Manny Pacquiao is taking his next opponent, Chris Algieri, very seriously, according to reports.
The two are slated to fight Nov. 22 in Macau.
Even though Algieri is considered a big underdog in the fight, Pacquiao said he’s not taking him lightly.
“I’m not taking Algieri lightly,” he said, according to Boxing Scene. “He’s taller than me and moves around the ring with savvy. That’s why I started my training early.”
He said his assistant trainer and him are focusing on developing a gameplan while working on Pacquiao’s technique and footwork.
“Algieri uses the ring well and he loves to lean on the ropes. We must devise a strategy to counter this,” his trainer, Buboy Fernandez, said.
But he added: “He’s fast but not as fast as Timothy Bradley. So he can be an easy target for our boxer,” Fernandez continued.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao has been tweeting at Floyd Mayweather, whom he has been linked to in a superfight for years.
In a hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Mayweather admitted that his Showtime “All Access” show was mostly fake to sell his fight with Marcos Maidana.
Pacquiao used it as an opportunity to blast Mayweather.
“@FloydMayweather’s testimony to the commission on All Access’ authenticity tells me everything I need to know about his desire to fight me,” Pacquiao said on Twitter.
Mayweather then posted the aftermath of Pacquiao getting knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012. “Miss Pac Man is broke and desperate for a pay day. Your Pay-Per-View numbers are a joke,” Mayweather tweeted.
