EXCLUSIVE How Chris Algieri made the transition from kickboxer to Manny Pacquiao challenger

CHRIS ALGIERI may have started out a kickboxer but he now finds himself days away from competing at boxingโ€™s highest level, taking onย Manny Pacquiao in Macau on Saturday (November 22).

Victory over Ruslan Provodnikov in June wonย Algieri this shot at the big time. โ€œWhen Bob Arum says something, itโ€™s a big deal,โ€ he told Boxing News. โ€œThere were mutterings of [Pacquiao] immediately after the fight at the post-fight press conference and it was a good fight to make. Itโ€™s an interesting match-up. When the talks started more and more, I had a pretty good feeling I was going to get it.โ€

Itโ€™s long journey to go from kickboxing to becoming a top class prizefighter. โ€œBoxingโ€™s a much faster sport. There are a lot more combinations to be thrown, kicks take longer to do so you can throw more punch techniques in the time it takes to throw a kick. Plus the talent pool is just so much greater, there are so many more boxers than kickboxers. Plus there are guys who live this. Kickboxing doesnโ€™t really pay the bills so these guys, who are fighting for millions of dollars, they can put more of their life into it. Not to say that kickboxers arenโ€™t dedicated but itโ€™s just a different lifestyle that a boxer can utilize for training,โ€ the New Yorker said.

Algieri takes a scientific approach to his preparation. โ€œIโ€™m a nutritionist and chef. I cook all my own food and I am involved every step of the way when it comes to the structure and scheduling of our training. We sit down together as a team and we go through what the processes are going to be, what weโ€™re going to be working on, how the strength and conditioning is going to change over camp. I monitor my own weight. In terms of making weight thatโ€™s entirely up to me. But thereโ€™s communication always with myself and my coaches,โ€ he said. โ€œI think our advantage consists in the team, from the team communication and the unity that we share.โ€

Before travelling to Macau he based himself at the Venetian in Las Vegas, a city where he regularly trains. โ€œIโ€™ve had my last three camps here, this is my fifth camp in total that Iโ€™ve done in Las Vegas. My trainer Tim Lane actually lives in Las Vegas. I have a trainer, Keith Trimble whoโ€™s in New York but I come out here for Tim but also thereโ€™s so many more boxers out here. Californiaโ€™s not far, so we can always get guys coming from there. Iโ€™m fighting in a hotel, Iโ€™m fighting in the Venetian Macau, Iโ€™m living in the Venetian Las Vegas. Theyโ€™re nearly identical so itโ€™s good for me to get comfortable,โ€ Chris said.

Algieri believes his style will pose Pacquiao problems. โ€œIโ€™m not big on comparing and contrasting with other fighters because this is a rhythmn sport,” he notes. “Itโ€™s the rhythm that matters. A guy like Antonio Margarito, whoโ€™s similar to my height, heโ€™s not a rhythmic fighter. Heโ€™s not a jabber. He doesnโ€™t move. He doesnโ€™t utilize head movement. He comes forward, he covers up and throws big punches. Trying to compare myself with him, it doesnโ€™t even make sense. So Iโ€™m not one to really study and look at other fighters because those fighters arenโ€™t me… My boxing style in general utilizes my height as part of my style. Itโ€™s nothing new there. Itโ€™s not like I really, really have to work on that part of my game because thatโ€™s just part of my game in general.

โ€œPeople make lot of comments about the height, thatโ€™s just because itโ€™s so obvious, Iโ€™m so much taller. Thatโ€™s not going to be the deciding factor in this fight. The deciding factorโ€™s going to be my mental approach and my mental preparedness going into the fight.

โ€œIโ€™m giving him a different look. He hasnโ€™t fought a young, hungry, undefeated champion with the skills and athleticism that I bring to the table. I really see a lot of similarities between the young Pacquiao and myself right now. Iโ€™m on the way up, Iโ€™m already a world champion but I want bigger and better things. He was there 15 years ago. Thatโ€™s just the nature of the sport and thatโ€™s just the nature of the world, itโ€™s the cycle of life.โ€

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