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Manny Pacquiao is currently a 12-to-1 favorite for his November 22 fight in Macau with junior welterweight titleholder Chris Algieri, but the Filipino superstar isn't taking it easy and camp, and has a couple of notable names helping prepare him for his WBO welterweight title defense.
Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KO) is sparring with welterweight Mike Jones and current junior welterweight contender Viktor Postol. Trainer Freddie Roach is confident that the two, who are both tall fighters like Algieri, will give Pacquiao the right work.
"Mike Jones is a big puncher and Manny is doing very well with him. Manny has hurt him a couple of times too. ... Viktor is very smart and has been making Manny think, like Chris will."
Roach also said that the sparring partners may be better fighters than Algieri (20-0, 8 KO), but the last time Roach trained someone to face Algieri, Ruslan Provodnikov lost, which made this fight happen. Pacquiao is not Provodnikov, but that wasn't supposed to happen, either.