“Pacquiao Dominates Algieri”

Macau, China — Right in front in several of his prominent countrymen, who flew in here, Chris Algieri was no match to Manny Pacquiao, losing a lopsided unanimous decision to the Filipino boxing champion.

When the final bell rang, Algieri who was knocked down by Pacquiao six times, 2, 6 (two times), 9 (two times) and the 10th failed to wrest the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt from the boxing icon despite an earlier statement that he found an anti-dote to Manny’s boxing prowess.

And if at all, it happened despite the presence of two of Hollywood’s bankable stars, Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Terminator”, also former California Governor and Sylvester Stallone, “Rocky (series)” and “Rambo” who was at ringside to watch the bout.

Before the fight started however, both Hollywood actors visited Pacquiao in his dressing room.

Official scorecards were119-103, 119-103 and 120-102, while MetroCebu News who watched it live inside the sprawling The Venetian Macao, Cotai Arena, sitting in the press row, scored it 120-103.

Apart from Schwarzenegger and Stallone, another Hollywood pedigree was seen by MCN, Stephen Baldwin, brother of Alec, Daniel and William Baldwin, who also are all certified bankable actors.

This writer along with Stephen Baldwin inside the suite of Manny Pacquiao at The Venetian Macao.

Although, the fight ended till the last round, the victory was capped by knockdowns in between rounds were Algieri even hit the canvass twice in rounds 6 and 9 after earlier falling in the 2nd and later in the 10th.

Noel Lautengco, a Team Pacquiao member told MCN that Pacquio did his best and Algieri just managed to survive.

“Walang panalo but he survived. Madulas din kaya natapos niya ang rounds,” Lautengco told this writer.

A political ally of Pacquiao however, Board Member Elmer de Peralta of Sarangani, believed that Pacquiao who is a renewed christian has again felt pity on his opponent.

“Naluoy na pud but overall it was a good fight”, De Peralta said, who is a member of Pacquiao’s Peoples Champ Movement (PCM) in Sarangani where Pacquiao is its congressman. Another key PCM member, Mayor Ronnel Rivera of General Santos City and other key officials of the city also came over to watch the fight.

As testament of his being Christian, Pacquiao who is building a new church building for his “The Word for Everyone Movement” has agreed that the singing of the Philippine national anthem of the bout, instead of being sung by a celebrity like in his past fights was done instead by some Pastors, called “The Word Choir”, where some of them will also be the evangelist of the new building that would stand at back of Pacquiao’s MP Hotel in General Santos City.

The WBO retained welterweight champion said he did his best to win, but the knockout just did not come, “I did my best,”……I’m satisified with my performance. I came to fight. I did my best. That’s enough. I was looking for a knockout, but he was fast and he was moving.”

Pacquiao’s record is now 57-5-2. He is turning 36 on December 17, while the losing Algieri finally got his first loss, 20-1, where he earned the ticket to fight the champion after winning against Ruslan Provodnikov earlier this year.

“Manny is the best in the world at being Manny Pacquiao. He’s perfected fighting like Manny Pacquiao,” Algieri said in a post fight interview in the ring.

Pacquiao is guaranteed to win $ 20 million while Algieri will have $1.5 million, his first ever biggest purse.