Freddie Roach: Chris Algieri won’t last full round with Manny Pacquiao

Freddie Roach’s wishful thinking of how Manny Pacquiao’s Saturday night welterweight defense against Chris Algieri was further fueled by the champion in training camp.

“I promise you, I’ve never seen Manny Pacquiao tell me what he told me: one round,” Roach said Tuesday as Pacquiao conducted a workout at the Venetian Hotel in Macao, where he’ll fight unbeaten junior-welterweight world champion Algieri. It will be televised on HBO pay-per-view.

“He’s not going to repeat it, but he said it. I feel great about this fight.”

Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 knockouts) hasn’t recorded a knockout since he dropped Miguel Cotto in 2009, but in a 145-pound catchweight bout that is his lightest since May 2009, Pacquiao on Tuesday dropped several hints that he doesn’t believe Algieri is qualified to beat him.

“He’s a boy … very confident,” Pacquiao said. “I’m not worried…. It’s different, I think I’m the smarter guy.”

Roach knows that Pacquiao is aware Ruslan Provodnikov knocked Algieri down twice in the first round, and that the challenger lacks a strong punch.

“When he has that type of confidence in himself, I have it, because I know he’s worked hard to get there,” Roach said. “I feel great about this fight.”

Roach still has hard feelings about Algieri’s split-decision triumph in June over Roach-trained Provodnikov in Brooklyn, an outcome Roach says was swayed by dubious refereeing and hometown judging.

“I’m not a big Algieri fan,” Roach said. “Good kid, speaks well, has ‘Rocky’ on his side … but it’s a very good fight for Manny.”

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