unnecessary ring wars with Pacquiao in a bout that will be fought at a 144-pound (65.3kg) limit.
“It’s genetic, I’m tall for the weight class,” Algieri said. “I’m not built to go in there and stand in front of a man and trade bombs. Why would I do that when I’ve got length, I’ve got range, I’ve got speed and I’ve got footwork and defense?”
Algieri won his spot in the Pacquiao sweepstakes by getting off the canvas twice in the first round in June to narrowly outpoint Ruslan Provodnikov and win a piece of the 140-pound title. Algieri outboxed Provodnikov, using his jab to pile up points and win the decision on two of the three ringside scorecards.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB