MANILA, Philippines - When Freddie Roach looks at Chris Algieri, the future Hall of Fame trainer and former fighter sees the new generation.
Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales are now out of the way, out of the picture, and almost certainly as well, Juan Manuel Marquez.
“A lot of the guys we fought in the past are retired now,” Roach told The STAR in an interview.
Barrera, Morales and Marquez fought Manny Pacquiao nine times combined. They represent the old generation of Pacquiao opponents.
“We’re fighting the new generation now,” said Roach.
Algieri had been to 20 fights and hasn’t lost any. Last June, he won a fight he wasn’t supposed to win, beating Russian beast Ruslan Provodnikov.
Until that fight, Algieri was unknown to fight fans. But almost instantly, the boxer with celebrity looks was tapped as Pacquiao’s next opponent.
Algieri is in the biggest fight of his life. In a recent interview in Carson, California, he talked about how life has changed the past couple of months.
But the 30-year-old from Huntington in New York said he won’t climb the ring in Macau on Nov. 23 just to fight Pacquiao. He vowed to beat Pacquiao.
“He’s a tough kid and he’s strong. He doesn’t have the speed and the skills Manny has. But he has the power,” said Roach.“We’re fighting the new generation. (Brandon) Rios was the first step. And then (Tim) Bradley). These guys are younger and hungrier.”