According to British boxer Amir Khan, Manny Pacquiao might win by a thin line against American Chris Algieri.
Filipino Manny Pacquiao is set to face the New Yorker at the Cotai Arena in Macau on November 22. According to Boxing Scene, Khan said that Pacquiao is no longer the boxer he used to be, who frequently won by knockouts in less than six rounds.
Khan said, "Algieri's style suits him, but Pacquiao's last few performances have not been the best. He has been caught a bit and it might be tough for him this next one."
He added in the same Boxing Scene report, "In his last four fights, Brandon Rios was made for Pacquiao, and the Tim Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez fights took a lot out of him. He's getting older - he's 35 - and he's got a lot of distractions in his life now. He's staying in the Philippines to train now, and you can see people are pulling him here, there, and everywhere. He's also getting into politics."
Khan concluded, "I still favor more towards Manny, and I think it will go the distance, but Algieri might surprise a few people with his performance."
In a report by ABS-CBN News, Khan used to be Pacquiao's sparring partner and stablemate, under the supervision of coach Freddie Roach. Khan has separated from the group and is currently under trainer Virgil Hunter.
Boxing News 24 writes that a number of boxing fans assume that Khan may be commenting against Pacquiao to benefit himself, but there are solid points raised by the Brit. Khan said, "The relentlessness, power and explosiveness are all gone with Pacquiao and he's not like he used to be." Although Pacquiao did knock out several great boxers like Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton, it has been five years since he last scored a KO.
It is also a factor to consider that Pacquiao may be "distracted" in his training. In a report by GMA Network, Pacquiao continues to coach his local basketball team Kia Sorento in between training sessions. He makes his presence felt to uplift the spirit of the team. The team, on the other hand, is concerned about Pacquiao's focus on his upcoming match. The team's assistant coach Glenn Capacio advised that Pacquiao concentrate on his fight against Algieri then he can spend some more time training and coaching the team.