Chris Algieri ready for next step in fight with Erick Bone

The record says Chris Algieri has lost two fights in a row, the first defeats of his career. But he must have passed the eye test while losing a 12-round decision to Amir Khan in May because Algieri's strong showing knocked Khan out of a shot at Floyd Mayweather's farewell fight.

The irony is there was talk of matching Algieri against former champion Andre Berto, but Berto wound up as fodder for Mayweather's 49th win. "There was some talk of that," Algieri said recently about a Berto bout. "I was surprised how that all went down. It can be a crazy business."

Now Greenlawn's Algieri (20-2, eight KOs) is scheduled to face Ecuador's Erick Bone (16-2, eight KOs) in a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout Saturday at Barclays Center on the undercard of the WBA world middleweight title bout between champion Daniel Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs) and former WBO champ Peter Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs).

Some might call the matchup with Bone a crossroads for Algieri in terms of his marketability. He simply views it as the next developmental step in his second fight under trainer John David Jackson.

"This is just a way for me to right the ship," Algieri said from training camp in Boca Raton, Florida. "I need to keep improving, keep learning. This is another battle for me to get tested and to get better and move forward."

Coming off his disappointing six-knockdown decision loss to Manny Pacquiao a year ago, Algieri showed remarkable progress under Jackson. He caught Khan off guard in the early going with an aggressive approach in which he showed the ability to mix power punches with the boxing and jabbing style he previously relied upon.

Despite the loss to Khan, Algieri said the outcome reinforced his trust in Jackson's ability to bring out the best of his athletic skills and his toughness. "We've been treating that fight as if it was a win, and we got right back to work consistently since then," Algieri said. "My power has always been there. We were just able to bring it out in that training camp. "I'm blending my boxing ability with my ability to sit down and bang when I need to. It's one of those things where you never know what you're going to get, and that mystery can be a very powerful weapon."

SEE PHOTOSChris Algieri vs. Amir Khan

In Bone, Algieri is facing a fighter who is five years younger, can match his 5-10 height and tops Algieri's 72-inch reach by two inches. Bone was stopped in his most recent fight by former IBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter after two fifth-round knockdowns in March, but he took that fight on extremely short notice.

Algieri described Bone as a "tough, scrappy" fighter who figures to be very hungry for this opportunity. But he acknowledged Bone's power doesn't compare to Algieri's past four world-class opponents: Khan, Pacquiao, Ruslan Provodnikov and Emanuel Taylor.

"He may not be as physical as some of the guys I've been with, but it's a new style and it's a little bit awkward," Algieri said. "Trying to figure him out is going to be important once that bell rings."

If Algieri could score a knockout with his new style under Jackson, it would be a big boost. But making sure of the win is essential. "Knockouts come, and that's great," Algieri said. "But in either case, I'm looking to put a major statement out there for the welterweight division.

SEE PHOTOSAlgieri behind the scenes

"The sky's the limit in 2016. There's a lot of great fights out there, great opportunities. Having another fight, another win and another training camp with John catapults us right into the mix of all the top welterweights."

By Greg Logan

Gregory.Logan@newsday.comGregLogan1

Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.