Pacquiao Will Beat Clottey Easily, Says Ex-Trainer

While most boxing aficionados predict that pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will have a tough fight against former world champion Joshua Clottey in Pacquiao’s first defense of his WBO welterweight title, the trainer who handled Pacquiao when he won his first world title believes Pacquiao will win easily.

American Rick Stehely who trained Pacquiao when he scored a sensational 8th round knockout over Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul to win his first world title – the WBC flyweight crown in December 1998 told us he can’t see how Pacquiao could lose.

Stehely told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports in an interview at the Orchid Inn in Angeles City said “ I think this is a kind of an easy fight for Manny. Clottey is bigger and is physically stronger but Manny’s got everything else. He’s got the speed, he’s got the skills plus Clottey is a blocker. Its almost like if Manny goes out there and throws punches in bunches , he doesn’t have to hit him hard.”

Stehely said “every now and then crack him hard but just touch him, move a little bit and I can see Clottey sitting up there with his hands over his face most of the fight and when he does open up Manny nails him with a good shot because of his speed.”

The American trainer said he believes Clottey “can go twelve rounds with Manny. He’s a tough kid but he’s not a big puncher although he might be stronger than Pacquiao physically but he’s not stronger punch-wise.”

Stehely summed it up by predicting that Pacquiao “should win a very easy twelve round decision or possibly stop Clottey him late like he did with (Miguel) Cotto” whom he beat by a 12th round TKO last November 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Stehely said he was not sure whether Pacquiao could draw 45,000 fight fans even though he conceded the Filipino southpaw “has a big following now and if you put on a real nice Mexican undercard they may be able to get 45,000 in there.”

Australia’s multi-titled “Promoter of the Year” Peter Maniatis said it will be the first time that Pacquiao will fight at 147 pounds for the first time since the Oscar De La Hoya fight and Clottey “is a tough fighter who gave Cotto more than he wanted but Manny is a super star and I’ve never seen a fighter like him. His speed, his stamina its just unbelievable and Clottey is going to be in for a tough night.”

Pacquiao who is scheduled to begin sparring on Thursday went through his regular routine at the Wild Card Gym of trainer Freddie Roach although the bad weather in Los Angeles has somewhat interfered with his jogging.

Meantime, Clottey’s problem over his trainer and assistant being denied renewal of their visas to enter the US has been solved with the re-hiring of Clottey’s former trainer Godwin Kotey of Bukom, Ghana, for the showdown against Pacquiao .

Clottey who last worked with Kotey in 2004 was reportedly relieved that Kotey who was initially refused a renewal of his visa until the US embassy in Accra, Ghana checked some things, will arrive in New York on Friday after which Clottey and his team will leave for their training camp in Fort Lauderdale in Florida.

Boxingscene.com quoted Clottey’s manager Vinny Scolpino as saying Godwin “ is a very famous trainer in Ghana and this is the trainer Joshua has been asking for to prepare for Pacquiao. It will be Godwin who puts together our game plan."

Clottey earlier split with trainer Kwame Asante who handled him for the Miguel Cotto fight following a dispute over the trainer’s pay.

Source: boxingscene.com

Manny Pacquiao – Joshua Clottey: A Great Showdown and Steroid Speculation

Steroids & Boxing

The Manny Pacquiao allegations still linger over boxing and the public is divided somewhere around the middle. It will not affect the upcoming pay per view showdown with Joshua Clottey. The show will go on and it will be very successful. Clottey is a great opponent…far better than Paulie Malignaggi or Yuri Foreman, two other considered challengers.

Clottey has a much better chance to upset the “Pacman” then Ricky Hatton or Miguel Cotto did. His tight defense and consistency is something that Pacquiao will have to figure out. What Team Pacquiao is counting on, I’m sure, is the susceptibility of Clottey to straight punches. That straight left hand coming down the pike would do some serious damage to Clottey, or so they hope. Cotto was able to drop Clottey with a jab. Manny punches very hard and is very quick and his straight left is more powerful than any jab. Clottey will have to be extra defensive and use a very disciplined style, which he seems to do naturally anyway.

The steroid allegation has made many other boxers’ misdeeds resurface, proving that this is not an isolated incident and there should possibly be stricter guidelines.

Jameel McCline, the 4-Time Heavyweight Title Challenger, received more than 12,000 worth of steroids (Stanozolol, nandrolone, testosterone, and tamoxifen) in 2005 and 2006. He never tested positive for any substance, which means that he knew how to play the game and avoid positive testing while using.

James Toney, former Middleweight, Super Middleweight, and Cruiserweight Champion won the WBA Heavyweight Title in 2005 with a decision over then champion, John Ruiz, but would test positive for stanozolol and the decision would be turned into a no contest. Toney insisted that he was given the steroid by a doctor and didn’t knowingly cheat. He would test positive again in 2007 for boldenone and stanozolol.

Shane Mosley, multiple division champion, admitted using steroids prior to 2003, although he stated that he did so without knowledge. Many in the Mosley camp during this time beg to differ. Mosley stated to a grand jury in 2003 that he injected himself with EPO prior to his second bout with Oscar De La Hoya.

Former WBO Heavyweight Champion, Tommy Morrison, admitted using steroids to get an edge on his competition.

Recently, another former WBO Heavyweight Champion, Shannon Briggs tested positive for an illegal substance, although he claims that is was his asthma medication. No further details have emerged.

In 2002, former IBF Light Middleweight Champion, Fernando Vargas, tested positive for stanozolol after a bout with Oscar De La Hoya.

In a competitive sport where millions of dollars can be made, there will be steroid abuse and there will be controversies with loaded gloves and crooked judges. It is unfortunate that boxing has this dark cloud and especially as it hangs over the most popular and best fighter in the game, Manny Pacquiao. At this time, we have to believe Manny to be innocent until proven guilty but some would argue that he has not acted like an innocent man. Time should tell us the truth. For now, we can look ahead to the Pacquiao-Clottey showdown and hope for a great fight.

Allan Green in the Super Six

The Showtime super middleweight tournament lost a fighter in Jermain Taylor. He was scheduled to take on Andre Ward for the WBA Super Middleweight Title and for more points in the tournament, but bowed out after a knockout loss to Arthur Abraham in his first appearance. Allan Green has been eager to get into the tournament and felt that he belonged more so than many of the accepted competitors. He has only lost once in 2007 to Edison Miranda, and when you figure in his medical condition, you can forgive it. He has been flawless since.

Now slated is Allan Green, 29-1, 20 KO’s, as he challenges for the WBA Crown against Andre Ward, 21-0, 13 KO’s, on April 17^th. Ward was lightly regarded prior to his title winning performance against tournament favorite, Mikkel Kessler. Now he is a big favorite to not only defeat Green but to go all the way.

Make no mistake, Ward looked great in his fight with Kessler. He used cagy tactics and timing to befuddle and subdue the strong champion en route to a technical decision. Ward fights like a veteran and knows many tricks and although he stands in front of his opponent, he proves hard to hit. Green will have to solve that and is quick enough to find him.

Jermain Taylor is a great fighter but he most likely would not have been mentally in the fight with Ward and would have lost a wide decision. Green is not only mentally in this fight, it’s an opportunity he’s been awaiting his entire career. He has a huge punch and great timing. If his timing is great enough to catch Ward, we will have a new champion and even more excitement in this tournament. This is a great turn for the event.

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

Source: ringsidereport.com

Clottey to train in Florida

Already in the thick of training in the Bronx in New York, Joshua Clottey’s preparation goes up a notch when the Ghana banger travels to Fort Lauderdale, Florida this weekend for his March 13 showdown with Manny Pacquiao in Dallas, Texas.

The decision to camp out in Fort Lauderdale, which is just 23 miles north of Miami, is for Clottey to escape the wintry weather in New York since Florida weather is pleasant with temperature hovering between 25-15 degrees Celsius this time of year.

Clottey actually began training almost two weeks ago as soon as he arrived from a two-month vacation in his native Ghana, according to his chief handler Vinny Scolpino.

Clottey said last week during the two-city promotional tour in Dallas and New York that he weighs around 160 lbs and that he doesn’t see any problem making the contracted welterweight limit of 147 lbs.

Over at the West Coast, Pacquiao’s own training is going on smoothly at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood under Freddie Roach.

Pacquiao, a 3-1 favorite over his African foe, showed up for training the first time last Friday but is already penciled to have his first sparring session this Thursday or Saturday.

Meanwhile, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum said he expects to announce a sellout soon owing to the strong demand for tickets for the March 13 bout at Cowboys Stadium.

“Including the pre-sale that we had, over 20,000 tickets have been sold as of the weekend,” said Arum.

The Cowboys Stadium can accommodate as much as 100,000, but it will be downsized to 40,000 for the fight.

Since ticket prices are not prohibitive with the premium seat going for just $700 and the cheapest at a mere $50, Arum believes Texas billionaire Jerry Jones, who owns the Dallas Cowboys team in the National Football League, will be overwhelmed by the response of the public to the fight.

Jones is joining hands with Arum in staging the Pacquiao-Clotter duel. (Tempo Sports)

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

Source: mb.com.ph

Don’t be surprised if Pacquiao takes a beating from Clottey

As soon as I found out that Manny Pacquiao and his team chose to fight Joshua Clottey rather than stay and negotiate a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., I saw it as a fatal mistake by Pacquiao’s team. Mayweather has no power to speak of and only sparingly throws punches nowadays for some reason. Clottey is a whole different breed of fighter altogether. Clottey has superb hand speed, good power and isn’t afraid to take the fight to his opponent.

Clottey won’t wear down or back off against Pacquiao like Miguel Cotto did in his recent fight with Pacquiao. Clottey will just keep coming and coming and firing away at Pacquiao and making him miserable for as long as it lasts. Right about now, people are blowing smoke up Pacquiao’s backside, telling him how great he is, and saying how he’s going to destroy Clottey.

Pacquiao, being human, obviously is aware that people think he’s going to run over Clottey and I see this as having an effect on his mental preparation for the fight. Pacquiao is going to go into this fight thinking he’s got this guy right where he wants him, and is going to take a dish of punishment that he won’t soon forget.

Pacquiao may have pumped up to welterweight by eating and working out, but his frame is still basically that of a smaller fighter. I only weight 140, but if I was to put on 80 pounds of muscle, I still wouldn’t have a heavyweight frame to compete against one of those big guys round after round. We’re bone structure.

Pacquiao hasn’t had to suffer the effects of having a strong welterweight pound away at him for 12 rounds as of yet, because Manny destroyed Oscar De La Hoya, who starved himself down from light middleweight to take the fight with Pacquiao. And Ricky Hatton was a light welterweight, and a short one at that.

Cotto, for his part, also was a small welterweight at only 5’7”. Cotto fought timidly after being dropped twice early in the fight and basically went into survival mode after the 4th round. It wasn’t like Cotto stayed in there and traded with Pacquiao for the full 12 rounds, because Miguel looked like he was thinking survival.

Clottey won’t be like that. He’s going to go be stalking Pacquiao all around the ring like a deer hunter going after a wounded buck. Pacquiao, with his sense of invincibility gained from his wins over De La Hoya, Hatton and Cotto, will make a calculated error of trying to meet fire with fire and soon find himself in a hopeless situation where Clottey is giving him a beating.

Rather than changing up to the situation and correcting his course, Pacquiao will continue to try and trade with the bigger and stronger Clottey despite the punishment he starts to take in the fight. Clottey will probably be carrying around at least 175 pounds on his frame by the time the fight starts, and will be like a huge ball of fire chasing after the little in comparison Pacquiao, whipping him with punches over and over again, and causing looks of pain on the face of Pacquiao.

Instead of backing off and regrouping, Pacquiao will wade into Clottey like the Titanic trying to stream through a huge iceberg. Clottey will wound Pacquiao with a huge shot to the head by the 7th or 8th round, and then batter him at will until the referee steps in to save Pacquiao from taking any further punishment. Roach will come into the ring, and carry Pacquiao back to the corner in his arms like a mother hen.

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

Source: boxingnews24.com

Pacquiao/Clottey: Ghanaians rally behind Joshua Clottey

WBO Welterweight title challenger Joshua Clottey has received the full backing of his countrymen ahead of March 13’s big fight against Manny Pacquiao. Clottey goes into the fight as a huge underdog against the man who has won seven world titles in seven weight categories but Ghanaian boxing chiefs led by former world champion Azumah Nelson have reposed a huge confidence in the 32 year old Joshua Clottey.

“My fear is that Manny Pacquiao is a southpaw because they are hard to fight but Joshua has given us an assurance that he knows how to fight southpaws so I am relieved. I will advise Joshua to train hard but I know him and I know that he will not rest. We will be there to support him physically and mentally,” stated Hall of Famer Azumah Nelson at the press conference organized by the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) in Accra this morning to show support for Joshua Clottey..

Azumah, now Technical Director of GBA, was surrounded by the bigwigs of Ghanaian boxing as well as top government officials on the high table at the press conference as the nation formally threw support behind the boxer. Clottey who like many of the country’s top boxers have endlessly criticized the GBA for a lack of support, confessed that he goes into the fight against Pacquiao feeling like he is fighting for Ghana for the very first time. “I am encouraged by what I am seeing and hearing today and for the first time I am thinking about the nation which will make things harder for Manny Pacquiao. The nation didn’t support us much in the past but if now they are ready to get behind us, that is the best motivation I can get. And I promise to win the title for Ghana,” Clottey told the press conference at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra.

Joshua still battling US immigration officials in Accra for his trainer Godwin Dzanie Kotey and assistant Daniel Clottey to get visa clearances to travel with the boxer to the US, was very emotional on the issue pleading with the US Embassy to even issue a two-month visa for the trainers and it will be enough. He even made a plea to Ghana President Atta Mills to personally get involved to help with the visa application. “The nation is with you in spirit and we pray to God to guide you unto victory. The NSC will also take over the visa issue so that Alloway can travel with Joshua,” said Worlanyo Agrah, CEO of the National Sports Council (NSC) of Ghana before leaving the room of the press conference and returning few minutes later with the promise that the necessary contacts are being made for Clottey’s trainer to be issued with the visa.

Clottey meanwhile is scheduled to depart Accra for the US on Friday hopefully with coach Alloway to begin final preparations for the big fight on March 13. He has again assured his countrymen that nothing will stop him from beating Manny Pacquiao even if the stakes are highly placed against him. “I am taking this fight not for the money but to win the title. I know its Pacquiao but I don’t want people thinking that Manny is super, that nobody can beat him. He is a human being like me. He has lost three times and I have also lost three times. We speak, laugh and share jokes together. I promise that I will dethrone him,” Joshua Clottey said.

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

Source: eastsideboxing.com

P4P king Pacquiao not taking Clottey lightly

Joshua Clottey may not have the credentials of the fighter he replaced in Manny Pacquiao’s March 13 gig but that doesn’t mean the Filipino pound-for-pound king could simply shrug off the Ghanaian’s challenge.

In fact, Pacquiao himself said he’s not taking Clottey, who took over as the Pacman’s opponent after talks for a megabout with Floyd Mayweather Jr., broke down, lightly.

“Magaling na boksingero ito (Clottey is also a great fighter),” Pacquiao said of his challenger, a former IBF 147-lb titlist himself, in an interview with GMA-7.

“(He’s a) very defensive fighter. Malakas din at mas matangkad pa kay (Miguel) Cotto. Kaya hindi tayo pwedeng magkumpyansa, (He’s also strong and is much taller compared to Cotto)” the 31-year-old ring icon added.

Pacquiao has opened training camp last Friday, immersing himself into the technical aspect of their preparations by studying Clottey’s previous fights and giving inputs to trainer Freddie Roach. He actually saw Clottey in action first-hand when he challenged then champion Cotto in June 2009.

“Manny’s a very intelligent fighter (now),” Roach said, recognizing Pacquiao’s more active involvement in dissecting his opponent’s fighting style and devising plans against it. “Now he understands how to study fights. Before, he didn’t care. He just did what he did. But now, he sees it. And when you see it, you can execute it.”

Clottey, who yielded a split decision to Cotto, is known for his durability and so Roach said Team Pacquiao is preparing for a 12-round war.

“You can’t count on knocking this guy out because he’s never been knocked out in his life. He’s got a good chin and he’s a very durable guy, a big strong guy,” the trainer conceded.

However, if they can find a way to send Clottey down for the count, Roach said they would go for it.

“But I’m not saying we can’t knock him out. I think we will somewhere along the way. But we’re gonna be ready for 12 hard rounds.

Pacquiao, as usual, was non-committal on the KO-Clottey thing.

“Mahirap magsabi ng tapos pero gagawin natin ang makakaya (It’s hard to predict the result but we’ll do our best),” he said.

The 32-year-old Clottey, for his part, can’t wait to have a shot at the fancied champion.

“Joshua is in great fighting shape right now. He is anxious to get into the ring against Pacquiao,” said Clottey’s manager Vinny Scolpino in a press release from Top Rank.

The Bronx-based Clottey, according to his manager, will hold his main training camp for the Pacquiao fight in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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

Source: GMANews.TV

Ticket sales booming for Manny Pacquiao fight

More than 20,000 tickets have been sold for Manny Pacquiao’s March 13 fight against welterweight Joshua Clottey at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, and officials say there could be close to 60,000 in attendance on fight night.

“The first days of sales for boxing events can be about 25% of the total,” said Texas boxing publicist Lester Bedford, who’s assisting Top Rank and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in the Pacquiao-Clottey fight promotion. “There’ll be a heavy Hispanic undercard that has yet to be announced, and that could trigger more sales.

“With the fight being in this new stadium there’s no history to predict how a boxing event will do. It could go to 50,000, 60,000.”

Jones originally arranged a seating plan to accommodate 40,000, and tickets went on sale Saturday through Ticketmaster.

The undercard could feature the return of former world welterweight champion Antonio Margarito, who had his boxing license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission February 2009 after officials removed plaster-caked inserts inside wraps on both of his hands before being defeated by Shane Mosley last January at Staples Center.

Margarito is planning to apply to get his license restored in Texas next month, and promoter Bob Arum said if Margarito wins the super-welterweight undercard fight against Carson Jones, he’d strongly consider making a Margarito-Pacquiao bout at Dallas Cowboys Stadium later this year.

Bedford said former lightweight world champion Jose Luis Castillo will also appear on the Pacquiao-Clottey undercard.

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

Source: latimes.com

PACQUIAO TO GET CRACKING ON TUESDAY

Manny Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound king and boxing icon will get cracking in his preparation for “The Event” with former world champion Joshua Clottey at the state-of-the-art $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13, on Tuesday, Manila Time.

When Pacquiao walks into Freddie Roach’s Gym at around 1:00 p.m. he will see people walking out because that’s the way Roach wants it. He knows how serious the fight against Clottey is and he is not taking any chances although he knows Pacquiao likes training with his fans around him.

Nobody but the most essential members of Team Pacquiao will be allowed into the Wild Card Gym when Pacquiao is training but there’s no word on who will be allowed in with rumors typical of the Pacquiao camp claiming that Manny’s trusted adviser Michael Koncz won’t be allowed in. If by chance the rumor turns out to be true then it will be a test of just how much Pacquiao is in control of his own training camp.

Conditioning expert Alex Ariza who had a minor altercation with Koncz during the Baguio City training camp as Pacquiao prepared for the WBO welterweight title fight against Joshua Clottey told us he hadn’t seen Koncz the two days that Pacquiao worked out at the gym but didn’t wish to say anything that could spark unnecessary tension within Team Pacquiao.

Pacquiao himself has told us more than once that he trusts Koncz, values his loyalty and says Koncz does what he asks him to.

For his part Koncz looks after Pacquiao’s needs 24/7 and doesn’t bother about anybody else, except perhaps Manny’s wife Jinkee, or what anybody else has to say.

Ariza said they took a day off Sunday which is normal but that they would get cracking on Monday as both he and Roach realize they cannot take Clottey for granted because a hungry fighter is always a dangerous opponent.

Ariza said he would know about who Roach has picked as sparring partners for Pacquiao even as there were indications he could start sparring sooner than later because the seven division world champion looked like he hadn’t taken a break after the November 13 fight against Cotto.

Ariza told us he plans to get Pacquiao working on his rigorous strength and conditioning exercises on Monday when he shows up at the gym.

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

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao, Clottey to rumble at Cowboys Stadium

Boxers Manny Pacquiao, left, of the Philippines, and Joshua Clottey, of Ghana, right, pose with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders during a news conference announcing their fight at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. Pacquiao and Clottey will fight March 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)

ARLINGTON, Texas - Guys wearing jeans and cowboy hats ran through dry ice and past the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, sparklers firing from the tips of the flagpoles they carried.

Michael Buffer gave his signature introduction, the music blared, the highlights rolled and, finally — walking through the same tunnel the Cowboys use to enter and exit their home turf — out came boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.

No, this wasn't a test run for Pacquiao's March 13 welterweight fight against Joshua Clottey in the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium.

This was merely the news conference kicking off the hype for a bout being billed as "The Event."

"This is going to be the Super Bowl of boxing," said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer.

Not really. That would've been the hoped-for matchup between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., which was scuttled after Mayweather outlined a drug testing plan Pacquiao wouldn't accept.

Had that fight come together, it would have been in Las Vegas. So as far as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is concerned, things worked out just fine.

"It did," Jones said, smiling. "This gave us an opening. We were very aggressive. We were pretty quick to make a deal."

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum was smitten by the stadium during negotiations for a possible Pacquaio-Mayweather fight. Arum returned for a Cowboys playoff game, sitting near former President George W. Bush in Jones' box.

Arum has promoted fights at the Astrodome and at Yankee Stadium. He predicts Cowboys Stadium "will have a big role in boxing for years to come."

"I have never, ever seen anything like it," Arum said. "There is nothing in the world like this place. It just blows you away."

The stadium is hosting the NBA All-Star Game next month and will host the Super Bowl next year. A Final Four is on the way, as is a Notre Dame football game. It's also in the running as a World Cup soccer site, should that event come to the United States.

Still, for all that it has going for it, the building is right off an interstate highway in a suburb midway between Dallas and Fort Worth. There's a nearby amusement park and some strip centers, none of which will ever be confused with the Las Vegas Strip.

But money talks and Jones believes he can make it financially worthwhile for fighters. His goal is to host up to four or five fights a year, "once we establish that we are the place to fight and have the kind of stature that we want to have." He used Madison Square Garden as a comparison.

For this fight, the Cowboys are planning to sell around 40,000 seats, offering tickets on all but the highest decks.

There's no decision yet on whether they will have the standing-room only tickets that have been so popular for other events since the stadium opened last summer. Considering the HBO pay-per-view will cost $49.95, it would be a heck of a deal to pay that much to watch on the stadium's enormous video boards, while also being in the building.

Jones vowed that fight night will be even splashier than the news conference.

"We're going to make this one of the most interesting fights to view that there's ever been," he said. "It'll have everything to do with the flexibility of this board right above the ring. We're going to have some fun with it."

The fight itself should be pretty good, too.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) is widely considered the best fighter, pound-for-pound, in the world. In November, he beat Miguel Cotto, who beat Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) last summer. However, that fight was a split decision that many felt should've gone to Clottey, a native of Ghana who lives in New York.

The boxers praised each other during Tuesday's event. They also were gushing over the facility and the glitzy news conference.

"I like the introduction," Pacquiao said. "I'm surprised. I feel like I'm a ... football player!"

Soon enough, he looked like one.

Jones presented Pacquiao with a No. 3 jersey featuring his name on the back. Clottey received a No. 13 jersey.

The significance? It's shorthand for the date of the bout: 3-13.

Jones already has gotten ticket requests from former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells. Jones and Barry Switzer have gone to fights together, so he'll probably ask for a seat, too.

Parcells, though, is the biggest fight fan of the bunch. In fact, Jones once looked into investing in Pacquiao's career.

"Bill really encouraged me to meet with the guy who had Pacquiao," Jones said. "I had him come in and sit down and talk about backing Pacquiao. You could see his potential at that time."

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

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/34943129/ns/sports-other_sports/