A victory against Pacquiao could catapult Algieri to the top of the pound-for-pound standings and could establish him as among the boxing’s most elite fighters.
“This is the top of the sport. The winner here goes on to make the biggest fights that are possible not only to the welterweight division but in all of boxing. A win will propel me to the top of the pound-for-pound ratings and viewed as one of the best fighters in all of boxing,” Algieri told The Sweet Science.
The American is due to meet Pacquiao in the ring for the WBO welterweight crown. The fight is set to take place at the Cotai Arena in Macau on November 23 (November 22, US time).
Officially, Pacquiao is ranked No. 4 among Ring Magazine's top pound-for-pound fighters; Algieri is nowhere in the list.
Relatively unknown to casual fight fans, Algieri won the ticket to the title shot after pulling off an upset against heavy-hitting Russian boxer Ruslan Provodnikov.
Algieri said he has toiled long enough in the shadows and that his fights against Provodnikov and Pacquiao are his biggest breaks.
“At this point I want the biggest fights out there. I have spent a long time fighting off TV and outside of the public eye. Now I want exposure and I want to fight the biggest names out there in boxing,” he said.
Just like what he did against Provodnikov, Algieri said he wants to pull off another surprise this time against an eight-division champion. “I want to show that I belong here,” he said.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
