WBO junior welterweight champ Chris Algieri training in Las Vegas (Photo: Chris Robinson – www.HustleBoss.com)
By Chris Robinson
For the past few weeks, WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri has made the Palazzo in Las Vegas his training base ahead of his showdown later this month with Manny Pacquiao.
Algieri (20-0, 8 KO’s) will face off with the Filipino icon on the 22nd of this month from within the Venetian Resort in Macau, China in an HBO pay per view attraction that has thus far drawn its share of varying opinions.
For the 30-year old Algieri, he insists his focus is something that comes naturally amidst the hoopla of his biggest fight as a professional.
“I don’t have to try,” Algieri explained recently. “It comes. I feel the focus and intensity increasing and that’s just how it goes in training camp. A little more eyes on the prize. The training gets more focused. You have no choice.”
As is often the case, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach has been relatively unimpressed by the challenge of Algieri, insisting over and over that the sparring partners he has in his camp in General Santos City, Philippines are all better than the New York native.
Algieri played off Roach’s remarks when asked for his thoughts.
“He’s nervous,” Algieri explained. “Simple as that. He’s acting out of character because he’s nervous. That doesn’t stuff doesn’t affect me at all. I’m not that guy. It’s not going to work on me.”
In closing, Algieri was asked if his showdown with Manny will come down to a battle of will or skill.
“It’s going be both,” Algieri stated. “It’s going to be a stylistic challenge for both of us trying to asset ourselves and then it’s going to be a battle of wills to see who can get it and stick to it.”
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Chris Robinson can be reached at CRobinson@hustleboss.com