Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) scored five knockdowns and also forced Algieri into a standing eight-count en route in a one-sided decision before a sellout crowd of 13,202. It left Pacquiao publicly calling out Mayweather and Algieri wondering how things could have gone so wrong.
“I think it’s time to make that fight happen,” Pacquiao said of the long-discussed match with the unbeaten Mayweather. “The fans really deserve that fight. It’s time to say, yes, so people can prepare for early next year.”
Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach also challenged Mayweather.
“I think that anybody, whoever reads about Mayweather or Manny will say, ‘Why didn’t these guys fight each other?’ ” Roach said. “It’ll always be a question mark. Let’s face it; the best should fight the best. They’ve been the best guys out there for over three years. Usually, the best does fight the best somewhere along the line. This is something that will haunt them forever.”
Arum added: “If boxing is to be considered a major sport, the fight has to happen. All the nonsense has to cease. Everybody should be working together to make that fight. There are no excuses anymore. None. I’ll be at the phone. Manny will be at his phone. We’re ready.”
Algieri, meanwhile, faces an uncertain future. He was never in the fight with Pacquiao, losing on the scorecards 119-103 twice and 120-102. He was overly passive in the early rounds, had no sting on his jab and often fought with his head low, nullifying his 4-inch height advantage and 72-inch reach. He was an easy target for Pacquiao’s rapid combinations.
The Filipino was credited with six knockdowns, though the first in the second round appeared to be more of a slip. Algieri was dropped twice in the sixth round, and twice again in the ninth, when he was nearly stopped by a straight left and later forced into taking a standing eight-count. Pacquiao earned another knockdown in the 10th, when Algieri went down in the slippery corner amid another flurry. There was never a point in the fight when Pacquiao was hurt as Algieri simply fought to survive.
“I would have liked to have seen Chris settle down, stand up straighter and fight him,” said Joe DeGuardia, Algieri’s promoter. “But if he does what he’s supposed to do, he’ll learn from this loss and become a better fighter.”
Some speculated Algieri was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the pay-per-view bout fought Sunday morning local time amid a boisterous crowd of mostly Pacquiao fans. But the Long Island long shot credited Pacquiao for making him look overmatched.
“Every time I thought I had him, he had the ability to adjust,” Algieri said. “He’s a great fighter and his experience really showed. It was difficult to get much steam going as he kept readjusting.”
Algieri never had any steam.
“Once it was late in the fight and the scores were pretty wide, I tried to look for some good opportunities, but Manny didn’t give me a lot of holes,” he said. “He was not reckless. He was smart in his approach. He didn’t leave me much to take advantage of.”
Roach expected a more competitive fight.
“After the first 30 seconds of the first round you knew he was lost,” he said of Algieri. “You could see he didn’t belong in the ring with Manny Pacquiao.”
Algieri (20-1, 8 KOs) was stripped of his WBO light welterweight title for fighting Pacquiao for the welterweight crown. He plans to take a break and contemplate his future.
“It’s a learning experience,” Algieri said. “It’s not going to shake my confidence in my ability. I’m still proud of my skills. I’m just very disappointed with the way the fight went.”
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