Charles Barkley & Reggie Miller: Toe to Toe with Manny Pacquiao. TNT analysts and NBA Hall of Famers Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller when the two spent a day with Manny Pacquiao at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif., where he is training for his fight against Juan Manuel Márquez that he lost via a one-punch knockout.
LAS VEGAS, NV- Fighter of the Decade Congressman MANNY “Pacman” Pacquiao, boxing ‘s only eight-division world champion, defends his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against New York’s undefeated WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri, who has Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Management, a Masters degree in Clinical Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Upsets Inside the Ring. Promoted by Top Rank and Sands China Ltd., in association with MP Promotions, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, Banner Promotions and Tecate, the Pacquiao vs. Algieri world welterweight championship event will take placeSaturday, November 22, at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
Pacquiao (56-4-3), the Filipino icon, and Algieri (20-0), the scholar fighter, along with their respective trainers Freddie Roach and Tim Lane, promoters Bob Arum, Joe DeGuardia and Artie Pelullo, and Ed Tracy, President and CEO of Sands China Ltd., will embark on a 27,273-Mile Media Tour, beginning on Monday, August 25 at The Venetian Macao, the 12-day tour includes press conferences or public and private appearances scheduled for Shanghai, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York.
Algieri, 30, has a spotless 20-0 professional record, capturing the WBO light-welterweight title last month by split decision from Russia’s Ruslan Provodnikov, a former Pacquiao sparring partner.
But the fight with the 35-year-old Pacquiao, once regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter of his generation, would be the most high-profile bout ever for the Huntington, New York native.
Widely considered a national idol after becoming world champion in eight weight divisions, the Macau bout would be a test of Pacquiao’s determination to stay at the top of his sport.
His fighting skills and national fame have seen him earn fabulous wealth but he has since branched out into other pursuits, including as a Christian preacher, product endorser, television host, and elected member of the Philippine parliament.
He also plans to a coach an expansion team in the Philippines’ professional basketball league.
Pacquiao suffered two consecutive defeats in 2012 to American Timothy Bradley and Mexican Juan Miguel Marquez.
He redeemed himself somewhat in winning a Bradley rematch last April, following a convincing victory against another American, Brandon Rios, in November last year.
The Algieri bout means boxing fans would have to wait some more for the dream match most of them want to see – Pacquiao versus another unbeaten American, Floyd Mayweather Junior.
There have been repeated efforts to negotiate such a fight but they have never prospered even as Mayweather, 37, declared that he will never face Pacquiao as long as he is promoted by Arum.
Mayweather is known to be on bad terms with Arum, his former promoter, whom he accused of shortchanging him.