Pacquiao Schooling Sparring Partners; Clottey KO Eyed

Boxing’s current pound-for-pound hero and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao put on his best performance since he started training for “The Event” against Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13 in the first defense of the WBO welterweight title he won with a 12th round stoppage against Miguel Cotto last November.

Conditioning expert Alex Ariza told us “I would be lying if I didn’t say it was the best day we’ve had in the last seven weeks” even as celebrated trainer Freddie Roach remarked “it was our new best day.”

Asked to elaborate on why they considered Pacquiao’s performance the best since he opened training camp at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Ariza replied “he fought literally everybody in the gym. He went eleven rounds easy with four separate sparring partners.”

Pacquiao started off with two rounds against longtime sparring partner, super featherweight David Rodela ( 14-2-2, 6 KO/s) who is known for his quickness, then did three rounds with undefeated light welterweight Mike Dallas (11-0-1, 2 KO’s) followed by three rounds with another undefeated fighter in welterweight Abdulla Amidu (18-0, 17 KO’s) of Ghana where Clottey comes from and ended by going three rounds with experienced welterweight Steve Forbes (34-7, 10 KO’s) who won his last fight against Jason Davis by a 2nd round TKO after dropping unanimous decisions against Oscar De La Hoya and Andre Berto.

Ariza noted that “you have to really be there to believe it. I mean he (Pacquiao) can do whatever he wants when he wants. His footwork was great ” even as the conditioning guru admitted he was “so nervous going eleven rounds with the bad leg and everything but he took this morning off, just focused on therapy and exercising it and stretched it, and it held up, thank God.”

Ariza noted that mentally, Pacquiao was “happy and looks great to me. His weight is perfect at 153 pounds, is carrying it around and looks good and he’s in a good mood. He looked phenomenal.”

Plans for tomorrow include another day at the track focused around Pacquiao’s footwork and speed, according to Ariza.

Reacting to a report by renowned Top Rank photo journalist Chris Farina that Clottey was ripped and ready, Ariza said “if you saw Manny and he was fighting this Saturday - I don’t expect this fight is going twelve rounds. If Manny fights the way he did today this fight is not going twelve rounds, I can guarantee it.”

Ariza noted he was glad Manny is resting and said Roach is the happiest he’s been in this camp watching the way Manny works, adding that Pacquiao “does what he wants and if he wants he won’t let those guys (sparring partners) lay a hand on him.”

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingscene.com

Clottey: "Beating Manny Pacquiao Will Put Me at The Top"

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - After running miles on a beach, Joshua Clottey did a national conference call and then went straight to the Carter Park Contender Boxing Gym on Sunrise Ave.

"I want to train hard and be completely prepared," Clottey said after the media call. "Beating Pacquiao will mean a lot to my country Ghana and will put me on top of the world."

Clottey plans to break camp on this weekend, then return home to New York City. Beginning Monday, Clottey will work out at a gym in the Bronx. His Media Day is scheduled at the Kingsway Gym, 1 West 28th St., New York City on Thursday, March 4, 1 pm.

Pacquiao vs. Clottey 'The Event' is scheduled March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Pacquiao vs. Clottey is promoted by Top Rank, MP Promotions, Tecate and is available on HBO Pay Per View.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingscene.com

Manny Pacquiao Eases Up, While Clottey Steps on The Gas

“Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao eased up in his training grind on Wednesday as he returned to the track at the LA High School.

After a hard workout in the morning trainer Freddie Roach asked him to ease up and have a light workout in the Wild Card Gym in preparation for what conditioning expert Alex Ariza said “will be a long sparring session tomorrow (Thursday in LA.)"

Ariza told us that “everything is going really well” and that Wednesday was the first day that Pacquiao “went to the track after the leg injury last weekend and he looks a hundred percent.”

Ariza said that since Pacquiao had a hard day on Tuesday when he sparred ten rounds and then a hard workout on the track, trainer Freddie Roach “talked to him to having a light workout and preparing for a tough sparring session on Thursday” although there was no definite word on who his sparring partners would be.

Last Tuesday Pacquiao went five rounds with undefeated Ghana welterweight Abdulla Amidu (18-0, 17 KO’s) and pushed Roach to allow him to follow up with five rounds against Stevie Forbes.

The conditioning expert who, working alongside Roach has turned Pacquiao into a devastating fighting machine said Pacquiao was “feeling good. Manny is the type that just when his legs feel better he wants to see how far he can push it so we are trying to keep him from doing that.”

But while there are rave reviews about Pacquiao’s preparation coming out of the Wild Card Gym, award-winning photographer Chris Farina of Top Rank who visited the training camp of challenger Joshua Clottey was quoted by Chris Robinson of Examiner.com as saying that Clottey “looked awesome” and that he is “completely ripped and toned.”

Farina said Clottey was “punching his sparring partners around the ring. He was going to knock out one of the guys with thunderous punches. It seems to me that they are almost slowing him down and backing him off because they don’t want him to peak too early.”

Farina told Robinson “this is just my impression . He (Clottey) looks like he’s ready to jump through the building.”

With problems in getting a US visa for his trainer and problems within his training camp Clottey brought in renowned cutman Lenny De Jesus, a Puerto Rican who trains fighters in New Jersey and worked the corner of Pacquiao in his early years with his last assignment being the first encounter with Erik “El Terrible” Morales.

Farina reported that Clottey appeared to be completely primed for his March 13 date on “The Event” at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium and that the former IBF welterweight champion seemed completely at peace with the world.

He said Clottey is “totally at ease, was relaxed and calm. He is a super guy. He’s like Pacquiao. He does basically anything you eant him to do and they are very accommodating type of fighters. There are hardly any egos involved.”

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingscene.com

Will Clottey's strategy of wearing Pacquiao down work?

Joshua Clottey and his team have said that their strategy for defeating Manny Pacquiao and taking his WBO welterweight title will revolve around wearing him down.

The immediate problem with this plan is that it's the same one that plenty of other fighters have tried in the past, and most failed spectacularly.

Granted that not all of them posed the same problems for Pacquiao that Clottey does, but the fact remains that wearing down Pacquiao is usually an uphill struggle.

Traditionally Pacquiao has always struggled with good counter punchers, and last came close to defeat against Juan Manuel Marquez. Clottey is a great counter puncher, but doesn't have the boundless energy needed to get the better of Pacquiao over 12 rounds. So as well as wearing Pacquiao down then, he will have to do it early and probably win by stoppage.

Obviously Clottey's trainers will have something more specific planned for Pacquiao than I've detailed here, but the plan seems like a gamble to me. Miguel Cotto thought his size advantage would make all the difference, and in the end he barely made a dent. Similarly the then larger Ricky Hatton was stopped in his tracks before he even got going.

As for Pacquiao and Freddie Roach, their preparations will probably sacrifice a few of the initial rounds, and wait until Clottty tires out and drops his output for Pacquiao to attack. The blueprint for beating Clottey seems to have been established and the biggest remaining factor seems to be Clottey's size and strength.

Hunter Lemore, Pittsburgh PA: "Clottey's big plan is to wear down the most durable fighter in the division, with his quit after round 6 style? This isn't going to end well for Clottey"

The gamble Clottey and his team seem to be taking is that being much bigger and stronger than Pacquiao, he will be able to hurt him early and tire him out. He might have some early success, but I can't see Pacquiao getting tired out, especially if Clottey drops the pace half way through.

Michael Brown, Pittsburgh PA: "Clottey will surprise a lot of people here, he can hit harder than Pacquiao and he can take a beating as well. If he doesn't do his usual later round fade out the fight will be close."

Clottey does have the power and chin to tough it out with Pacquiao, but I think he'll look too slow and sluggish compared to Manny's work rate. The first half might be closer than the Cotto fight, but so far Clottey hasn't shown any reason to suggest that he won't do his usual slowdown during the later rounds.

Chris Simpson, Greensburg PA: "Pacquiao will run through Clottey like a Filipino freight train and there isn't anyone out there who can stop him."

There are still three fighters who I think could give Pacquiao a run for his money. Those fighters are Floyd Mayweather, Antoino Margarito and Paul Williams. At least one of those fights will probably happen, possibly two. The only unlikely one is Paul Williams, but for the time being he's at light middleweight anyway.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: examiner.com

Photos: Joshua Clottey Florida Training Camp Gallery

"RIPPED AND READY" --- Challenger and #1 contender Joshua Clottey,Ghana is in top condition, ripped and ready to challenge Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao,General Santos City,Philippines on Saturday,May 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas,Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View. Here are some Clottey camp photos from Fort Lauderdale,Florida. --- Photo Credits: Chris Farina/Top Rank









For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingscene.com

Joshua Clottey: 'I Won't Run, I Will Attack Manny Pacquiao'

Challenger Joshua Clottey said he plans to charge and attack early when he takes on 'Fighter of the Decade' Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on March 13.

"I plan to go right at him. There's no way he's chasing me around the ring," Clottey said at his training camp in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Clottey revealed he doesn't have a single boxing video of Pacquiao in camp.

"I already know what he's all about. He's a great champion. This is a difficult fight. But I am going for the win right away, as soon as the bell rings," Clottey said. "I know personally he talks about me all of the time and there is a lot of concern in his camp."

Pacquiao vs. Clottey is promoted by Top Rank in association with MP Promotions and Tecate. Pacquiao vs. Clottey 'The Event' will be available on HBO Pay Per View.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingscene.com

Pacquiao's Leg Pain Gone, Returns To Sparring Hard

The pain in his left leg no longer bothering him, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao snapped out of what conditioning expert Alex Ariza referred to as “a little bit of a slump as his leg was bothering him” and in ten rounds of sparring Tuesday “looked phenomenal.”

Ariza said Pacquiao started off with five rounds against Abdullai Amidu, the welterweight from Ghana who is undefeated in 18 fights with 17 wins by knockout and then took on Stevie Forbes for another five rounds.

The original plan was for Pacquiao to spar four rounds with Forbes but Ariza told us “it was Manny who asked for an extra round.”

Ariza said Pacquiao “moved well and looked great.” Ariza said he sat down and talked about ”a couple of things” with Pacquiao “including a couple of things we didn’t do that we did in the last camp (for the Miguel Cotto title fight) and I think we were just too lazy but hopefully we’ll have it taken care of by the time the fight comes” against former champion Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium

Ariza said they did some different exercises focusing on the muscle in Pacquiao’s left leg that was bothering him and Pacquiao indicated that “everything was perfect today.” The conditioning guru said they are not going to stop the treatment .

Pacquiao ran on the track at the Los Angeles High School for the first time after treating his leg for a couple of days and although Manny said “it was a little tight we treated it again after running today and then we did some exercises and stretching before sparring and Manny said he was a hundred percent.”

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingscene.com

Pacquiao's Left Leg Pain is Not a Big Problem, Says Koncz

The reported pain in Manny Pacquiao’s left leg is no cause for concern according to adviser Michael Koncz.

Koncz said “its nothing serious. Just cramps” even as he asked us as well as Pacquiao’s fans to “relax, don’t worry. He’ll be ready for the fight.”

He said Pacquiao’s sparring was “great as always” and emphasized that the “Fighter of the Decade” and the reigning pound-for-pound king was “ready and I have no concerns.”

Among those who went nine rounds with Pacquiao were longtime sparring partner, super lightweight Raymund Beltran and undefeated light welterweight Mike Dallas Jr, an undefeated 23 year old with a record of 11-0-1 with 2 knockouts.

Pacquiao initially didn’t tell anybody about his discomfort while jogging but when he began to go through his shadow boxing routine at La Brea park he said his leg ached.

In an interview with Chino Trinidad of GMA 7 at the Wild Card Gym after he was attended to by conditioning expert Alex Ariza, Pacquiao said it was the same ailment he suffered in his fight against Juan Manuel Marquez and that “we are doing what we did before so it won’t ache.”

However, trainer Freddie Roach asked Pacquiao to ease off a little in training where he tends to push himself extra hard.

Roach himself had expressed concern in the past over the possibility that Pacquiao could aggravate an old leg injury caused by playing basketball regularly which Roach has tried to stop, unsuccessfully.

Pacquiao’s opponent. Former world champion Joshua Clottey continued his training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida under Pacquiao’s former cutman Lenny De Jesus who worked his corner in the first Erik Morales fight and also trains fighters in New Jersey.

Clottey said he was in top condition for the March 13 showdown with Pacquiao at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium adding, “I’ve worked hard for weeks in Florida” and claimed that “we have a game plan which will give Pacquiao a lot of problems. “

The Ghanian fighter who dropped a controversial decision to Miguel Cotto prior to Pacquiao stopping the Puerto Rican in the twelfth round said “no one is unbeatable including Manny and I personally know he’s worried about me, how big and strong I will be in the ring that night.”

Pacquiao’s speed and power are key factors in his recent remarkable run of victories where his ability to move in and out in rapid fire movements may be hampered if his leg doesn’t heal and although Pacquiao's team plays down the problem, there appears to be a tinge of concern over it.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingscene.com

Joshua Clottey ‘If I win this fight, I will never feel like I beat the best fighter in the world’

Well, it appears that Clottey has started drinking the Mayweather ‘hater-ade’. Up to this point, I thought Clottey was being very respectable and humbled toward Pacquiao but I guess it was only a matter of time before it all changed. Let’s examine Clottey’s latest comments.

"If I win this fight, I will never feel like I beat the best fighter in the world.” Clottey, Fanhouse

Clottey, I hate to break it to you but you are fighting the best fighter in the world. He’s ranked #1 as the best pound for pound fighter. He’s won several fighter of the year awards and fighter of the decade. But don’t worry about never “feeling like you will beat the best fighter in the world”, because you aren’t going to win.

"I'll say, 'It's not an upset, just a win' " Clottey, Fanhouse

Just a win? Are you kidding me? Clottey, this would be the biggest win in your career. This would be a huge upset. You might not want to say it’s an upset, but the rest of the world will say it’s an upset.

“I feel like I’m undefeated” Clottey, Fanhouse

I feel like Clottey is smoking something. Did he save up all of his craziness for this interview? Up to this point he’s been mild and respectable. Now, he’s just hitting us with 1-2 combos of “jibber jabber”. As Mr. T always said “I pity the fool”. And right now, I sure do pity Clottey.

Aaron Davis Sacramento, CA “What are the chances of Clottey pulling off the upset?”

Well first, don’t tell Clottey it’s an upset. Because he thinks it’s just another win. Second, I give Clottey a 1.5% chance of winning and that’s only if Pacquiao doesn’t even show up to the ring.

Jose Gonzales Sacramento, CA “Does this fight go the distance?”

Now this is a good question. I think Manny gets the TKO by the 5th round. However, stranger things have happened in the ring like Tyson biting off Evander’s ear. In fact, that’s the only way it goes the distance is if Clottey bites off Manny’s ear or gives him a massive “Andre the Giant” headbutt to the bridge of the nose.

Manny's just like everyone else

JOSHUA CLOTTEY reckons it should not go down as an upset if he beats Manny Pacquiao.

Clottey, 32, is the clear underdog heading into his clash with the pound-for-pound king on March 13.

But the Ghanaian is confident he can defy the odds at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

Clottey said: "Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He's just a really good fighter who is currently No1.

"If I win this fight, I will never feel like I beat the best fighter in the world.

"I will feel like I had a fight with the best fighter out there right now — and I won.

"I'll say, 'It's not an upset, just a win'."

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: thesun.co.uk

Joshua Clottey: "I Will Wear Manny Pacquiao Down"

Former champion Joshua Clottey has no idea what all the fuss is about. He had a few setbacks against fighters like Carlos Baldomir, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. He doesn't think about those defeats. He still views himself as an unbeaten fighter. Clottey tells Lem Satterfield of AOL FanHouse that he won't view a win over Pacquiao as an upset, but just another win in the bank. Clottey faces Pacquiao on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

"I've never left the ring feeling like I lost. I feel like I'm undefeated. If I win this fight against Manny Pacquiao, I will never feel like I beat the best fighter in the world," said Clottey. "I will feel like I had a fight with Manny Pacquiao, the best fighter out there, and I won," said Clottey. "So even if I beat Pacquaio, and people talk about it like it's a big upset, I'll say, 'It's not an upset, but a win.'"

Some people treat Manny Pacquiao like a super hero. Not Clottey. He sees him as just another fighter and plans to beat him as such.

"Manny Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He's just a really good fighter who is out there now who is No. 1 now," said Clottey. "I don't know how he's coming to fight me, but I can tell you that I'm a different fighter altogether than anyone else that he's faced. I'm a really difficult fighter, you see."

Clottey understands what he brings to the table, and what Pacquiao brings to the table. Pacquiao has the big advantage in speed. Clottey plans to stay in there and work Pacquiao over to wear him down. He wants to punish the Filipino fighter enough to slow him down.

"Pacquiao is coming from a smaller weight to welterweight, and he's going to have an advantage in speed already because he's a smaller guy. I can't throw a lot of punches like Pacquiao will do. But I will connect enough to make him slow down and wear down, and bring his speed down," said Clottey.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: Mark Vester @ boxingscene.com

End of the road for Pacquiao's boxing career?

This is what some people are reporting. Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to fight big Joshua Clottey on March 13th, in Dallas, Texas. After that is just a guess. It's still hard to imagine that both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr would opt out of 30 to 40 million bucks to fight one another. Time will tell if that fight ever gets done.

So will the Clottey fight be Pacquiao's last? Don't bet on it. This writer recently posed that question directly to Manny last month. Pacquiao while training at Wild Card Gym, in Hollywood, took a few minutes to respond to the retirement question, "It's hard to say right now. Maybe three of four more fights." According to that response his retirement is not tomorrow, yet not too far down the road either.

It's not crazy to think that Manny may continue on with his boxing career even if he is elected to congress. Pacquiao spoke about the possibility of fighting if he wins the congressional seat, "Maybe I will keep fighting."

Pacquiao fans in Mississippi do not want him to retire. The fans that I spoke with all hope to see him fight at least 5 more years. I took another little tour around Jackson, MS and stopped at a few of the city's best sports bars. Pacquiao's fans spoke about his eventual retirement and the overwhelming consensus was clear, they don't want him to. Jansen Groves, a big Pacquiao fan spoke about it, " I don't even like thinking about the day when Manny goes. He has done so much for the sport, and more importantly for his country. There will be a big void in boxing once Manny retires."

It appears as if Manny's plan is to fight 3 to 4 more fights. Perhaps after Clottey he looks at Mayweather Jr again. If Shane Mosley defeats Floyd, perhaps Manny gives him the payday of a lifetime. Another fan friendly fight would be Manny Pacquiao vs Edwin Valero. There are still a few very interesting matches that can be made for Manny Pacquiao. Will he retire after Clottey? I wouldn't bet on that.

Freddie Roach speaks about Manny's possible retirement here - http://http://www.eatthemushroom.com/mag/article.asp?id=1334&catID=6

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: examiner.com

ARIZA: WE CAN’T ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE

“Fighter of the Decade” and the world’s pound-for-pound hero Manny Pacquiao is doing so well in training for “The Event” against Ghana’s tough Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13, that conditioning expert Alex Ariza says “we can’t ask for anything more.”

Ariza told us that Pacquiao sparred nine rounds on Saturday with Steve Forbes who once fought Oscar De La Hoya and went the distance with him and also Raymund Beltran, a regular sparmate of “The Pacman.”

Ariza said Pacquiao showed “amazing speed and power and is ready to go anytime.”

He said it was obvious that Pacquiao was relaxed and happy and looking forward to the clash with Clottey.

After Pacquiao’s workout at the Wild Card Gym of trainer Freddie Roach, Ariza told us Pacquiao was “feeling good and Freddie was obviously happy and had a smile on his face and when they are happy, I am happy.”

Ariza believes there is no welterweight in the world today who could take on Pacquiao and beat him and that includes Floyd Mayweather Jr and Shane Mosley who are scheduled to face-off against each other in May.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: philboxing.com

Manny Pacquiao Sparring With Steve Forbes and Beltran

“Fighter of the Decade” and the world’s pound-for-pound hero Manny Pacquiao is doing so well in training for “The Event” against Ghana’s tough Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13, that conditioning expert Alex Ariza says “we can’t ask for anything more.”

Ariza told us that Pacquiao sparred nine rounds on Saturday with Steve Forbes who once fought Oscar De La Hoya and went the distance with him and also Raymund Beltran, a regular sparmate of “The Pacman.”

Ariza said Pacquiao showed “amazing speed and power and is ready to go any time.”

He said it was obvious that Pacquiao was relaxed and happy and looking forward to the clash with Clottey.

After Pacquiao’s workout at the Wild Card Gym of trainer Freddie Roach, Ariza told us Pacquiao was “feeling good and Freddie was obviously happy and had a smile on his face and when they are happy, I am happy.”

Ariza believes there is no welterweight in the world today who could take on Pacquiao and beat him and that includes Floyd Mayweather Jr and Shane Mosley who are scheduled to face-off against each other in May.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingscene.com

Roach: Opening rounds hard for Pacquiao, Clottey

MANILA, Philippines – Although boxing coach Freddie Roach is confident that Manny Pacquiao will demolish Joshua Clottey, he sees a very hard fight for both boxers.

The prized trainer said he thinks the March 13 bout between reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champ Pacquiao and challenger Clottey might even turn out just like the Miguel Cotto fight last November.

“Just like the Cotto fight... the first half of the fight will be really, really hard for both guys,” Roach said in an interview with FightFan.com.

Roach, who oversees Pacquiao’s training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California, acknowledges Clottey’s durability.

He, however, said the Ghanaian’s defense leaves much to be desired so he expects his Filipino ward to assert himself by the middle rounds.

“We will take over in the middle or late rounds,” said Roach.

Passive defense
Roach said he has patterned some of Pacquiao’s strategies against the Ghanaian’s “amateurish” defense.

“He's passive, he's way too passive,” he said while describing Clottey’s defensive stance. “That works in the amateurs. There's no counter punching in that defense. He waits for you to finish your combinations then he throws.”

Roach said the only way Clottey would be effective against Pacquiao is if the Ghanaian engages the Filipino into a full fight.

This means Clottey would have himself get hit before he can tag Pacquiao with power punches.

“For him to be effective, he has to hit while we're engaging also for him to land that power shot, but he seems like he doesn't do that a lot,” said the boxing coach.

Waiting for Pacquiao to get tired would only bring Clottey more trouble.

“[Because] Pacquiao… doesn't get tired,” said Roach.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Column: Pacman don’t need no ’roids, he’s got dynamite!

The Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight has now been called off. Pacquiao has also filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather, his father Floyd Sr., his uncle Roger, and Golden Boy Promotions for allegedly accusing him of using performance-enhancing drugs.

The controversy started after Pacquiao knocked out British boxer Ricky Hatton in the second round last year. Hatton was trained by Floyd Mayweather Sr. Before the Hatton fight, several British papers reported that Floyd Sr. was going to get fired by Hatton’s camp for problems that included showing up late for training.

After Hatton was knocked out, Floyd did not try to support his fighter. Instead, he signed autographs, and during the post-fight conference, he blamed Hatton by claiming that he did not follow his instructions about keeping his hands up. He also stated that Hatton should retire.

At some point, after the Hatton fight, Floyd Sr. also claimed that Pacquiao had to be on steroids given how hard he hit Hatton.

Fast forward a few months and a fight is scheduled with Floyd Sr.’s son. The steroid issue was raised again, and after lengthy negotiations, the fight was eventually called off. The Mayweather camp wanted blood tests by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which conducts tests anytime a fight is signed to the fight date. However, the Pacquiao camp refused to provide these samples. They were only willing to allow blood to be taken from Pacquiao at least 30 days before the fight date, as well as immediately after the conclusion of the bout. Freddie Roach, on the other hand, commented that he would allow a blood sample to be taken from Pacquiao at least one week before the fight.

None of the news reports I have seen ever mentioned any solid evidence of steroid use such as witnesses who claimed they supplied steroids to Pacquiao. Floyd Sr. started the whole controversy by insulting Pacquiao and insisting that he had to be on steroids. He has a pattern of obnoxious behavior. For example, before the Hatton fight, he called Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie “the joke” Roach. Pacquiao should not have had to go out of his way to accommodate Mayweather, and it is understandable that he eventually decided to not bother doing business with someone who is disrespectful.

Pacquiao’s physique does not appear to show signs associated with steroid use such as upper body acne. He did bulk up from fighting at 106 pounds when he was 16 to his current 147-pound fighting weight at age 31.

However, people ofen fill out as they get older. Pacquiao’s strength coach, the usually reserved Alex Ariza, felt compelled to defend his fighter to the press and detailed the boxer’s 7,000-calorie diet, approved supplemental intake, and natural physique.

His power comes from the combination of a number of factors. Basically, power is a product of mass times speed. The faster you punch, the harder you hit. But you also need to coordinate your motions so that you get the maximum weight behind the punch.

Pacquiao has a lot of leg strength, which he uses to drive his upper body in transmitting power into his fists.

He has developed the ability to hit from a variety of angles, and he has excellent footwork, which puts him into a position where he can blast through his opponents guard.

There are many factors that give the “Pacman” his winning edge, and steroid use is highly unlikely.

Pacquiao does not like to get his blood drawn shortly before a fight because of his belief that it weakens him.

Some news reports made it sound like taking blood is just a pin prick. I called up a local lab testing service and was told a minimum sample takes at least 3 milliliters. The sample size can vary depending on how the blood test is conducted. In some cases, the blood sample can fill up the whole collection vial and be as much as 8 milliliters. This is quite a bit more than just a drop.

Pacquiao is now scheduled to fight Joshua Clottey, who is from Ghana. Unlike Mayweather, who is more of a tactical defensive boxer, Clottey has a reputation as an aggressive fighter. He also comes across as polite and leaves out the tiresome trash talk you hear from a lot of fighters. At 5’9”, he has a substantial size advantage over Pacquiao. But as we know, that didn’t stop Pacquiao from annihilating Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto.

The fight is scheduled for March 13, and it should an exciting one!

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: Mark Lee @ Northwest Asian Weekly

Pacquiao’s training hits a high chord

With folk music blaring on the background, Manny Pacquiao, the current king of boxing, spoke the language of confidence Thursday moments after another tough day at the Wild Card Boxing Club, his training headquarters for the March 13 clash with Joshua Clottey in Dallas.

“No problem, I feel very good,” Pacquiao told The Bulletin after having his favorite meal at a Thai food restaurant located a few steps from the gym. "Tell our people that there's nothing to worry as I am training hard."

Pacquiao stressed that having little time for a good vacation after beating Miguel Cotto late last year turned out to be a blessing since he is not having a hard time getting back in shape.

“After only two weeks in the gym, I already felt great and I think it was not only because I am coming off a tough fight but I had to immediately report back to training camp,” said Pacquiao, who asked his interviewer to hold the long distance call while he sings the final notes of a song on karaoke.

As soon as he belted out the last note, Pacquiao was on the line again, assuring the man on the other end that there’s nothing to worry about as far as his preparation is concerned.

Pacquiao’s assurance that everything is right on track was echoed by Alex Ariza, the Filipino fighter’s touted conditioning coach.

“Manny is ready to fight this Saturday,” said Ariza, who marveled at the way the 32-year-old pound-for-pound king handled himself with the punch mitts during Wednesday’s workout.

“He did 15 rounds in the mitts without even a sip of water,” narrated Ariza.

Over at Clottey’s training camp in Fort Lauderdale in Florida, the boxingscene website reported that the Ghana slugger is also right on the money.

Clottey has been working out at the Contender’s Gym the last three weeks under the guidance of a new set of trainers since Godwin Dzanie Kotey, his long-time trainer, has yet to be granted a renewal of his US visa.

Despite the drawback, Clottey said he has no other choice but to move on.

“I already know in my head what I am going to do and how I am going to win,” Clottey said.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Pacquiao: “I think Mosley will win” against Mayweather

Manny Pacquiao is saying that he believes World Boxing Association welterweight champion Shane Mosley will beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their upcoming May 1st bout at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. In an article at Fightfan, Pacquiao says “I think Mosley will win.” Pacquiao feels that it will be an entertaining bout, saying “I think Mayweather vs. Mosley will be a good fight.” It’s good to see that Pacquiao isn’t bitter about his fight with Mayweather falling apart recently during the negotiation process.

A lot of boxers would likely be a little angry if they were in the same shoes as Pacquiao. The fighters had gone though the loss process of negotiations for a fight on March 13th, but when they got to the part about random blood testing, they quickly reached an impassible impasse due to Mayweather’ request of having random blood tests inside the 30 day window.

Eventually, Pacquiao and his promotional company Top Rank moved on and signed a fight with little known Joshua Clottey instead. Pacquiao fans are generally excited about the Clottey fight, whereas casual Pacquiao fans are lukewarm to the selection of Clottey as a replacement opponent for Mayweather.

Mosley, 38, will have to fight beyond what he’s shown in recent fights if he wants to beat Mayweather. It’s unclear what Pacquiao is looking at when deciding on Mosley as the winner of a fight against Mayweather. Based on the opinions of many boxing experts, they don’t see Mosley winning. Hopefully, Pacquiao isn’t just picking Mosley just to get back at Mayweather for their failed talks.

On paper, it just don’t seem likely that Mosley will do anything other than lose to Mayweather on May 1st. Shane could make it somewhat close if Mayweather decides to mix it up with him, but given that Floyd is more of a pure boxer, it’s unlikely that he will give Mosley any opportunities by trying to trade with the older fighter.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao, as if feeling the need to pump up his fight against Clottey, says “I won’t want to disappoint people with a boring fight. I feel you need to entertain the people who watch your fights.” Is this a dig at Mayweather, perhaps?

Pacquiao continues “It’s going to be a good fight because he [Clottey] has a good style. It’s a different kind of style and I want to fight. He’s bigger and he’s taller than Miguel Cotto.” What Pacquiao doesn’t say about Clottey is that he has problems with his stamina, and has few wins over top caliber opposition.

Pacquiao also fails to mention that Clottey was beaten in his last fight against Cotto, which isn’t exactly something to feel good about when considering putting down $49.95 to watch the Pacquiao-Clottey fight on pay-per-view. If Cotto was able to beat Clottey, then it would seem logical that Pacquiao will beat Clottey with ease since Pacquiao just finished wiping the deck with Cotto in November.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Clottey: "Pacquiao First, Mayweather-Mosley Winner Next"

Welterweight Joshua Clottey puts aside some time to speak with BoxingScene.com about his training camp to prepare for the biggest fight of his career. He faces WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on March 13 in Texas. Clottey says that everything is running very smooth and he is confident of victory in this exclusive interview. He also touches on the significance of this fight in his native Ghana, Mosley vs. Mayweather and more.

BoxingScene.com: How is training camp going so far?

Joshua Clottey: Everything is good. Everything is fine. We are working hard and just getting ready for the fight on March 13th.

BoxingScene.com: Are you looking good weight wise?

Joshua Clottey: Oh yeah. That won't be a problem. I train hard and always come in on weight. That is something I really haven't ever had a problem with.

BoxingScene.com: What exactly happened with your trainers not getting their visas?

Joshua Clottey: I can't really get down or be too disappointed about it. Life always has to go on and I still have to train. I guess these things happen for a reason. I am working hard and will be ready for the fight. I still have a good team around me and am confident I will come out victorious.

BoxingScene.com: How is sparring going? I assume your team found some short quick southpaws?

Joshua Clottey: Sparring is going just fine. I am sparring with these two guys, real good fighters but I can't remember their names. Both undefeated guys. We brought in one who is real fast and he is shorter so I can get ready for the speed and the other one is big and has the power to help me prepare.

BoxingScene.com: Obviously this is the biggest fight of your career. Most of the experts are picking Pacquiao to win. What do you have to do to make sure you come out with the win?

Joshua Clottey: I have all my plans and that is what I am training for right now. I need to practice them so I can execute them when I step in the ring. I have all my plans in my head. He and his team is saying they are going to knock me out and really I don't mind them saying that. They can say whatever they want to say. I already know in my head what I am going to do and how I am going to win.

BoxingScene.com: Pacquiao hasn't said much but I have read articles where Freddie Roach said that he thinks Pacquiao will knock you out. Do you feel they are disrespecting you?

Joshua Clottey: Well you know I am not taking it like they are disrespecting me or taking me lightly. I always feel like I am getting respect from Roach. Whenever I see him or have spoken to him he talked to me with respect. Whatever he says is fine by me. He is hyping up the fight you know. He has every right to talk. It is a free country and he can speak his mind and say what he wants to say.

BoxingScene.com: How big is this fight in your native Ghana? What is the buzz like there?

Joshua Clottey: Everybody back home is real excited about this fight. I told them that they shouldn't worry because we always are hoping and trying to improve our lives. We keep trying and good things will come. I am going to go out there and fight my best and try to come out with the win. I am confident and my people are confident.

BoxingScene.com: If you pull off the upset and come out victorious what do you want to do after that?

Joshua Clottey: If I win the fight and beat Manny Pacquiao, the number one pound for pound fighter ,my country will be so proud. I would like to fight the Mosley-Mayweather winner. You know one thing about me Ryan. I will fight anybody. If I win this fight I will be ready and willing to fight anybody.

BoxingScene.com: Paul Williams is still looking for an opponent. I know you wanted to fight him in the past. Would you fight him?

Joshua Clottey: If he wants to fight me I can fight him. I will fight anybody who wants to fight me.

BoxingScene.com: Who do you think wins the Mayweather vs. Mosley fight?

Joshua Clottey: It is a very tough fight. Shane Mosley is going to come out ready and hungry because he has wanted this fight for a long time. He has wanted a big fight for a long time. Now that he has one he will come in prepared and give Mayweather everything he has but Mayweather is a very smart guy who has a great defense and is a great boxer. This is a very tough one to call so I can't really pick a winner.

BoxingScene.com: Do you have a message for the fans?

Joshua Clottey: Well I just want to tell everybody that I am going to fight with the best fighter in the world and I am going to come in the ring prepared and do something that no one thinks I can do. That is the only thing I can say now. I have a plan and I will make it a good fight.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingscene.com

The Final Score: Dallas Ready for Pacquiao-Clottey

Dallas is on a roll. Racing from Mavericks town to Cowboys territory to NBA All-Star state, Dallas heads the Texas offensive like Carl Lewis on the US 4 x 100 meter relay team. The finish line, though, is far from sight. That suits Dallas just fine. It’s having too much fun turning the Lone Star State into a global sports hub.

After hosting a record-breaking NBA All-Star Week, Dallas prepares for the big fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey on March 13. By all indications, the Dallas area and its fans are ready to host another grand event and all-set to watch Pacquiao deliver another knockout show.

“I can’t wait to see Pacquiao in action here in Dallas," exclaimed Ronald “Popeye" Jones, former 11-year veteran for the Mavericks turned Mavericks Player Development Coach. “You see that burning fire in Pacquiao to win, to be successful. It’s the same fire that Michael Jordan had."

Perhaps that’s what drove Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones to aggressively lure Pacquiao away from the bright lights of Las Vegas and into the first-rate amenities of Cowboys Stadium. Jones really wanted to host Pacquiao versus Mayweather. Mayweather has cemented his place in boxing history. Pacquiao has done likewise while turning himself into one of the hottest commodities in professional sports.

It makes perfect sense, therefore, for Jones to unite the Michael Jordan of contemporary boxing with the Hercules of football stadiums. Jones wanted to bring boxing’s pound-for-pound king into the newest sports capital of Texas. Even former Maverick and Pacquiao fan Steve Nash was impressed with Jones’ sports cathedral. “People (who watched the NBA All-Star game) felt they were in the coolest sports bar of all-time with the biggest wide screen TV in the world."

Last week, tall buildings and posh hotels in Dallas were covered with gigantic billboards promoting the NBA All-Star game. In the coming days, however, expect Pacquiao’s intense face to replace oversized action shots of Nowitzki, Bryant, James and Garnett. And fans are eager to turn Dallas from All-Star town to Pacquiao city.

“I paid extra to make sure I’ll watch Pacquiao from a nicer seat," James Farias, 26, Texas-native and food server for a popular Tex-Mex restaurant in the Dallas area, said. “I just hope Pacquiao doesn’t beat Clottey too easily. After all, I’m paying to see Manny not Clottey."

There’s a Pacquiao-Clottey billboard on the freeway and excited fans on the streets. On this trip, we met Mavericks/Cowboys fans who have become Pacquiao believers. Tickets for Pacquiao-Clottey were reportedly sold out as early as three weeks ago. A ticket was said to cost anywhere from 50 USD to 700 USD. Fans still without tickets have no choice but to purchase them from third-parties.

It’s a problem basketball Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman, a boxing fan since the glory days of her good friend Muhammad Ali, won’t have. She made sure she got her VIP tickets weeks ago. “Pacquiao will be fighting here in Dallas and I’ll be there for the fight."

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: gmanews.tv

Roach: “This [Pacquiao-Clottey] could be our last fight” if the Mayweather fight doesn’t happen next

In a bombshell interview at East Side Boxing’s On the Ropes online program, trainer Freddie Roach revealed that this could be the last fight for his fighter World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. Roach says “If Mayweather doesn’t come and fight us next time, this [Pacquiao-Clottey] could be our last one.” Roach is obviously speaking only of Pacquiao, because I can’t see Roach retiring anytime soon.

But this is fairly earth shattering news if Roach isn’t just blowing smoke up our backsides with this, because by the recent statements coming from Floyd Mayweather about him wanting Pacquiao to take even more blood tests in the future if he plans on fighting him, it seems to suggest that the Clottey fight could be Pacquiao’s last bout of his 15-year pro boxing career.

That would a huge disappointment if Pacquiao does decide that this will be his last bout, because it would leave opponents like Edwin Valero, Mayweather and Paul Williams without the opportunity to test Pacquiao to see if he’s as good as the recent hype that’s been generated about him due to his wins over Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya. As things are looking, it’s highly doubtful that Pacquiao and Mayweather are going to be able to come to any kind of agreement for a fight in the future with Mayweather insisting on random blood tests all the way up to the fight.

And Mayweather is now saying that if his May 1st fight against Shane Mosley does better financially than Pacquiao’s March 13th bout against Clottey, then it means he should get the bigger slice of the revenue for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. That’s just another reason to doubt that there will ever be a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao in the future.

As for the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight, Roach says “Obviously we have to break him [Clottey] down. It’s [a possible knockout for Pacquiao] going to be in the late rounds. It won’t go 12 rounds. We’ll get him at some point along the way. It’s going to be a battle up to that point. I do think the body shots and work rate will be too much. I don’t think Clottey will keep up with us.”

Most of the betting money is being put on Pacquiao to win. Indeed, Clottey appears to be way over his head in this fight despite being ranked by the WBO as the number #1 contender. Oddly enough, Clottey is ranked number #1 despite the fact that he was beaten in his last fight by Miguel Cotto. Usually when a fighter is beaten, they slip in the rankings, but not in the case of Clottey.

He’s ranked number #1, above Cotto for some reason. Cotto was just beaten by Pacquiao in his last fight by a 12th round knockout. But beyond Cotto and Clottey, the talent pool is abysmal in the WBO top 15. Most of the fighters are more prospects than contenders in my view, and deeply flawed. It’s more than a little sad and disappointing to see how poor the opposition is in the top 15 for the WBO, and perhaps for that reason we have Clottey ranked as number #1, even though he just got beat.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingnews24.com

PACQUIAO PLEASED WITH CONDITION FOR CLOTTEY FIGHT

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao laughed when he was prodded about his supposed very good condition and great training camp with less than 1 month away until his “The Event” match with Ghanaian Joshua Clottey.

His laughter turned out to show his pleasure with the condition he has achieved.

“Maganda kasi na nakuha ko agad ang kundisyon ko kasi hindi ako masyadong matagal nagpahinga,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN Sports commentators Ronnie Nathanielsz and Dyan Castillejo during the live telecast of Pinoy Power 3/Latin Fury 13 on Sunday.

“Last fight ko November so January, nakapag-training agad ako. Nandoon agad ang kundisyon ko,” he added.

Pacquiao made history when he won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title last November 14 as he became the only 7-division world champion.

He defeated Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto via a 12th round technical knockout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He will put his WBO title on the line against Clottey at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on March 13.

Pacquiao is currently training in Los Angeles. His coach, Freddie Roach, even wanted the Filipino boxing superstar to slow down for fear that he could reach his peak too soon.

Advice to fellow boxers

Pacquiao made a last-minute appearance at the Las Vegas Hilton on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) to show support for his fellow Filipino boxers Mark Jason Melligen, Bernabe Concepcion, Gerry Peñalosa, Ciso Morales and Nonito Donaire, Jr.

He chatted with Nathanielsz and Castillejo during the fight of Morales against Mexican Fernando Montiel.

“Ninerbyos ako ah,” remarked Pacquiao at the onset of his brief interview.

After a few minutes of conversation, Castillejo, Nathanielsz and Pacquiao were stunned by Montiel’s knockout of Morales in Round 1. The Filipino fighter suffered a blow to the stomach.

“Talagang walang matibay kapag reduce ka… walang matibay sa sikmura,” Pacquiao said after Castillejo noted that Morales was on a diet of crackers because he had to lose 12 lbs. before the fight.

“Kaya ‘yan ang sinasabi ko sa mga boksingero—kailangan kung gaano kayo hard na mag-workout sa kamay niyo… kailangan yung body i-workout niyo nang mabuti,” he continued. “Minsan kasi ‘pag natapos na sa workout, tamad na mag-sit-up, magpa-ano ng abs eh. Mahirap yun ‘pag dating ng fight.”

The world’s best pound-for-pound fighter then explained the importance of strengthening the midsection: “Kasi mas malaki sa mukha mo ‘yan eh.”

Wrong decision

Pacquiao also commented on the other fights that took place in Pinoy Power 3.

For him and Roach, Peñalosa should have won against Puerto Rican Eric Morel.

“Talagang panalo si Gerry… Lamang siya ng pitong (7) rounds,” he said. Peñalosa lost via split decision.

The scores were 115-113 and 116-112 in favor of Morel, and 115-113 in favor of the Filipino boxing veteran.

Proud manager

Pacquiao was also delighted with the result of Concepcion, whom he manages.

“Proud ako sa boksingero ko. Next fight niya is Juan Manuel Marquez… ‘Pag lumaban siya, ako nandoon ako lagi araw-araw sa training niya.”

Concepcion posted a unanimous decision win in his 10-round bout over Puerto Rican Mario Santiago with the scores 98-91, 96-93, 97-92.

Pacquiao, however, said that Concepcion still has to a lot to work on.

“Kulang lang ‘yung timing. Coordination sa paa niya at saka sa kamay niya,” he noted.

Help for Gorres

Injured boxer ZC Oliveros “Z” Gorres, who is recovering from 2 major brain surgeries, was also at ringside.

He was supposed to be featured in Pinoy Power 3

“Meron kaming ibibigay ‘di na siguro natin sabihin,” Pacquiao said of the assistance he will give Gorres.

He even invited the crowd at the Las Vegas Hilton to attend his fundraiser for Gorres.

“We already gave Gorres our help, Bob [Arum] and I… At sana suportahan po natin. Kung gusto niyo pong tumulong, ipangalan sa foundation ko, Manny Pacquiao Foundation.”

Other results of Pinoy Power 3 are Donaire’s 3rd round knockout of Mexican Manuel Vargas and Melligen’s 6th round TKO victory over Raymond Gatica of the US.

“Maraming, maraming salamat din sa ating kababayan at siyempre sa inyo, nagpapasalamat ako. Sa lahat ng mga nanonood… Maraming, maraming salamat sa inyong walang sawang pasuporta,” he stated.

“Kaming magkakasamang mga boksingero, gagawin namin ang lahat para makapagbigay karangalan sa ating bansa para ‘di masayang ang mga pagdasal ninyo at pagsuporta niyo sa amin. Maraming salamat, mga kababayan.”

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: insidesports.ph

Is Pacquiao ready for Clottey? Roach “Not yet, almost” plus Pinoy Power exclusive coverage

On Saturday, February 13^thI had the pleasure of watching Nonito Donaire go to work. Las Vegas Hilton looked like an ant farm, booming with people running around in excitement for their favorite fighter to display their skills, and make the fellow countrymen proud. It was a high energy environment, as the staff and fighters of the Pinoy Power and Top Rank began showing up for their warm-up in the dressing rooms. Who made the biggest splash? Of course Nonito himself brought the crowd to a tremendous roar as he arrived, with people screaming his name and waving the “Filipino Flash” flags. But that was nothing in comparison to what the arrival of Manny Pacquiao did to the fans who never expected him to show up. The high-pitched screams of the females and the overwhelming macho roar of the men at Manny’s arrival were so loud, that even my video camera microphone was unable to handle the frequency. There were others who pleased the fans with picture taking and short interviews, such as Winky Wright, Freddie Roach, and Juan Manuel Lopez.

At the beginning of the event, everything went pretty much as expected. Fights were interesting, but still lacked that crowd effect that brings the energy to the venue. As the undercard bouts progressed, more and more people started showing up, and the venue started looking like the read deal. Matt Korobov was able to keep his record blemish- free, stopping Lamar Harris at 1:05 of the first round. When speaking with Matt post fight, he assured me that this was as expected, and that he is ready to fight the top dog any time.

Eric Morel and Gerry Penalosa, in the first half of the fight, Morel was able to cause some cuts by accidental head-buts for the most part, making Gerry’s face a bloody mess. After Freddie Roach made some very aggressive hand gestures, Penalosa put on some pressure in the remainder of the fight, making it seem like the decision was his to win without any doubt. Gerry was landing clean power shots, making Morel wobble a couple of times. When Morel was announced the winner, a very small percentage of the crowd was clapping and screaming in excitement, while the majority booing made the other guys very hard to hear. Scores were 115-113, 116-112 Morel, 115-113 Penelosa.

Many expected Fernando Montiel to get a run for his money from previously unbeaten Ciso Morales. Apparently, Montiel had a different plan in mind. Just after 2:06 of the first round, Morales was on the floor, seemingly in a terrible amount of pain, after Fernando landed a solid left hand to the body. Morale’s first loss was one that he will always feel in the back of his mind, painful and too quick to analyze.

Manuel Vargas was the substitute for Gerson Guererro in his fight against Nonito Donaire. After failing the physical exam, Guererro was unable to proceed with the fight, and Vargas was given this golden opportunity. Some would have called it a blessing then, but are likely calling it a curse now. Vargas seemed out of place when the bell rang. For three consecutive rounds, he had nothing to give or return as Nonito made the fight seem like a sparring session. At 1:33 of the third round, Donaire delivered a left uppercut, sending Vargas to the canvas for good. Vargas did have to go up in weight two divisions to make this fight happen, but the way Nonito handled the fight, it’s hard to believe the weight had anything to do with it.

Before and after the event, I had the opportunity to speak to a few people and ask them some questions. Here are some of the quotes:

Freddie Roach:

V: Is Pacquiao ready for the fight against Clottey?

F: No. Not yet. Almost.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: Vitali Shaposhnikov, diamondboxing.com

Pacquiao-Clottey: This fight has mismatch written all over it

In looking at the March 13th fight between Joshua Clottey and Manny Pacquiao it doesn’t seem likely that Clottey is going to be able to pull off a win over the faster Pacquiao. This fight appears to have everything in Pacquiao’s favor. You name it, Pacquiao is the much superior fighter. I got to give credit to Top Rank, the promotional team for Pacquiao, they found the perfect opponent for him to not only get a win again but also have a good chance to look against.

However, is Clottey really the best opponent for boxing fans if they wanted to see Pacquiao tested? I mean I’m alright with watching a mismatch every now and then, but I prefer to not know ahead a time about how bad of a mismatch it is so I can save my time and money watching the thing. But this fight has mismatch written all over it from the word go, and it’s somewhat unsettling that the fight is being put on pay-per-view and placed in a huge stadium like the Dallas Cowboy stadium, in Arlington.

It seems to me that those kinds of things should be put aside for fights that are actually supposed to be a competitive afraid, not an organized slaughter. In match making, I know they want to make sure they put Pacquiao in fights that they know he can win, hence Pacquiao not being matched up against the likes of Paul Williams.

It’s about match making and keeping your fighter in fights that they can actually win, but for me, I hate the idea of watching a fight that’s a mismatch going in. What’s the point if you know one of the fighters has basically no chance of winning. Yeah, I know Clottey technically has a slight chance of beating Pacquiao, but I see it as being so small that it’s not even appealing.

If I wanted to see a slaughter, I’d watch one of the free fights that they show on one Friday nights where they match a top prospect against a scrub fighter. It’s about as interesting watching those fights as it will probably be to watch Pacquiao beat up on a vastly over-matched Clottey. Again, I don’t mind seeing a mismatch, but not one that I have to pay to see. And when you look at how crummy the undercard is, it makes it even worse.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: Chris Williams, boxingnews24.com

Pacquiao Ready To Batter Clottey; Valero Wants Marquez

“Fighter of the Decade” and pound-for-pound icon Manny Pacquiao has been “rejuvenated” leading up to his showdown against Ghana’s tough Joshua Clottey in “The Event” at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13.

Pacquiao’s trusted adviser Michael Koncz told us that Pacquiao “is really motivated, he is excited to go to Dallas and that fantastic stadium over there. So far 30,000 in ticket sales. These new things in the regimen like the stadium, the big crowd its rejuvenating him and he’s really excited and training hard.”

Filipino trainer Restituto “Buboy” Fernandez said Pacquiao was in good condition which he indicated was 90 percent. Fernandez said “he peaked immediately because he didn’t lave a long layoff (from the Miguel Cotto fight) which lasted twelve rounds so he doesn’t have any problems with his condition returning right away.”

When asked about reports that Pacquiao was mauling his sparring partners, Fernandez replied “that’s what happens when he’s in condition and we’re hoping his training will go well all the way.”

Meantime, WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero, the undefeated Venezuelan knockout artist with 27 KO’s in 27 wins continues to push for an eventual clash with Pacquiao which most fight fans believe will be a far more exciting fight than a Pacquiao clash with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

On returning to Venezuela, Valero who proved he can box as well as punch in his demolition of Antonio DeMarco said he was “ready to go up to whatever weight Manny wants in order to fight him.” At the same time Valero stressed he would “not require that he be tested for anything . I just want to get into the ring with Manny.”

He added, “whoever beats Pacquiao becomes the top dog in boxing. Pacman is my main objective for 2010.”

Before taking on Pacquiao, Valero indicated he would like to face Juan Manuel Marquez saying Marquez “is a great fighter and it would make for an exciting bout.”

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: boxingscene.com

The third man in the ring for Pacquiao-Clottey?

Being a referee is a very tough job. It is in the referees' hands to keep the fights in violent order. The job requires tremendous physical and mental competence, as well as strength of character to come up with quick accurate decisions. We have to understand that sometimes a punch can travel 0.004 seconds, almost invisible to the naked eye, plus add the adrenaline and hoopla of the fights, can make any referee get confused and make a wrong judgment or misjudgment.

All men make mistakes. It happens all the time in all officiating officials of any sport. More so in our sport of boxing, back in the day, celebrity champion boxers were tapped to officiate a fight. This is so to amp up the hype and sell more tickets. And the result can be horrible. If we take a look back at Ali vs. Liston 1, former World Heavyweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott was asked to be the referee in the fight. Although Jersey Joe was a very good champion, he was totally inexperienced as a referee! That's why when Ali got Liston down, he couldn't decide if he'll count, or stop the fight or take Ali to the neutral corner. Pandemonium erupted at that moment and he decided to announce Ali as the new champion. But sometimes even a very experienced referee can make a bad judgment or bad misjudgment just like what happened during the Soto vs. Lorezo 1, when Joe Cortez couldn't decide what to do consulting the Nevada State Athletic Officials on the
ring-side while Lorenzo was on the canvass bleeding profusely, then later on decided to announce Lorenzo as the winner by disqualification. But as the saying goes "Nobody is perfect, even referees make mistakes."

But what about if the referee makes too many bad calls?

When I watched Kelly Pavlik vs. Espino fight, I was appalled on how biased the referee in favor of Kelly Pavlik! I have no doubt that Kelly won that fight, but does the referee needed to blatantly side in favor of Kelly Pavlik? You have to wonder why does the referee pulls Espino away but does not push Pavlik? And at the end of the rounds the referee shoves Espino hard. There was one time when Pavlik was taking some punches from Espino and out of nowhere the referee jumped in the middle and broke off the fighters even if there were no clinch! Watch the video clip in youtube at 3:52 second mark. Hilarious!

Now let's try to take a look at the proposed referee for Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight.

Jim Rex Jaca vs. Juan Manuel Marquez: There was a clash of heads in round 8 that bloodied the face of Juan Manuel Marquez. Referee Cole stopped the fight and called for a time-out. He brought Marquez in a corner and had him checked by the ring-side doctor, and you know what he told Marquez? Watch.







He was asking Marquez if he wants to stop the fight and told him he is ahead on the scorecards! What kind of unbiased referee would say something like that?

Now, let's take a look at Pacquiao vs. Barrera 1







Round 1, how the heck can Referee Cole calls that a knockdown in favor of Barrera when Barrera didn't even threw a punch? Round 6, 12 seconds remaining in the round, two solid upper-cuts landed on Barrera's head that sent him crashing to the canvass. And what did Referee Cole called it? A slip!

And now, Referee Laurence Cole was reportedly the referee for the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight despite of all of these evidence of his bias officiating?

For one, I agree with promoter Gary Shaw when he advocates against these incompetent officials. And what should we do about it? Boycott them!

These incompetent and biased referees and judges, they give boxing a really bad image.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

I hope that the powers may be could do something about this.
Source: 8countnews.com

Not a Sure Thing: Joshua Clottey’s Manny Pacquiao Challenge

Just to be clear, I am not going to begin my article with a lot of reasons on why the Manny Pacquiao – Floyd Mayweather, JR., mega fight never happened.

The ugliness of steroids overall is a horrible yet unfortunate reality about today’s modern athlete. Fingerpointing and lecturing aside, I’ll refrain from further comment that the fight negotiations were just – how can I put this?

Ugly?

I’m just saying that there’s a whole year left. I don’t count out the possibility just yet.

For now, Pacquiao definitely looks like he’s gearing up for the fight against Joshua “Grand Master” Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s, set for March 13th at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. But given some thought about Clottey as an opponent, I’ll argue that he may give Pacquiao some competition.

Some competition meaning that the fight is going to end with a unanimous decision in favor of Pacquiao over 12 rounds. However, Clottey is not and should not be taken lightly because there is never a sure thing for a fighter – even for Pacquiao – once he steps into the ring.

I had to look back at some of Clottey’s previous bouts. And, l always feel that looking at a fighter’s losses are more telling and if whether his post loss matches were better or worse. Clottey’s fight record is a veritable list of who’s who in the current welterweight division. And, unlike Pacquiao, he’s always fought at welterweight so he’s established himself at that weight against some heavy hitters and can definitely take some punishment at the hands of his opponents.

From footage I’ve seen, Clottey fights great inside. He has a good jab-hook combination that if properly executed, rocks his opponents. He goes to the body with left uppercuts, followed by barrages of hooks.

Clottey is definitely at his best when he’s in the middle of the ring. He has a tendency to get cornered and as such, doesn’t work too hard to dominate, especially if he’s against the ropes and in the corner. Once he establishes close in-fighting exchanges, he does not back down at all.

Clottey easily loses points when he fails to be aggressive and works tentatively showing moments of strong fighting and winning by points, but then somehow takes times off in a round or two without establishing his will on his opponent. Clottey’s lackluster ring generalship allows his opponents to win rounds he could have easily won if he weren’t so reluctant to exchange.

Now, I just stated that his ring generalship is a little lackluster, but it’s not lacking too much. This is where I just love to theorize about boxing tactics because I definitely think Clottey has an awareness of the referee. Call it “dirty tactics,” but I think Clottey is very aware of the referee in the ring and what he can possibly do to his opponent depending on what the referee may or might not be seeing. Yes, fight fans, others have said it. Clottey is notorious for the timeliness of his clashing of heads. And, it’s usually his opponents that get the worst of these accidental head butts.

Back in 1999 in his fight against Argentina’s Carlos Baldomir, Clottey scored a DQ. He lost two points for his headbutting of Baldomir in the 10th round and repeated a headbutt again in the 11th resulting in the disqualification. Again, timeliness of the head clash, but in this case, he lost big because he was ahead on the judges’ scorecards at the time the fight was stopped.

Back in June 2009, Clottey faced Miguel Angel Cotto. Clottey had suffered a knockdown in the first round. But later, towards the end of round three, Cotto had suffered a cut above his left eye again by an accidental headbutt. Cotto went on to win the fight by split decision over 12 rounds, but the cut didn’t exactly take one or two stitches. According to reports, the cut took 20 total stitches (14 over and 6 below the eye – ouch!)

In this fight, Clottey definitely gave Cotto a hard time despite the knockdown in the first round, but still didn’t really looked like he could beat Cotto.

Clottey is definitely a different type of opponent for Pacquiao. He has solid talent, has shown definite ability to work and exchange on the inside. But as a slow starter, he cannot afford to be tentative. It’s a big moment and venue for the fighter from Ghana. If Clottey can step up his game and the occasion, he has nothing to lose by any means. Given his history of accidental headbutts, Pacquiao’s southpaw stance makes him even more vulnerable to the possibility of a clash of heads.

Pacquiao must show even more technical ability, combined with his speed and power, to take the fight quickly. However, it’s up to Clottey to make this his fight and not make the fight about his opponent Pacquiao. So, was Clottey the safer choice for Pacquiao? Probably, but maybe, just maybe, Clottey will make this fight about giving some competition to Pacquiao.

Will he win?

I say no, but I don’t see him exactly standing there getting beat up either.

For more Pacquiao vs Clottey updates, visit http://pacquiao-vs-clottey.cebuspace.com/.

Source: ringsidereport.com