PACQUIAO CAN’T KNOCK CLOTTEY OUT

Tungod, Inabanga, Bohol – Or so I thought. Pinoy pride and the world’s best fighting machine Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) has made a habit of proving doubters wrong. I have never doubted Pacquiao’s talent and skills, much less his ability and desire to win. Even so, I am not about to doubt former IBF welterweight champion Joshua “Grand Master” Clottey’s (35-3-0, 20 KOs) firewall toughness, solid defense, and vast ring acumen either.

Any contest with the name Manny Pacquiao in it should be assurance enough of a thrilling and exhilarating boxing spectacle. He has literally made a living by putting on a good show not just for the hardcore fight buffs, but also to the casual fans as well. The odds, as expected, are stacked against the fire-breathing Pinoy’s opponent. This is no surprise, considering that the fighter out of Ghana, by way of Bronx, New York lost to the same guy who was destroyed by Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) of the Philippines, not to mention that the Filipino is universally considered as the best fighter pound for pound at present. But before you Pacman fanatics get too excited, please allow me to point out a couple of things that might make you think twice about Clottey being just a walk-in-the-park for the Pinoy great.

Make no mistake about it. Joshua Clottey is probably the best and most dangerous Pacquiao opponent to date, among the Pinoy pug’s long list of opponents. The potent combination of size, speed, stamina, skill, power, and chin is certainly a tall order for even a fighter like Pacquiao to overcome. Don’t be fooled by Clottey’s 3 losses. His first loss to Carlos Baldomir, who eventually became a welterweight champion, was due to disqualification with Clottey ahead in all three scorecards at the time of the halt. In his second setback, Clottey was making a good account of himself before sustaining an injured left hand in the fourth canto and was basically fighting one-handed from round 5 onwards against the hard-punching Antonio “Loaded Hands” Margarito. Clottey’s third loss, against Cotto, as we all know, was very much closer than the scorecards would suggest.

Clottey has top-notch defensive skills. Using his gloves and arms to protect himself the way Ronald “Winky” Wright does, the “Grand Master” has always finished fights with more than enough gas in his tank. Of course, Pacquiao is definitely in a league of his own, but Clottey could very well pose a lot of problems for the General Santos native. Clottey boasts a great left hook downstairs and up, often followed by a quick right straight. Team Pacquiao should also take note of Clottey’s tendency to come in with his head first. With their contrasting fighting stance, it is not farfetched that Pacquiao could sustain a cut that might hinder his vision just like he did in his first bout against Morales. We all know what happened to that fight. I don’t see Pacquiao knocking Clottey out in this confrontation… but then again, Pacquiao has made the habit of making surprises and exceeding expectations. He might once again do it this time around and I would really be glad to be proven wrong.

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

Source: Reylan Loberternos - philboxing.com

Clottey expects Pacquiao to throw a lot of punches on Saturday

Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KO’s) is counting on Manny Pacquiao to be throwing a lot of punches when he fights him on Saturday night at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium. Clottey is ready for anything that Pacquiao will be bringing to the ring, and he won’t be catching Clottey off guard if he tries to obliterate him with a massive amount of punches in the early rounds of the fight. In an article at the Press Enterprise, Clottey said “He [Pacquiao] throws a lot of punches to people when he sees an opening. He won’t see the openings with me.”

With his crab-like guard and his ability to block almost every punch thrown his way, Clottey is going to make it nearly impossible for Pacquiao to land any clean blows on Saturday night. Pacquiao could still pile up the points, because judges tend to score rounds based on whoever is throwing the most punches and don’t seem to be very good actually noting whether the punches are actually landing or not.

Pacquiao tends to throw a lot of punches anyway, and misses many of them. Clottey will have to make sure he’s busy enough to win rounds because if he throws in the low 20s, he’s not going to win enough rounds to beat Pacquiao. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, believes that he’s going to be able to stop Clottey by flooding him with punches in massive numbers.

That’s possible, but not probable given Clottey’s history of being able to pick up punches and throw back with big power. Pacquiao could leave an opening for Clottey if he tries to throw too many punches. What some people seem to forget is that Clottey is an excellent counter puncher. He’s not in the class of Juan Manuel Marquez with his counter punching ability, but he definitely skilled at responding as soon as he gets hit with power shots.

Pacquiao has done well in his fights against Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya where Pacquiao was able to machine gun both of them down with a high punch volume. Both De La Hoya and Cotto were too slow, and not skilled enough to block the shots coming in. As good as those two fighters were coming into the fight, they weren’t noted for their ability to block shots like Clottey.

Cotto looked helpless against Pacquiao’s punches and blocked very few of them. De La Hoya seemed to cringe and cower against the ropes as Pacquiao rifled him with shots from every angle. Clottey is certainly better than those two in blocking punches. He’s also a lot more rugged as well. De La Hoya was very weak from draining down to 147 for the fight, and Cotto looked shell shocked from his fights with Antonio Margarito and Clottey, both involving Cotto taking a lot of punishment.

Clottey could surprise a lot of people by being able to stand up to Pacquiao’s punch barrages and then answer back with power shots of his own. If Clottey can stick around until the 9th round or more, you can expect him to have given Pacquiao a tremendous amount of punishment, much more perhaps than Pacquiao has ever taken before in his career. I don’t know if Clottey can win this fight, because I can’t see the judges giving him a decision unless he knocks Pacquiao down multiple times, but I think he will hurt Pacquiao and beat him badly.

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

Source: Chris Williams - boxingnews24.com

Pacquiao confident speed can trump Clottey's size

(Reuters) - Filipino ring king Manny Pacquiao said his lightning fast speed will be enough to nullify Joshua Clottey's size advantage when the two meet in Dallas on Saturday.

"My quickness will be the key, my speed," the seven-time world champion told Reuters as he prepared for a public workout in front of a throng of fans.

However, the WBO welterweight champion is not taking his Ghanaian opponent lightly.

"You cannot underestimate Joshua Clottey," he said. "He's a good fighter, and he's bigger than me, and I have to be very focused in the fight."

Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach acknowledges that former IBF title holder Clottey, a natural welterweight, has a size advantage over the champion, who began his career forty pounds lighter.

"But I don't think size wins fights," he said. "I think skill does. He may be a little stronger than Manny on the inside, he might hit a little harder, but I think our speed will nullify that."

Roach said he has been watching footage of Clottey's fights, and has identified a few key habits that he and his fighter intend to exploit.

"He'll wait for you to throw a combination and then, when you've stopped, he'll throw back. So if you stand in front of him, you're an idiot," he said. "We're not going to do that. He's not going to be able to find us.

"Sometimes he uses his head," Roach said of Clottey, 35-3 (20 KOs), whose first defeat came when he was disqualified for headbutts.

"If you fall into the pocket with him, his best punch is an uppercut and his second best punch is a headbutt. So we're not going to go in there. We're going to fight him at distance."

A crowd of several hundred watched Pacquiao's workout, a turnout that a beaming Pacquiao, 50-3-2 (38 KOs), described as 'amazing'.

The fight will be the first to be held at Cowboys Stadium, with 45,000 spectators expected to attend, and the Filipino said he was looking forward to the opportunity to show his skills in front of such a large audience at a new venue.

"I'm very excited to fight in Cowboys Stadium, especially because this is the first fight there," said Pacquiao. "It's an honor to fight in Dallas. I can't wait until Saturday. This is for the fans. This is my chance to show them what I can do."

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

Source: reuters.com

Clottey's Defence May Not Hold Versus Pacquiao's Non-Stop Offense

Joshua Clottey says he will try to capitalize on his natural defensive skill to foil Manny Pacquiao's known offensive fighting style and hope to land a lethal blow to snatch Pacquiao's WBO welterweight crown. Joshua Clottey is known for his defensive fighting skill which he has developed throughout his fairly successful boxing career.

On Saturday the former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey will face one of the world best offensive boxers to prove that his defence will hold. Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao will try to demolish his fortified defence arsenal with his non-stop offensive punches.

“I keep telling people I didn’t lose the Cotto fight because I don’t feel I did,” Clottey said. “When [Pacquiao] beats guys like Cotto, he beats guys that don’t have a good defence. I have a defence.”

The popular boxer from Ghana promises he will come forward and attack.

"It will be an exciting fight, as they are predicting," said Clottey.

"I'm always coming forward to face my opponent and fight like a man, not like I just come in like that, I come forward with timing'.

"Everything is in my head, I'm always looking, and the truth is I'm a forward fighter."

Clottey is coming to face Pacquiao with his superior advantage in reach and height. Despite Clotteys natural physical advantage over Pacquiao, hall of fame trainer Freddie Roach says Pacquiao will finish Clottey inside nine rounds. A week before Pacquiao's entourage moved to Texas for the final phase of training, Freddie Roach changed his prediction and said Pacquiao will finish Clottey inside six rounds.

Pacquiao's speed and power will be too much for Clottey to take, Roach stressed after observing how Pacquiao punished his sparring partners who are physically superior that the popular Filipino boxer.

The Pacquiao-Clottey match will take place at the giant Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Texas on March 13. At stake is Pacquiao's WBO welterweight crown.

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

Source: theboxinghistorian.com

‘Journey’ Lead Vocalist Arnel Pineda will sing for Pacquiao vs Clottey fight

Past reports saying Charice will be singing the Philippine National Anthem for the Pacquiao vs Clottey fight this Sunday were proven untrue as the Journey lead vocalist, Arnel Pineda, will be taking the duty of singing the Philippine National Anthem, “Lupang Hinirang” in the upcoming Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight. Pineda is a Filipino and was personally invited by the king of the ring, Manny Pacquiao to sing for the Philippines in his next fight.

Arnel Pineda also said he will be arriving at Dallas on Thursday and he is so delightful that finally he can sing for the Pacquiao vs Clottey fight. The famous singer also revealed it was the Manny Pacquiao’s third attempt to invite him, that is why he’s very happy it will finally push through.

The much awaited Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey fight will be held this Saturday (March 13) – March 14 in Manila at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

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

Source: dailyworldbuzz.com

Manny Pacquiao Vs. Joshua Clottey: How Good Is Clottey, Anyway?

So continues our marathon coverage of one of the biggest fights of 2010, Manny Pacquiao versus Joshua Clottey on March 13, culminating in a live blog on fight night. Previously: Why and how Pacquiao-Clottey matters. Next: Keys to the fight.

Everyone knows Manny Pacquiao. Not everyone knows Joshua Clottey, the man Pacquiao is fighting Saturday.

Clottey (above left against Miguel Cotto) has a very good reputation, for the most part. Some boxing writers consider him one of the 20 best boxers of today, and he's one of the top men in the welterweight division, clearly. He caught some flack for his showing at the end of the fight against Cotto, but there are a lot of people who thought he got robbed in that bout. And it wasn't that long ago that there was a highly viable theory that Clottey was underrated, the best fighter in the division not to be recognized as one of the best.

Yet the more I look at Clottey, the less convinced I am. I'd had that thought prior to Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach saying the same thing in the "Road to Dallas" documentary that aired Saturday (I swear! Ask the people I hung out with Saturday night, away from the television, when the documentary was airing). But that Roach said it made me feel confident about it, too. I think Clottey has become overrated.

This requires a bit of a preface, a disclaimer. I think Clottey's a really good boxer. I think he's a dangerous fighter for Pacquiao to take on, by virtue of his size and style. But when I look at his record and his review the video, I see a fighter who's a full notch below the best of the best.

Consider:

The best win of Clottey's career is probably his 2008 9th round technical decision over Zab Judah. Now, Judah's a talent. But Judah hadn't had a win over a non-journeyman since 2005, when he knocked out Cory Spinks. Judah was ranked in the top 10 of the division at the time, but there were a lot of smart people who think he didn't deserve to be. He'd been beaten by Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Carlos Baldomir from 2005 to 2008. He was competitive in all of them, but Judah's downward slide was clearly in full force. And you know what? It was a close fight, Clottey-Judah, even under the circumstances. Two judges gave Clottey the fight by a mere point.

The second best win of his career is over... well, there's a big drop off from the win over Judah. Is it Diego Corrales, who was moving up two divisions and had the look of damaged goods? Is it Shamone Alvarez, a decent welterweight but nobody who ever really much sniffed the top 10 of the division?

You can point to the almost-wins over Cotto and Antonio Margarito, but those only go so far. Clottey couldn't beat Cotto with one of the worst handful of cuts I've ever seen a boxer persevere through. Against Margarito, Clottey was doing well early before claiming hand injuries and slowing down. Clottey was ahead on the scorecards against Baldomir before being disqualified.

I'm doing something here that is reminiscent of the kind of thing I hate in boxing -- systematically diminishing a fighter's accomplishments. Honestly, you can do it with any fighter. But I'm doing it here despite fundamentally liking Clottey, and thinking he's good. It's only, as I said, that I think he's a notch lower than some of the best guys.

Cotto knocked out Judah, and Floyd Mayweather beat Judah more easily than did Clottey. Margarito and Pacquiao both knocked out Cotto. There's nobody on my pound-for-pound list whose best win is over Judah, and I don't think there ever will be. Almost-wins count for something, but only if the boxer has a proven record of beating top competition on the scorecards or via knockout.

That's steering us toward the root of where Clottey's problems lie. His style, as I mentioned, is difficult, and he's a dangerous opponent. His excellent defense, good counterpunching and rock-solid chin have made him a handful for the elite boxers he's faced. Yet they also are part and parcel about why he hasn't exactly excelled on the top, top level.

There's a feeling out there that I've long argued against that Clottey allowed Cotto to win in the late rounds, that he somehow took his foot off the gas. In actuality, as I see it, Cotto just exploited the flaws in Clottey's style in those late rounds. Clottey does good work behind his high guard, cutting off the ring and firing counters. But that style often requires Clottey to set his feet, wait for his opponent to punch, then return fire. Cotto, in the final couple rounds against Clottey, took advantage of that by moving and initiating contact and forcing Clottey to cover up, then moving again, preventing Clottey from planting. Clottey didn't know what to do, so he did what he always does, which is more of the same. He didn't give the fight away any more than any other fight he'd ever been in. His style did, with a little help from Cotto.

Judah, a less fundamentally sound boxer than Cotto, also exploited Clottey's style. Merely by punching at Clottey, he outworked him and won rounds. Clottey's style is economical to a fault. He doesn't take a lot of chances, thinking defense-first the way he does, and if you can hit him and get out of the way, you can have a lot of success against him. If Judah's footwork was better, and if he wasn't in the midst of a career slide, and if he wasn't inclined toward finding a way to lose despite his talent, maybe he wins that fight.

That's another issue with Clottey: He kind of finds ways to lose or get taken out of his game, rather than fighting through it all. There's a little bit of bitch in Clottey, at least compared to the top-notch guts of some fighters. I don't doubt his hand injuries against Margarito, but any number of fighters routinely injure their hands and fight through it, from Mayweather to fighters who lacked Clottey's talent, like Arturo Gatti. In the Judah fight, he winced and hammed it up when Judah landed a low blow. He spent about a half hour recovering from Cotto's body slam. I don't know if the disqualification against Baldomir was justified or not, but there's a trend here, no?

What I'm trying to establish is that while I think Clottey's a legit foe for Pacquiao, that he's definitely worth of being top-5 at welter, that his style presents unique problems to his foes and that he's good enough to hang with the best of the best... the best of the best he ain't. Or, at least, he hasn't proven himself to be in his career so far, owing to a variety of defects in his game and a dearth of wins against said best-of-the-best.

It doesn't mean that Pacquiao beating him will be insignificant or anything like it -- it's be another huge win in a historic career. It doesn't mean he can't or won't win against Pacquiao; sometimes, non-super fighters beat super fighters by virtue of the dynamic between those two fighters, and sometimes non-super fighters become super fighters with one key win.

But it's a handicap.

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

Source: Tim Starks - queensberry-rules.com

Pacquiao warned of Clottey's dirty tactics

MANILA, Philippines - What makes Joshua Clottey a dangerous opponent for Manny Pacquiao is his unpredictability as a dirty fighter.

How Pacquiao will cope with Clottey’s low blows, headbutting, holding and lacing is a big question mark since the Filipino icon has experienced difficulty handling rule-breakers in the past. Clottey’s headbutting is a major concern.

He repeatedly banged heads with Argentina’s Carlos Baldomir in 1999 and was disqualified in the 11th round.

In 2005, Clottey butted Steve Martinez so badly that referee Wayne Hedgpeth was forced to stop their fight in the second round and declared it a no-contest.

In 2007, he kept fouling Shamone Alvarez and won a 12-round decision because referee Jay Nady tolerated his illegal tactics, exasperating the previously unbeaten American.

Last year, the Ghanaian roughhouser left Miguel Cotto with a cut that took 20 stitches to close, courtesy of a butt. “The most dangerous weapon in Clottey’s arsenal and what Pacquiao will have to be most aware of, is undoubtedly Clottey’s head,” wrote Don Stradley in The Ring Magazine (April 2010).

“The sheer contour of it is menacing, the forehead bulging slightly as if nature designed Clottey with the specific intention of giving other fighters headaches and bad cuts.” Clottey’s most inglorious moment was when he went on a butting rampage against Baldomir in a bout for the vacant International Boxing Council (IBC) welterweight title in London. Italian referee Franco Ciminale docked two points from Clottey for a blatant butt in the 10th round, opening a nasty wound over Baldomir’s left eye.

Clottey butted Baldomir once more in the 11th, causing Ciminale to issue a stern warning.

But the Ghanaian didn’t seem to care about Ciminale’s reprimand or that he led in the three judges scorecards – 96-92 (Thailand’s Anek Hongtongkam), 95-93 (Austria’s Walter Schall) and 95-93 (Mexico’s Jose Guerra).

He blew a sure win by butting Baldomir again, leaving Ciminale no choice but to rule a disqualification.

That established Clottey’s unsavory reputation as an instinctively dirty fighter – almost like it’s in his nature to be dirty. Boxing News writer Tony Connolly said there was also reason to disqualify Clottey for low blows which he threw throughout the fight with impunity. In 2006, referee Lou Moret slapped a point deduction on Clottey for a low blow but the Ghanaian still beat Richard Gutierrez on points.

In 2008, Clottey won a ninth round technical decision over Zab Judah who was ruled unfit to continue by referee Robert Byrd because of a cut from an alleged butt.

Clottey’s vile tricks not only inflict physical damage but also cause mental anxiety.

Alvarez, for instance, couldn’t get untracked as he lost his focus, defending against butts and low blows instead of executing his fightplan.

Pacquiao has met two unscrupulously dirty fighters in his career – Australia’s Nedal Hussein and the Dominican Republic’s Agapito Sanchez.

He had problems dealing with both. In 2000, Pacquiao couldn’t figure out Hussein at first and was even floored in the fourth round.

Hussein hit on the break and used his forearms, elbows, shoulders and head to throw off Pacquiao.

Referee Carlos (Sonny) Padilla, however, put his foot down and slapped a point deduction on Hussein for forearming Pacquiao right after the knockdown.

Pacquiao eventually stopped Hussein on cuts in the 10th round. In 2001, Sanchez gave Pacquiao fits with his shenanigans during their brawl in San Francisco.

Referee Marty Denkin deducted two points from Sanchez for low blows but the Dominican got away with a headbutt that split open Pacquiao’s right eyelid in the second.

Sanchez butted Pacquiao once more on the same spot in the sixth.

Denkin should’ve disqualified Sanchez outright but copped out by halting the contest and going to the scorecards.

Pacquiao escaped with a split technical draw but without the two-point deduction, he would’ve lost by a split decision. At the point of stoppage, judge Ricardo Bays of Florida had it 58-54 for Pacquiao, judge Marshall Walker of California 55-57 for Sanchez and judge Raul Armando Caiz of Texas, 56-all.

Clottey’s history of resorting to foul tactics is an indication that he won’t be restrained from going against the rules to win a fight.

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

Source: Joaquin Henson - philstar.com

Clottey's Advantages

Fight week has arrived, but it seems a lot of the excitement over Pacquiao-Clottey has been subsumed by the interest in Mayweather-Mosley. Part of that - as Rumble writer Anthony Wilson points out - is obviously due to the disappointment over Pacquiao-Mayweather and the specter of steroids. Some of it is owed to the fact that there was no 24/7 leading into this fight and it was only made official 8 weeks ago.

The largest reason, though, why there seems to be so little heat is that it is nearly universally believed Pacquiao will win. There was genuine drama going into Pacquaio's most recent fights; his last fight as such a clear favorite was against the overmatched David Diaz, and Manny was predictably brilliant.

Joshua Clottey, however, is no David Diaz. Clottey has some clear advantages over Manny and is capable of winning this fight. An underdog? Yes. A sacrificial lamb? No.

Here are some reasons for Pacquiao fans to be concerned and Clottey fans to have hope going into their March 13 showdown.

Size: Joshua Clottey is a big man, or at least a big welterweight. He has been at 147 lbs his entire career, and it's a miracle he can still make weight. Against the late Chico Corrales, Joshua Clottey entered the ring at nearly 170 lbs.

Manny Pacquiao, as shown in the preview show, struggles to retain the size to fight as a welterweight. He will likely enter the ring at no more than 150 lbs, a full ten or fifteen less than Clottey. While Pacquiao has faced naturally bigger men before in De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto, Clottey will be the largest and fittest opponent of his career.

Right Hand: Joshua Clottey has a deceptive and quick straight right hand. It is not as flashy as Pacquiao's weapons, but it lands well and can be used at range. Manny's most recent difficult fights - Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez - came against fighters with strong right hands. Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, and Cotto were predominantly left handed punchers, will Pacquiao be able to adapt?

Durability: Joshua Clottey has walked through some of the biggest welterweight punchers of his generation with barely a backward step. Clottey has only suffered one knockdown in his career, an off-balance shot against Miguel Cotto, but has otherwise never been noticeably impacted by any punch.

Against Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao had some difficulties the first few rounds before taking control after a big uppercut knockdown in the third. That was the punch that changed the fight. Can Manny hurt Clottey with a single shot? It's possible, but he hasn't shown vulnerability like Cotto or Hatton.

Dirty: I mean this is the most flattering possible way, but Joshua Clottey is a little bit dirty. He was DQ'd against Carlos Baldomir for head butting and has used the tactic in several other fights. Clottey has also been known to punch low to gain an advantage.

Manny has been known to get a little wild after being cut, and is a very clean fighter. Is it possible he could be thrown off his game by a bigger man with nothing to lose and a loose relationship with the rules?

Expectations: Manny has now established himself firmly as a historically great fighter on a historically great run. While a lot of people will argue that it is impossible for Clottey to win a decision because Pacquiao is the attraction and such a financial power, what if the opposite is true?

Over the last couple of years Manny Pacquiao has won virtually every round by huge margins. Other than the first rounds against Cotto, Manny has barely even been hit. Expectations are so high for Manny that if the rounds are even competitive might the judges give Clottey the benefit of the doubt?


*


I'm not going to step on my toes for my final prediction, but these factors and a few others give Joshua Clottey a legitimate chance to score the upset win. When the bell rings on Saturday night Manny Pacquiao fans should feel some butterflies in their stomach and Joshua Clottey fans should feel some hope. Clottey will have to put in the performance of a lifetime, but make no mistake, Manny Pacquiao is not going to "David Diaz" Joshua Clottey.

And if he does... well, that will be worth watching too.

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

Source: Avi "Shoefly" Korine - sportingnews.com

Manny Pacquiao Vs. Joshua Clottey: What It Is, And What It Isn't

It's always a good thing when the world's best boxer, who doubles as its most electrifying performer, is fighting. It's all the better when he's fighting a quality opponent. Those are the circumstances Saturday night on HBO pay-per-view when the pound-for-pound king, Manny Pacquiao, locks horns with dangerous Joshua Clottey, ranked #5 by Ring magazine in the top-heavy welterweight division.

Yet despite those conditions... despite the good match-up, which likely will produce nice action... despite the sui generis backdrop of a Cowboys Stadium that will host 45,000 screaming fans... despite the likelihood that Pacquiao-Clottey will be a pay-per-view smash... it feels a touch anticlimatic. It's because March 13 was originally the date booked for what would have been the biggest fight in 20 years or more, Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather.

And you can say all you want, "Why don't we all just move on, already?" Ring magazine's Mike Rosenthal suggested the same thing in a recent column, then twice more mentioned Mayweather-Pacquiao in that same column. Fans of Pacquiao are constantly saying in comments on this blog, "Who cares about Mayweather?" But Pacland, the all-Pacquiao-all-the-time news hub, still lights up with Mayweather-centric articles. And some Filipino news outlets recently had a dust-up with Mayweather's flak over whether they could interview Mayweather about the drug-testing feud that derailed Mayweather-Pacquiao.

So let's consider what Pacquiao-Clottey is, and what it isn't.

It is a meeting of top-notch fighters. Pacquiao is the virtually undisputed best fighter in the world, of any weight. Some historians think he has cracked the list of the top 20 fighters ever. He's the three-time Fighter of the Year, a lineal, true boxing champion in an unprecedented four divisions and the current #1 man at welterweight per Ring magazine. Clottey, as I mentioned, is ranked #5 in the division, behind Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto, all of whom are in my pound-for-pound top 10. Some consider Clottey a pound-for-pound top 20 man, especially those who think he deserved the decision he narrowly lost on the scorecards to Cotto in his last fight.

It is likely to be a very entertaining fight. In 2009, Pacquiao and Clottey were in a pair of the best fights of the year, both against Cotto. Pacquiao is routinely in Fight of the Year candidates. He's as purely kinetic as any boxer that's stepped into the ring, and he's added a layer of dazzle with razor-sharp boxing skill. Clottey isn't quite on that level, excitement-wise, because he tends to be defense first, but he makes good fights because he always comes forward and looks to engage. He's been in a number of good scraps besides the Clottey fight, against the likes of Zab Judah and Antonio Margarito.

It has a story in it stadium. Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, coveted Mayweather-Pacquiao, and Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum coveted back. But mainly, it seems, Jones coveted Pacquiao. Jones no doubt will want to host more boxing events after this one, since an estimated crowd of 45,000 will be turning out for the show. Texas is maybe the worst big-fight jurisdiction in the country, prone to poor refereeing, hometown decisions and lackluster safety controls, but there will be a quality referee, Rafael Ramos, working this fight. As such, the focus has more been on Jones' gaudy stadium and the world's largest high-definition video screen, 72 feet high and 160 feet across.

It is a very big fight, but it is a touch shy of a mega-mega-fight. Besides the live gate, I'd expect the show to do in the vicinity of 1 million pay-per-view buys, probably less than more. Pacquiao has broken through to the mainstream, the rare boxer whom even non-boxing fans want to watch. He's a sports star and a movie star and a godlike figure in his native Philippines whose story has translated in the United States. Clottey, while well-known to hardcore fans, is an unknown to the casual viewer with no clear fan base in the United States. Consider that Pacquiao-Clottey only got a half-hour preview show from HBO, not the "24/7" documentary series for which Pacquiao has become a staple.

It is not anywhere near as compelling as Mayweather-Pacquiao. There's an argument to be made that Mayweather's boxing style produces bad fights and Pacquiao-Clottey will produce more fireworks than Mayweather-Pacquiao could have. But sometimes it's about more than whether a fight will be a good brawl. If good brawls were all that mattered, then the boxers I saw over the weekend at the Patriot Center would be multimillionaires. Mayweather-Pacquiao would have been a once-in-a-lifetime kind of fight because they were the two best fighters of the past decade, and the two most magnetic stars of recent years. I'd take Mayweather-Pacquiao 100 times out of 100 if offered the choice between that or Pacquiao-Clottey.

It is about the best fight that could have been made for Pacquiao in March absent Mayweather, but not quite -- and it's well shy of what Mayweather's doing next. Clottey was a high-quality replacement for Mayweather, a potentially difficult and dangerous fight for Pacquiao and the best ranked welterweight available in March at the time the fight was signed. But there are two opponents who would have been more dangerous: a junior welterweight fight with the #1 challenger to Pacquiao's 140-pound championship, Timothy Bradley, or a welterweight fight with Paul Williams, my #4 pound-for-pound fighter who contends from 147 to 160. Still, Clottey as an opponent isn't a major drop off from those two, even if one suspects that was the choice because he's under Arum's promotional banner. Where the fight comes up significantly short is in how it compares to Mayweather's next opponent. Mayweather is fighting Mosley in May, a match-up of the #2 and #3 fighters in the world, regardless of weight. It's not Pacquiao's fault that he won't be fighting Mosley, since Mosley was booked for a January fight that was cancelled after Pacquiao signed with Clottey. For the entire decade of the 00s, Pacquiao's choice of opponents far exceeded Mayweather's, but for once, that's not the case.

It is not a top-to-bottom good card. Once again, Arum is throwing us a junk undercard, with only one fight even remotely worth a damn. I'll elaborate on this more this week.

It may be Pacquiao's swan song. After the Clottey fight, Pacquiao will turn his full attention to running for Congress in the Philippines. If he wins the election, it's unclear whether he'll retire. So although I've offered some mild criticisms of this bout, I've got some advice for you: Enjoy Pacquiao while you still can. Once he's gone, as long as you live, you may never see a fighter like him again.

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

Source: queensberry-rules.com

Quantcast Manny Pacquiao will not take Joshua Clottey lightly

Manny Paquiao works with his trainer during a practice session at a Los Angeles gym Wednesday in preparation for his welterweight bout with Joshua Clottey on Saturday. (Nick Ut / Associated Press / March 2, 2010)

It's not the fight most wanted to see, and many casual sports fans probably don't know much about this guy who's stepped into Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s void to fight Manny Pacquiao.

Understandable. So much about why that mega-bout crashed over a drug-testing dispute, with $25-million guarantees to each fighter, is head-scratching.

Time, then, to bring some simple reasoning to the sport now as fight week arrives for Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The soundest logic says the man considered the best boxer in the world will have his way against the African challenger.

Any reason to think differently? A letdown? A visit to Pacquiao's Hollywood gym brings an onslaught of rebuttals from those asked if the Filipino superstar has shown any sign he's blowing off the threat of this lesser-known opponent.

"I wish we were fighting Mayweather this time, the way Manny has worked," Pacquiao's conditioning trainer, Alex Ariza, said.

A gym regular said he saw Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) unleash a barrage of two dozen unanswered blows to respected veteran sparring partner Steve Forbes.

"I hear Vegas has the over/under for rounds at 10," said Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, who has been so sharp in projecting his prodigy's latest conquests of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. "I'll take the under. We've watched a lot of tapes on Clottey. He's predictable. Manny will be the first to stop him."

Clottey, a 32-year-old native of Ghana and current resident of the Bronx, is 35-3 with 21 knockouts, and his lone losses have come to world champions: Carlos Baldomir in 1999 (controversial disqualification); Antonio Margarito in 2006 (close decision); and Miguel Cotto (close decision) in in June, his most recent bout.

Pacquiao watched Cotto-Clottey from ringside, scouting Cotto before beating him by 12th-round TKO in November. In Clottey, Pacquiao will be fighting a second consecutive true welterweight who has victories over the accomplished Zab Judah (a world title fight) and the late Diego Corrales on his resume. Clottey performed strongly against Cotto, but oddly stopped asserting himself in the final rounds.

"Clottey, he's a good defensive fighter," Pacquiao said. "He's bigger than me [by 2½ inches, with a three-inch reach advantage], so I've had to study his style and maybe he's trying to learn some new techniques. But from what I've studied so far, I think he's a good formula for me. I'm still sure he's studying different techniques he can try against me."

And how's that going?

"It is not easy. [Pacquiao's] good, but I tell people I'm going to beat him," Clottey said. "They don't believe me, but I'm a confident guy and I will keep my word. I will make him think a lot in the ring because of my defense. … I believe in my defense. He's going to throw a lot of punches. I'll block nine out of 10."

Clottey has been groomed in Ghana by impressive countrymen, including the tough Ike Quartey. Like Pacquiao, he came from a poor family and hawked goods on the street, including fish, oranges and bananas.

So is Clottey bound to frequently go into a self-made shell, stalling as he did late against Cotto? Clottey says he won't, wanting Pacquiao to stay cautious of the size advantage and punching power that is considered by some to be suspect. Clottey's last true knockout was in 2004, at a club show in Laughlin, Nev.

"What about mine?" Clottey asked of his punches.

Roach has openly said, "We don't know what Clottey has. We're concerned with his uppercut and hook, but we'll keep Manny out of that pocket."

Pacquiao, guaranteed $12 million plus a pay-per-view cut for this fight, has some bigger days ahead of him this year, including his campaign for a congressional seat in the Philippines, along with the expected resumption of talks with Mayweather.

Clottey, meanwhile, wants to keep logic thrown out the window. He never expected to get this fight and was negotiating for a bout against 154-pound champion Yuri Foreman when notified that Mayweather was out and he was in.

"I'd like to think good things come to good people," Clottey said. "We'll see. I know he's a good fighter. If he hits me, and I don't feel his punches, I'll jump on him. If I do feel them, I'll just have to hit him more."

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

Source: latimes.com

Gearing Up For Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey

This week begins the countdown toward the March 13, WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title defense by seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, of the Philippines against Ghanian-born, Bronx resident, Joshua Clottey, at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium in Arlington, Tex.

The 31-year-old Pacquiao, who has been named Fighter Of The Decade, is 50-3-2, with 38 knockouts, including a record of 18-1-2, with 15 knockouts under four-time Trainer Of The Year, Freddie Roach.

A three-Time Fighter Of The Year, Pacaquiao has an 11-match winning streak that includes eight knockouts coming in against the 32-year-old Clottey, who is 35-3, with 20 knockouts.

There is a lot going on with this fight in terms of publicity and videos available, given that is being promoted by Top Rank, and is being televised on HBO pay per view.

In addition, FanHouse will be having a live chat with Pacquiao at 1 p.m. on Monday conducted by Michael David Smith. On March 3, Pacquiao made his his second appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, a clip of which is viewable below.





In the clip, above, Pacquiao discusses the failed negotiations for a fight with Floyd Mayweather due to the unbeaten fighter's camp's demands that both combatants be tested under the Olympic-style random blood-testing procedures, and Pacquiao's refusal to comply.

"No, I told them that we were going to do a blood test, but not close to the fight. Because that is his advantage, because he's bigger than me. If we changed the situation, with me being bigger than him, and we did the blood test close to the fight, it would be an advantage to me because I would be bigger than him," Pacquiao told Kimmel.

"We do a blood test 24 days before the fight, and right after the fight, you do a drug test also. It's a urine test. I think it's not really for the fight," said Pacquiao. "The job of the fighter is to train hard and fight in the ring. You don't need to change the rules and the conditions because there is a Nevada State Athletic Commission to impliment the rules and the conditons."

On Jimmy Kimmel Live, Pacquiao also discussed Clottey's relative obscurity compared to Mayweather, and, briefly his relevance as an opponent.

"You know, the fans, they're very confident that I'll win the fight. But for me, nobody knows his history," said Pacquiao. "He's bigger, and he's a former world champion so, I don't underestimate my opponent. I respect my opponent."

Pacquiao, who also said that he had practiced to sing, which is his passion, to which Kimmel said, "I've got a great idea for you. You go on American Idol, right? And if they don't like you, beat the crap out of all of them. That would be the greatest thing ever."

Pacquiao did close the show by singing, George Benson's "Nothing's Going To Change My Love For You."






Kimmel also showed a trailer of the super hero movie, WaPakMan, which Pacquiao starred in.

Pacquiao will be profiled on 60 minutes, has a scheduled appearance on Good Morning America, and will be featured for the second time in Time Magazine, said Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank.

HBO already has begun airing "The Road To Dallas," which premiered on HBO's various channels on Saturday, March 6, and which is a 30-minute special analyzing the upcoming bout.

"The Road To Dallas" is available to HBO On Demand 24 hours daily, starting Wednesday, March 10, through Monday, April 12.

Also, On March 5 and 6, HBO began running replays of high profile showdowns Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto, which ended in Cotto being stopped in the 12th round, and Clottey vs. Zab Judah, which ended with Clottey winning a ninth-round, technical decision victory.

The fights have been available on HBO On Demand 24 hours daily starting Monday, March 1 and ending on Wednesday, March 24.


HBO airing dates of The Road To Dallas


Monday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m. and 12:05 a.m.

Tuesday, March 9 at 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

Friday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

Saturday, March 13 at 11:30 a.m.


HBO2 airing dates of The Road To Dallas


Sunday, March 7 at 11:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 10 at 10:00 p.m.


All times are ET/PT.

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

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

News PACQUIAO IN GREAT SHAPE, NO PROBLEM WITH HIS LEG

Filipino boxing icon and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao no longer has any problems with his left leg that bothered him some weeks ago and looked in great shape when he sparred six rounds at the Wild Card Gym on Saturday.

Conditioning expert Alex Ariza said trainer Freddie Roach had problems holding Pacquiao back even though he will be allowed to spar on a non-sparring day which is Monday, before the entourage flies out to Dallas aboard a chartered jet.

Ariza told us that he was particularly happy because Pacquiao’s “footwork was great and Freddie was very, very pleased with his footwork. Today he (Pacquiao) focused on footwork in moving and lateral movements and was doing just what he was supposed to do and me, I’m so happy because I asked him about the leg and the leg is a hundred percent now.”

Pacquiao sparred six rounds with Abdullai Amidu, the undefeated Ghana fighter with 17 knockouts in 18 wins and longtime sparring partner David Rodela, the super featherweight who helped him prepare for the rematch with Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera and whose quickness and hand-speed are his assets.

Ariza said that before they leave for Dallas, they would taper off and “slow down a little bit” although Pacquiao will spar a few rounds on Monday after taking Sunday off .

The conditioning guru who together with Roach who refined Pacquiao’s fighting style helped add explosive power to Pacquiao. He has since Ariza joined the team scored devastating victories ovr David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

Meantime, the Texas Boxing Commission has picked former US Army boxer and a native of Puerto Rico, Rafael Ramos to be the referee in the Pacquiao-Clottey fight on Sunday (Manila Time) which will be telecast in the Philippines by Solar Sports.

Ramos was referee in the 2009 "Fight of the Year" between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz and also officiated in a couple of world title fights in Japan.

Ramos has refereed fights in Texas for over 20 years and was chosen over another Texas favorite Laurence Cole who handled the first Pacquiao fight against Marco Antonio Barrera at the Alamadome in San Antonio in November 2003 in which Pacquiao annihilated the Mexican legend in eleven rounds.

It was Cole who ruled that a slip by Pacquiao was a knockdown and a clear knockdown by Pacquiao a slip.

John Whisler of San Antonio Sports reported that the 53 year old Ramos was not the first choice as the WBO whose welterweight title held by Pacquiao is on the line, wanted Cole. However, Whisler reports that the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation which oversees boxing in Texas is said to over-ruled the WBO and assigned Ramos as the third man in the ring.

Internationally respected referee Bruce NcTavish of New Zealand who makes his home in the Philippines told Ramos was "a good choice."

Even in Las Vegas, the Nevada State Athletic Commission exercises its jurisdiction and assigns the officials often incurring the displeasure of world organizations such as the World Boxing Council.

However, the NSAC has come under some criticism for its failure to assert its position on the issue of random blood tests demanded by Floyd Mayweather Jr which torpedoed a mega-fight with Pacquiao. The "Fighter of the Decade" agreed to blood tests 24 days before the fight and immediately after the fight but Mayweather insisted on 14 days before, resulting in negotiations falling apart.

When we asked executive director Keith Kizer whether the NSAC will supervise or have anything to do with the random blood tests of Floyd Mayweather Jr and Shane Mosley who will clash on May 1 at the MGM Grand, Kizer replied “we will review the results.”

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

Source: philboxing.com

Freddie Roach sets a dangerous bar for Manny Pacquiao

Roach expects a KO from Pacquiao

Los Angeles - The message coming from the Wild Card Boxing Gym's Commander and Chief Freddie Roach is that his prized pupil and pound for pound best Manny Pacquiao will starch Joshua Clottey and eventually stop him Saturday night.

“Six or seven rounds,” is what Roach feels the fight will last in comments to the Manila Bulletin. Other news clippings have Roach stating that Clottey might last eight or nine rounds.

Roach has set a public expectation that Clottey will be battered much like Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton were by Pacquiao during 2009.

A high bar has been set and it could be hard for Manny to hurdle over it.

Clottey is not a fighter who presses the accelerator for twelve rounds with wreck less abandon, creating opportunities for his opponents to knock him out. Clottey is measured, paced, and has a very under-rated defensive shell.

Slow foot movement and hand speed could make Clottey susceptible to Pacquiao's hornet-like speed and power; a referee's stoppage from a continued barrage of punches delivered by the Filipino over several rounds could be Clottey's most likely doom.

Fans must keep in mind that Joshua Clottey is a full fledged welterweight and this is the first time Pacquiao will face a 147 pound fighter in his prime and with no catch weight to drain his opposition of one or two crucial pounds.

Much has been written about Pacquiao's power moving with him to welterweight, but he won't be facing a 145 pound Miguel Cotto or Oscar De La Hoya. Clottey will be at full strength come Saturday night in Dallas, Texas and Pacquiao will feel the punch of a full-fledged welterweight for the first time.

Clottey, fighting at full fiery 147 pounds, presents a dangerous opponent for Pacquiao, a potential let-down if he cannot deliver on Roach's public request of a knockout, but also, an opportunity for Pacquiao's legend to grow - if a knockout is delivered.

Clottey Working His Butt Off For 'A Miracle'

A native of Ghana who is preparing for a March 13 challenge for the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) crown held by seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 knockouts) of the Bronx, N.Y., spoke to FanHouse recently from his sleeping quarters near his training facility at Fort Lauderdale's Contender Gym in Florida.

This is the third of four diaries for Clottey that will appear regularly on FanHouse as the 32-year-old Clottey enters the most lucrative and biggest fight of his career, one that will be aired live on HBO pay per view.

ad things just kept happening to one of boxing's good guys.

The initial thing was Joshua Clottey's first major fight against future world champion, Carlos Baldomir, in November of 10 years ago, when he was disqualified for head-butting in the 11th-round of a matchup he needed only to stay on his feet to win.

Clottey, to this day, believes he was the victim of foul play against Baldomir, but he never thought that it would be the story of his career.

"That was a very, very, big frustration for me. We were dealing with two promoters. Frank Maloney, he was the one who had the money. The other promoter, Panos Eliadis, loved us African guys. Too much for Maloney's tastes, in seemed like.

So Maloney was jealous because we always surprised him by winning. He didn't like that," said Clottey, who is 32.

"The day of the fight, I went to the bathroom, and I saw Maloney, and Baldomir's managers and trainers talking. Then and there, I thought to myself, 'Something bad's going to happen,'" said Clottey. "I think they did something to the referee, because he was all over me. You know, everything that I'd do, he warned me too much. It was painful to me."

Next up was his December, 2006 loss to Antonio Margarito, during which he led early before his two, injured hands betrayed him over the course of a unanimous decision loss and his bid to win the vacant WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title.

"I had planned out a good gameplan for Margarito, and it was working so perfectly. You could see the surprise in the place and in his face when I was winning, because nobody knew me. They didn't know me as a big fish. They were like,

'Wow,' where is this guy from?" recalled Clottey.

"But the first hand, my left, one, just went out on me. The knuckle in my left hand was experiencing a sharp pain," said Clottey. "And then I started to throw the right hand, and I was really trying to throw, but the pain was just too much in that one also."

Clottey rebounded, however, earning the IBF crown over southpaw, former world champion, Zab Judah via ninth-round technical decision stoppage in August of 2008.

Clottey was then informed that he would get a break against WBO king, Miguel Cotto, but the IBF would force him to give up the belt if he took the challenge rather than facing an organization mandatory.

With Cotto being his largest, career pay day, and a shot at seemingly endless possibilities in victory, Clottey bit the bullet and bagged the IBF crown.

Then, Clottey lost June's disputed, split-decision to Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs), against whom he suffered a flash knockdown from a first-round left hook.

"After the fight with Cotto, I was shocked, and I was so, so, so sad. Because I felt like what they did to me was something," said Clottey. "I thought that I won the fight, and that they just took the fight away from me. I was really tired of these things happening to me in championship fights."

But it only got worse after the fight, when Clottey split with trainer, Kwame Assante, over money.

"On Sunday or Monday, I was having a discussion with the trainer [Assante,] and he just came out and started talking and telling me things [about paying him] that I don't even know anything about," said Clottey. "It's great in that he's the trainer, and that he's going to make so much money. But now, it's not going to go to him, because of his selfishness. Now, he's gone."

Adding to the problems, however, was the fact that two successive opportunities -- one against WBA welterweight super champion, Shane Mosley, and another opposite former titlist, Carlos Quintana -- fell through.

"You know, about that, there was yet another very big frustration. But I kept thinking to myself, 'One thing about life is that good things always come to good people,'" said Clottey.

"All of those fights that we talked about where they said I lost, and the fights that fell through, I figured that it had to end sometime. You never know what is going to happen," said Clottey.

"When they called off the fights, I just kept on training, and was continuing to think about the next option," said Clottey. "I'm patient, I'm very respectful to everybody, I'm very nice to everybody. I push myself. So, you know, I thought, 'Good things happen to good people."

This time, Clottey was right.

For in early January, things began to look up for a dejected Clottey, who received an offer from Top Rank Promotions' CEO, Bob Arum, to face seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, for anotther chance to earn the WBO crown.

More than that, the 31-year-old Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) represented the largest career payday for Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), who arrived from his Ghana in New York in mid-January and informed FanHouse that he had signed the contract for the fight an hour earlier.

Nicknamed, "The Grand Master," Clottey's purse will surpass $1 million for the first time, with an upside to the pay-per-view.

But there still would be hurdles for Clottey, who was in need of a new trainer.

Clottey thought that for sure that he had had the perfect one in Godwin Nii Dzanie Kotey, a legendary father figure to his fighters who had worked with Clottey's countryman and former welterweight star, Ike Quartey.

But Clottey would receive yet another blow when Kotey was denied a work Visa to the U.S.

"That was very disappointing," said Clottey, who wept openly about the decision, "because I have my trainer in Ghana, and he doesn't get a Visa to come, that was unexpected."

Manager, Vinnie Scolpino, suggested Lenny DeJesus, who had worked as Clottey's cut man and an assistant to Assante during Clottey's loss to Cotto.

They had known of each other from John's Gym in the Bronx, where Clottey has trained, and DeJesus, worked with other fighters.

"That's why I chose Lenny. The training is going fine, because it's easy with me to connect with anybody. Lenny, he's a nice person. He talks to me. Lenny talks to me about boxing. Whenever your manager or your trainer feels for you, it's good. It's not like they just want money," said Clottey.

"Lenny's the guy who in it for me. So I love it that he's there for me, because I can go into the ring and fight. I'm okay with him, I'm nice with him," said Clottey.

"Lenny can tell me things like, 'Go into the ring, go to his body.' If I go to the body, and it doesn't work, I have to change my whole plan in the ring," said Clottey. "So sometimes, the trainers talk, and they work good the way they're talking, they become heroes."

Clottey said that he and DeJesus are on the same page.

"Everything is fine with me and Lenny," said Clottey. "We're nice, we're cool. I'm so happy with him."

And since he first received the call from Top Rank offering the bout with Pacquiao, Clottey has been looking for, and, finding positive signs.

The first one, said Clottey, is the fact that Pacquiao did not request a catchweight of 145 pounds, something that is a big help since Clottey has fought several times at weights higher than 147.

"They never talked about me moving to a catchweight. We're fighting at the welterwelterweight limit, so it's like, a miracle," said Clottey, who can concentrate more on technique than simply wearing himself down cutting weight.

"But you can't just be there and pray to God, 'Oh, God, I want money to buy food and eat,' and God will come from heaven and give you money," said Clottey. "No, have got to continue to work your a** off and go to work. So I know that I'm going to go there and that I'm going to be in a fight."

In Pacquiao, Clottey is facing a man who simply seems to have forgotten how to lose, and whose focus is unflappable.

He is running for congress, has made a movie, been the focus of features in major, crossover magazines, and even delivered food to his native Filipinos during a typhoon -- a move that briefly interrupted his training only days prior, but, nevertheless, did not affect his performance in his 12th-round knockout of that dethroned Puerto Rico's Cotto as WBO champ.

Pacquiao has been named Fighter Of The Year for the past three, and was recently honored as The Fighter Of The Decade, owing largely to an 11-0 record that includes eight knockouts since a March, 2005 loss to Erik Morales at super featherweight (130 pounds).

Pacquiao is in his 22nd, consecutive bout under Freddie Roach, who has been named a Four-Time Trainer Of The Year, and under whom Pacquiao is is 18-1-2, with 15 knockouts since June of 2001.

But for Clottey, there are just too many things that are positive for the Grand Master not to believe that this is not part of the grand, master plan.

"I never expected for me to be fighting on pay per view this early, and I never expected to be fighting with Manny Pacquiao this early, and I never expected to be fighting in March this early in the year," said Clottey.

"And you know one thing, I don't like any thing being around me when I'm training. That's the only thing I think about is the training. Nothing makes me happier now than thinking about the training and the fight, and believe me, I've trained so, so, so, so hard," said Clottey.

"When I'm in the gym, that's the time I fight more. My mind has always told me that "Everything is going to be fine,' and it might not work out the way that I want it to," said Clottey. "But I never expected to be in such a huge fight like this, which is the biggest pay day of the year. It's like a miracle, like something is being worked out. It's like a miracle, something is coming, and I'm so happy."

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

Source: ghanaweb.com

'Champ's got skills, techniques'

HOLLYWOOD – Steve Forbes, one of Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partners, is on the same page with Freddie Roach.

The 33-year-old boxer from Nevada told Pinoy scribes the other day he sees Pacquiao finishing off Joshua Clottey in nine rounds at the Cowboys Stadium next Saturday.

Forbes said it did not take long for him to realize how strong Pacquiao is on the ring.

“You know, he’s a lot more better technically than what people give him credit for,” said Forbes of the WBO welterweight champion from the Philippines, who’s more known for his power than his technical ability.

“Yes, he’s got good skills and technique,” said Forbes.

And based on what he knows about Clottey, Forbes said it should be over in nine rounds, the same prediction Roach made the other day.

“Nine at most,” said Forbes.

“I see Manny overwhelming him with activity. There’s just too many angles for Pacquiao’s punches. There’s too much speed and good placement of shots. Manny will overwhelm him with speed and punching power.”

Forbes, who’s got a 34-7-0 record, was to face Harrison Cuello in Connecticut last night, and before he left the Wild Card Gym the other day he said working with Pacquiao will serve him in good stead.

“It’s great working with him and coach Freddie. There’s just so much to learn from them,” he said.

Notes: There’s no “24/7” coverage from HBO this time, but just the same the leading cable network came up with a 30-minute special – “The Road to Dallas.” It was aired Saturday evening, and tackled the coming fight between Manny Pacquiao and Josh Clottey. As usual, it was a good one, showing the distance between the two fighters, one being an icon, and the other just being there for the opportunity of a lifetime. While Pacquiao loved the glare of the cameras, Clottey appeared to be the quiet type – on and off the ring. The 33-year-old hero from Ghana stays in a small apartment in The Bronx, and has the habit of running by his lonesome, under the cover of darkness. Pacquiao, on the other hand, stays in his $2 million home in Los Angeles, and never leaves the house without his bloated entourage. The difference on the ring will be known next week... Dr. Allan Recto, a personal friend of Pacquiao’s, is amazed with the boxer’s physical conditioning. After Friday morning’s run and close to a thousand crunches, Pacquiao’s pulse rate was in the low 50s. That’s how great athletes are, the doctor said, as compared to other men, like the Filipino’s strength and conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, who ran a couple of rounds at the Griffith Park, and checked his pulse rate at 140. “His physical condition is unbelievable,” said Recto.

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

Source: philstar.com