Trash-talking Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach is starting to get under Chris Algieri’s skin.
Roach, neck-deep in training Manny Pacquiao for a Nov. 23 face-off with Algieri in Macau, went on the offensive against the undefeated New Yorker during a teleconference call late Thursday, saying some of the guys sparring with the Filipino seem to be better than him.
Pacquiao is working closely with a trio of tall and rangy fighters in General Santos City, all resembling the fighting style, movement and even the physique of Algieri.
Viktor Postol of Ukraine is Pacquiao’s main sparring partner but Roach is also sending in Stan Martnyiouk and Mike Jones as well.
In Las Vegas where he is camping out, Algieri told sweetscience.com that he doesn’t see any logic behind Roach’s verbal assault.
“Let him say that. What’s the point trying to be made, exactly? I mean, that’s sparring. On fight night, I’m there to win. I’m no (sparring) partner, I’m a competitor,” said Algieri, who spent the first phase of his buildup in New York.
Algieri, unbeaten in 20 fights with eight KOs, is the overwhelming underdog against Pacquiao in their scheduled 12-round bout for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight crown at the CotaiArena.
Roach even dismissed claims by Algieri’s camp and handlers that the 5-foot-10 1/2 fighter never tasted a defeat when he was still engaged in mixed-martial arts.
Roach said he has a video of Algieri getting “knocked out cold with a left hook” and he doesn’t seem to be bothered by Algieri’s display of bravado.
“Kickboxers don’t hit that hard,” said Roach, hinting that if a kickboxer can stop Algieri, what more if it is Pacquiao throwing and landing the punches.