Manny Pacquiao was a (-900) favorite over Chris Algieri in their Welterweight clash last night in Macau, China so if you put out all that juice on the Pac-Man, you have to be a little bit relieved. After all, heading into the fight Algieri had handled the pressure and the hype with a ton of poise. Algieiri was a big (+525) underdog according to initial lines, but that number had come down considerably since the line opened.
Once the action started however, the wheels came off the Algieri band wagon. Algieri tried to counter fight and he wound up looking like he was running for much of the match. Pacquiao was relentless in coming in, and when he got hit he was unfazed. With Algieri unable to hurt him, Pac-man continued working relentlessly with punches from all angles, always pressing. Algieri got dropped twice in the 9th round, a portent of things to come. Pac-man dropped him a total of six times, and if the fight had been stopped, not even Algieiri’s corner would have protested too loudly. Algieri, who is known for his high work rate, was out worked from start to finish.
Up next for Pacquiao, let the hype for a Mayeather super-fight begin, again. As for Algieri, he comes out of the fight a marketable commodity and it will be interesting to see if he fights again quickly or sits back a bit and enjoys the payday.
WBO World Featherweight Champion Vasyl Lomachenko was methodical in beating Thailand’s Chonlataran Piriyapinyo over twelve rounds to retain his belt. Lomachenko, one of the most decorative amateur boxers in history, flashed his uncanny technique throughout the fight. He dropped the Thai fighter once, and he won every round. Lomachenko has been calling out Nicholas Walters for a unification fight, but Walters has other ideas as the Russian is now just (3-1) as a professional. Look for Lomachenko to get back into action ASAP as he continues on his fast track as a pro.
In the most competitive fight of the night, Jessie Vargas remained undefeated as he outpointed Antonio DeMarco in a fight that saw both men exchange punches in close throughout the fight. DeMarco appeared to hurt the bigger Vargas, and he cut him early in the fight, but over the longhaul Vargas superior boxing skill won out.
Check out the post-fight press conference below:
