Chris Algieri On That Gameplan, and The Thanksgiving Menu

Would there be more of an aura of frivolity in the Algieri household if he’d come back to Long Island having downed Congressman Pacquiao?

Sure.

To say otherwise would be disingenuous. But there will still be chowing down, and laughs galore, and family bonding at that casa tomorrow, and there will still be giving of thanks.

One, that he went down six times but got up every time, and two, that the fighter is present, his face intact, his psyche basically the same, his ego maybe a bit bruised, his brain still able to whir, to ponder what happened in Macau, and how that could have been prevented or changed, and what must occur now to get back onto a similar stage, and this time, have the W tacked onto his win column.

So, there will be eating we can assume? What’s on the menu and who’s on cooking duty? Mom? Dad? Who?

“Me, homie,” said the 30-year-old hitter, now 20-1, now knowing that refinement of technique, and accumulation of experience factor into being a certain level of pugilist as much as drive and fire do. “We’ll have two turkeys, butternut squash, twice baked sweet potatoes and gorganzola-bacon brussels sprouts.”

And..how are you doing?

“I’m good, Mike,” Algieri told me. “Really disappointed but all in all, I’m fine.

“I’m much better than that performance. Chose the wrong style and didn’t adjust in time.

“I would have been better off just fighting my fight instead of fighting such a specific gameplan like we did.”

About the gameplan…you are curious, readers…I am curious…and I’m guessing Algieri is curious himself about the makeup of his team, and the components, and wondering if a tweak or two should be made. I put that to him.

“Have not even thought about it,” Algieri said. “Will discuss with the team after the holiday.”

No, I don’t want to get into instigator mode…but I actually talked to Freddie Roach about Algieri. Hypothetically, I said to Freddie, if Chris asked you work with him, would you?

Yes, was the answer from Dedham Freddie, who by the way is the best trainer trash-talker in the business, and helped this promotion immensely, by stirring the pot in a fight which pitted two gents, non trash talkers, against each other. Read into that what you will when you ponder some of Freddie’s chops-busts in the leadup aimed at the Huntington heartthrob…

“I’m very busy, have a packed schedule. But Chris is the kind of fighter I like to work with,” Roach told me, “because he works so hard. Manny, his workouts are three, three and half hours. Same with Cotto.” And Roach sees Algieri in that vein, for the record…

“I believed, and still really do, that I had enough to overcome all Manny’s experience, and the big fight atmosphere, and how much promoting I did, etc,” Algieri continued. “I trusted a gameplan that did not work and I did not have a plan B. Pac fought a very good, very smart fight and he was in great shape. I’m not hurt, I learned a lot and will be back soon, after logistical changes.

“I’m very frustrated right now. But more so, I’m disappointed, from not showing what I really got!”

Frustrated, understandable. So yes, there will be fun, frolic, chopsbusting, chuckles, overeating in Huntington. And there will be more chewing, and digestion, of that night in Macau, when Chris Algieri learned that there was much more he needed to learn.

“I will be fine,” Algieri said, in closing. “I know what and who I am. I will be back and this is just the beginning of what I will accomplish.”

Follow Woods on Twitter, and share what you ate today, and maybe, if you like, what you are Thankful for. https://twitter.com/Woodsy1069