Manny Pacquiao's next opponent is most likely to be "The Fighting Collegian" Chris Algieri, who pulled off an impressive upset of Ruslan "The Siberian Rocky" Provodnikov at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on June 14. According to reports an offer is out, and Top Rank CEO Bob Arum is meeting with Algieri's promoter Artie Pellulo to finish the details.
Algieri upsets Provodnikov to win WBO light welterweight title
"That's the fight I'd like to make and I think we're getting closer," Arum said on Wednesday. "Artie is here with me now and hopefully we'll be able to finalize everything." While Algieri is still largely unknown outside of New York, Arum is interested in the storyline he presents as well as his ability to be a good ambassador for the sport of boxing.
"I like the storyline with Algieri," Arum said. "Besides being a good fighter, he's a college graduate, a kid who wants to go to medical school to become a doctor in the future. He's articulate, good looking and we'll get a lot of backing in the promotion from the New York media because he's from New York."
Provodnikov to fight Brandon Rios?
He did, however, acknowledge the difficulty that may be present in promoting an unknown commodity for a fight in China. "It remains to be seen how we'll do (on pay-per-view) but when you have a nice storyline you can really push it," Arum said. "Would I like if Algieri had more exposure? Absolutely. But it is what it is."
For Star Boxing promoter Joe DeGuardia, this is the kind of fight that can elevate his fighter to the status of a more typical Pacquiao opponent. "We have an offer from Bob and we're excited. I'm enthusiastic," DeGuardia said. "It's the kind of fight that can push Chris higher up the ladder. He made a huge step in his last fight by winning the title against Ruslan and this would be another huge jump up that ladder."
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