Chris Algieri needs return trip to scale to make weight for Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao’s unfiltered trainer, Freddie Roach, couldn’t let the irony of Chris Algieri’s missing weight on his first try pass without a verbal jab.

“Nutrition expert?” Roach cracked. “Give me a … break.”

After consuming a breakfast of oatmeal, eggs and coffee, Algieri made two failed attempts to make the 144-pound catch-weight limit Saturday morning (Macao time), first coming in at 144.4 pounds, then 144.2 after stripping to his bare essentials and covering his lower body with a sports jersey.

Pacquiao, who’ll defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title against Algieri (20-0) Sunday morning (Macao time) at the Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena, weighed in at 143.8 pounds.

Even though Algieri was just 0.2 pounds over, Roach said he will always demand his fighter’s opponent meet the contracted weight, so he insisted Algieri work it out.

It took Algieri another 50 minutes to “take a bathroom,” according to his promoter, and finally the fighter made weight at 143.6 pounds, a bit of an embarrassing episode for the confident New Yorker who has a bachelor’s degree in healthcare science and a master’s degree in clinical nutrition.

“It’s part of the sport. I’d rather be well-fed and feel good than be sucked out … and starve myself,” Algieri said. “This is nothing. No big deal to me. I feel fine. … This is boxing. There’s no fighter who hasn’t gone through this.”

Algieri said he weighed himself on the official scale earlier Saturday and was at 144 even, adding that, “I don’t know if moving [the scale] caused the calibrations to get off.”

Algieri said he plans to enter the ring around 158 pounds.

Pacquiao’s weight remained unchanged from his pre-weigh-in figure to the official weigh-in appearance. The champion said he thought Algieri looked drained.

Pacquiao trained for more than two hours on Thursday and Friday and said the extra conditioning left him feeling energized Saturday.

“I ate, no problem,” Pacquiao said. “I’m ready for the fight.”

Also on Saturday, WBO President Paco Valcarcel said his organization has ruled it will declare Algieri’s 140-pound championship title vacant as soon as he steps into the ring with Pacquiao on Sunday.

Algieri was required to fight a 140-pound challenger next to remain champion, Valcarcel said.