Atlas: ‘I Don’t See Pacquiao As That Seek and Destroy Guy That He Used to Be’

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    download (1)If you look at most betting sites, Manny Pacquiao is close to a 13-1 favorite versus his opponent November 22nd, Chris Algieri. Those are defining odds. However, it wasn’t nearly 4 months ago that the same Algieri was a huge underdog to Ruslan Provodnikov, Manny Pacquiao’s stalemate at the Wild Card Gym. Provodnikov was close to an 8.5-1 favorite on many books. Algieri picked himself off the canvas twice to box his way to a somewhat controversial decision over Provodnikov.

    A lot of insiders think Algieri will pose some problems for Pacquiao, including ESPN’s Teddy Atlas. While on hand at the N-Dam-Stevens fight, Atlas told ThaBoxingVoice.com that he thinks we may have a fight on our hands.

    “I don’t think it’s a mismatch,” explained Algieri. “You don’t know what Pacquiao’s going to be when he gets in the ring. He’s got a lot of distractions. He’s got a lot of miles on the odometer. He’s made a lot of money and he’s got a lot of problems supposedly. We don’t know what he’s going to be when he gets in that ring.”

    But Atlas says the young undefeated fighter from Huntington New York is a winner and that will help him when he travels to Macao to fight one of the best fighters of our generation.

    “Chris is a young undefeated kid who doesn’t know how to lose yet,” stated Atlas. “Yeah, he may get run over but he might not get run over. He may just go and do what he did so far to get here, which is surprise people like he surprised Provodnikov even though I think he lost the fight. He still did a good job, showed a lot of heart, showed legs, and he’s got size. He can use those legs and size if he has the right fight plan”

    Atlas sees the decline in Manny Pacquiao, so couple that with a possible rising star in Algieri, and it could be what Algieri needs to be successful.

    “I don’t see Pacquiao as being the real aggressive seek and destroy guy he used to be. He leaves you alone now, he’s not the in and out Pacquiao. He doesn’t fight like he’s all over you. He gives you more opportunities for being there and gives you opportunities to do things and that’s what an undefeated kid who’s a huge underdog cold use and it could be what he just needs.”