The return of Christopher Mark "The Fighting Collegian" Algieri

As we discovered a little over a month ago, during the Jacobs vs. Derevyanchenko broadcast...

This was ostensibly to be Algieri's first time competing at super lightweight since his star-making upset SD victory over Ruslan Provodnikov just shy of 4½ years ago, billed as such on all the promotional materials for this event. Both he and his opponent, Ángel "The Hit Man" Hernández, missed weight, however - by 3lbs each.

Even the mere attempt of making the 140 pound limit has left Algieri looking unhealthily gaunt & drawn. Weight drain that severe combined with a layoff in excess of 33 months could make this a disastrous comeback, one for the blooper real. Hernández - currently one loss or draw away from only being victorious in 50% of his pro contests (and of those, only 50% by KO) - to date never has stopped anybody of note. Under these particular circumstances, however, it wouldn't the biggest surprise of all time if Algieri suffered an embarrassing defeat inside the distance to a hungry and far more active journeyman seven years his junior. It would, however, be a big enough humiliation to ensure that Algieri never show his face near a boxing ring again...not even at the commentary table.

This content is protected

For his sake hopefully I'm overstating how bad he looks in that weigh-in pic, but... Yeesh.

(also, why does Hernández look exactly like a toddler about to go down the big kids' slide @ the water park for the first time, and showing his mommy that he buckled his life preserver together all by himself? )

 

This is available via internet PPV on fite.tv, with a price tag of $15. The undercard features almost entirely 4-rounders with either one combatant or both making their pro debuts.

Personally, I think maybe they could've slashed ten bucks off to make this more palatable. At this rate I'd be very curious to know how many people (other than maybe non-local relatives of Algieri, Hernández, and the other fights on the card) actually buy this.

 

...and he missed the mark anyway, making this a functional welterweight contest, but if they just contracted it as one in the first place he could have come in at 147 bang on the nose and not have to be a walking skeleton. For a "collegian" he sure ain't too bright.

 

I swear, tomorrow morning we are going to all wake up to news that Algieri was kayoed by a guy with barely over a .500 record and with only half of his wins by KO, and everybody is going to be confused & shook as hell, and I'm going to be like " Told ya. Next time don't try over-ambitiously making a weight you haven't made in years coming off a brutal loss and then an extended layoff/retirement, Chris..."

 

Anyone here gonna buy this?