"Chris Algieri fought an exceptional fight in June to win the world title from Ruslan Provodnikov. I am impressed and intrigued by his scientific approach to training and boxing. He may be the smartest and the fittest athlete I have ever faced and that makes him the most dangerous. I worked hard to reclaim my welterweight title and I will work harder to make sure I keep it on November 22. As always, I dedicate this fight to my fellow Filipinos around the world and to bring glory to the Philippines," stated WBO welerweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who along with WBO jr. welterweight champion Chris Algieri kicked off their two-week, multi-city press tour to promote their upcoming November 22 showdown at The Ventian Macao's Cotai Arena.
Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani province in the Philippines (he was reelected to a second term, running unopposed last year), is the only fighter to win eight world titles in as many different weight divisions. A three-time Fighter of the Year and the Boxing Writers Association of America's "Fighter of the Decade," Pacquiao made his Cotai Arena debut last November 24, pasting former world champion Brandon Rios with a unanimous decision beatdown. Pacquiao's resumé features victories over present and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Márquez. From 2008 to 2010, five of his seven victories were world title victories in five different weight classes, from 130 to 154 pounds. No active boxer has sold more live tickets in the U.S. than Pacquiao, who is also credited with nearly 13 million domestic pay-per-view buys. He returns to the ring after avenging his controversial 2012 split decision loss to undefeated two-division world champion Timothy Bradley, Jr. on April 12. Pacquiao won a scintillating unanimous decision to regain the WBO welterweight crown back from Bradley. .
Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs), from Huntington, NY on Long Island, has become boxing's No. 1 story, as well as being hailed as the 21st century real-life Rocky. Over the last 22 months Algieri, a former kickboxing champion, has elevated himself from a prospect to a world-class contender to a world champion. After accumulating significant victories over top prospect Jose Alejo, former USBA champion Mike Arnaoutis, and highly-rated contender Emmanuel Taylor, Algieri, stepped up in his HBO debut and challenged WBO junior welterweight champion "The Siberian Rocky" Ruslan Provodnikov on June 14 Despite suffering two knockdowns in the first round which closed his swollen right eye, Algieri who entered the fight as a 5-1 underdog, eschewed the natural instinct to panic and resolutely stuck to his game plan, expertly using his jab and supreme athletic ability to pick apart the defending champion to claim a split decision victory and the world title. The live, first-time airing of the fight averaged over 1.1 million viewers placing among the five most-viewed fights on cable this year. In what could be a first for any professional boxer, Algieri used his purse from the Provodnikov bout to pay off his student loans. He is as much a scholar as he is a brawler. Algieri graduated from Stony Brook University with Honors in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Management and then went on to receive his Master's degree in Clinical Nutrition from the New York Institute of Technology. He aspires to attend medical school.
For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebparook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacAlgieri to join the conversation on Twitter.
Advance tickets to Pacquiao vs. Algieri are available for purchase August 26-28 for Sands Rewards Club and Cotai Ring Club members. This exclusive pre-sale offer is available only at the Cotai Arena box office, and is not available online or via phone. For more details, visit www.venetianmacao.com/macau-entertainment/clash-in-cotai-ii.html.
Tickets for the Pacquiao vs. Algieri world welterweight championship event go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. August 29 at all Cotai Ticketing™ box offices*. Tickets can be purchased in one of eight categories: HKD/MOP 24,080 (Diamond), 20,080 (Platinum), 12,880 (Ruby), 9,880 (Gold), 6,480 (Silver), 3,880 (A Reserve), 1,880 (B Reserve) and 880 (C Reserve). HKD/MOP 88 adds a round trip Cotai Water Jet ferry ticket between Hong Kong and Macao. Tickets can be booked online at www.cotaiticketing.com, or by phone at +853 2882 8818 (Macao) / +852 6333 6660 (HK) / 4001 206 618 (China) / +63 2 395 3370 (Philippines). Tickets are also available through Hong Kong Ticketing (customer service fee applies), online at www.HKTicketing.com or by phone at +852 3128 8288, and via Macao Kong Seng Ticketing Network, online at www.macauticket.com, by phone at +853 2855 5555, or in person at selected retail outlets (for locations, visit www.macauticket.com/TicketWeb/ServiceStations.aspx).
NOTE: Bouts and times subject to change