Pacquiao pummels Algieri

MACAU — Manny Pacquiao got the big knockdowns he desperately craved, battering Chris Algieri around the ring early Sunday on his way to a decision victory in a lopsided welterweight title fight.

Pacquiao chased Algieri from the opening bell, knocking him down repeatedly and dominating from the opening bell.

About the only thing Pacquiao didn’t get was his first knockout in five years, settling instead for a lopsided 12-round decision against an opponent who seemed unwilling to engage.

By the time it was over, Algieri had gone down six times.

And Pacquiao had a signature victory that should put to rest the idea he’s declining and maybe even set up a fight next year with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

In other fights Saturday, Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua beat Rocky Fuentes of the Philippines with a technical knockout Saturday in Yokohama, Japan, in the first defense of his WBC flyweight title.

Gonzalez sent Fuentes to the canvas with a combination in the sixth round and the referee stopped the bout. Gonzalez, who captured the title in September with a ninth-round TKO of Akira Yaegashi in Tokyo, improved to 41-0 with 35 knockouts. Fuentes dropped to 35-7-2 with 20 KOs.

Also, Takashi Miura of Japan beat Mexican challenger Edgar Puerta with a TKO in the sixth to retain his WBC super featherweight title.

Miura improved to 28-2-2 with 21 KOs while Puerta fell to 23-5-1 with 19 KOs.

Scott Quigg successfully defended his WBA super bantamweight belt a fifth time with a unanimous points victory against Hidenori Otake of Japan on Saturday in Liverpool, England.

Quigg (30-0-2, 22 KO) wobbled Otake (22-2-3, 9 KO) in the second round, opened a cut around his left eye in the 10th, and landed a fierce left hook in the 11th, but the British fighter had to settle for a one-sided decision.

Also, Jamie McDonnell (25-2-1, 12 KO) retained his WBA bantamweight title after Javier Chacon of Argentina (20-3-0, 5 KO) retired midway through their 10th round with a shoulder injury.