Pacquiao: “I think Mosley will win” against Mayweather

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: boxingnews24.com

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

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

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

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

BoxingScene.com: Are you looking good weight wise?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: boxingscene.com

The Final Score: Dallas Ready for Pacquiao-Clottey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: gmanews.tv

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: boxingnews24.com

PACQUIAO PLEASED WITH CONDITION FOR CLOTTEY FIGHT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advice to fellow boxers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wrong decision

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

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

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

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

Proud manager

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

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

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

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

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

Help for Gorres

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

He was supposed to be featured in Pinoy Power 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: insidesports.ph

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freddie Roach:

V: Is Pacquiao ready for the fight against Clottey?

F: No. Not yet. Almost.

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

Source: Vitali Shaposhnikov, diamondboxing.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Chris Williams, boxingnews24.com

Pacquiao Ready To Batter Clottey; Valero Wants Marquez

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: boxingscene.com

The third man in the ring for Pacquiao-Clottey?

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

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

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

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

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

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







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

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







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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ugly?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will he win?

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

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Source: ringsidereport.com