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

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

Pacman in 6 or 7 - Roach

A Pinoy fan arrives at the Wild Card gym on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Abac Cordero

HOLLYWOOD – Manny Pacquiao turned on the heat inside the gym Saturday as the temperature dropped outside.

He sparred for six rounds against Abdulla Amidu and Dave Rodela. He worked so hard. He moved so well. He looked sharp.

Trainer Freddie Roach was so impressed he shortened Joshua Clottey’s lifespan on the ring by a couple more rounds as the March 13 fight at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas neared.

A month ago, Roach said he’d be happy if Pacquiao wins by decision. Then last Thursday, he said Pacquiao should knock out Cottey inside nine rounds, but he’d be happier if the fight ends right in the opening round.

Thursday, he said Clottey should be gone in six or seven rounds.

“It will not go the distance,” he repeated.

“He’s (Clottey) gonna last (only) six or seven rounds. He’s going to be overwhelmed with the punches. He’s never been attacked like this before,” said Roach after they raised the total number of sparring to 138 rounds.

On Monday, they will wrap it up with another four rounds in the morning, and by noon, members of Team Pacquiao, and an entourage of more than a hundred people, will fly for three hours to Dallas.

Roach said Pacquiao will be there, moving from side to side, throwing punches, and trying to confuse Clottey in the opening rounds. They want to work the body, and by the middle rounds will look for the big one.

“We’re gonna throw him off in the first four rounds,” said Roach.

What he saw yesterday, as Pacquiao sparred, worked the mitts and pummelled the heavy bag, made him even more confident.

“Manny looked so sharp today. I’ve never seen him look sharper. That’s the best I’ve ever seen Manny Pacquiao,” he said.

Pacquiao sparred three rounds with Amidu then worked another three with Rodela who, for the second straight session, went home bleeding from the nose.

The boxer from Oxnard, California, part of the Pacquiao camp over the last few fights, was told to take a rest, and need not show on Monday for the last day of sparring.

Pacquiao has used around 10 sparring partners in this camp, and not one of them managed to keep in stride with the quick, powerful and shifty pound-for-pound champion.

“I thought he was gonna knock David out for a minute but David hung in there,” said Roach.

After the workout, Pacquiao skipped his routine stop at Nat’s, his favorite Thai restaurant, because of a steady drizzle that made it colder than usual. As of presstime, the Hollywood area was under 10.3 degrees Celsius.

It will be colder in Dallas and Pacquiao is just getting hotter.

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

Source: philstar.com

Roach predicts 6th round KO win for Pacquiao

MANNY Pacquiao flexes his muscles during a break in training at Wild Card in Los Angeles. (Photo by NICK GIONGCO)

LOS ANGELES – Freddie Roach is now giving Joshua Clottey a shorter shelf-life against Manny Pacquiao on the evening of March 13.

“Six or seven rounds,” said Roach, who had previously predicted a ninth-round knockout victory by the Filipino fighter at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

After presiding over Pacquiao’s penultimate day of sparring inside the Wild Card on a rainy Saturday afternoon, Roach was compelled to alter his forecast a week before the scheduled 12-round world welterweight title fight.

“Manny looked very, very sharp today,” said Roach, stressing that “there’s not much that he (Clottey) can do” against a fighter who is going to “overwhelm him with punches from all angles.”

Roach said he expects Clottey to be in the thick of the fight only in the first four rounds but Pacquiao will take charge soon after, paving the way for another smashing win by the fighter many consider as the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound.

Pacquiao picked up apart Abdullai Amidu, his Ghana sparmate, and the regular guy David Rodela, for a total of six rounds in another dazzling display of power and speed.

On Monday, Pacquiao will have his last sparring session – this time for only four rounds – before he hops on a chartered flight en route to the venue for next week’s fight.

Joining him on the three-hour trip on a jumbo jet leased by Pacquiao are members of his huge entourage and select individuals with legitimate business to take care of going into the final days before the fight.

Pacquiao is a huge favorite although Clottey is a livewire underdog owing to his being a natural welterweight, somebody who should be much bigger than his foe by the time they get it on around 10 p.m. Dallas time (12 noon of March 14 in the Philippines).

Team Pacquiao will be billeted at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in the city of Grapevine, which will put up a makeshift gym on its basement for the sole purpose of hosting Pacquiao’s final workouts.

Meanwhile, Clottey admitted that he’s longing for the attention that Pacquiao is getting from almost everybody.

Almost two years ago – after crowning himself the International Boxing Federation welterweight king – Clottey arrived to a rousing welcome in his native Ghana.

Clottey said in the documentary The Road to Dallas, which is being aired on US television, that he is craving to experience the same thing all over again.

“I want it to happen again,” said Clottey, who has a stab at stardom on March 13 versus Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium.

Clottey, who has been living in New York the last seven years, has a huge following in his native land but is unknown in America and when people say he doesn’t stand a chance against the pound-for-pound king, the boxer doesn’t feel insulted.

“It doesn’t make me upset,” said Clottey “(but) it makes me stronger.”

Former Pacquiao cutman Lenny De Jesus, who has assumed the role of Clottey’s chief trainer, summed it all up with a curt message.

“If we hit him right, we’ll knock him out,” said De Jesus, who was in the corner of Pacquiao in at least four fights, including the landmark victory over Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003.

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

Source: mb.com.ph

A Filipino icon, 'PacMan' Pacquiao has fans everywhere

For years, Manny Pacquiao has possessed the ability to paralyze a nation, to freeze 96 million Filipino citizens and hypnotize them with every punch.

Yet, his influence grows. He forced Oscar de la Hoya to quit. He destroyed Ricky Hatton in two short rounds. He systematically dismantled Miguel Cotto.

On Saturday, the fighter regarded as the best pound-for-pound in the world returns to the ring against Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium to defend the WBO world welterweight title.

The Philippine Islands make up only a portion of the Pacquiao universe. "I am expecting a lot of Mexican fans to be at the fight," Pacquiao said during a teleconference.

Pacquiao, 31, reigns as the boxer of this generation, dabbles as a singer, aspires to be a political candidate and continues to grow in popularity, whether with Mexican fight fans or the late-night television crowd.

Boxing society has evolved to a point where race doesn't matter as much as the individual fighter's ability to induce a thumping heartbeat and uncontrollable screams pleading for a knockout.

"PacMan" provides just this with fists that fly like uninhibited falcons, feet that glide like a marble on ice and a willingness to fight as if he wore an invulnerability cape.

Fort Worth boxing trainer Vincent Reyes serves as an integral part of both the Mexican community and the local boxing scene.

"He's beat the top Mexican fighters and the Mexican fans like a crowd pleaser," Reyes said. "He's certainly a crowd pleaser. He's not boring. The Mexican fans want action and that's what he gives."

George Rincon holds a Texas State Golden Gloves championship and at 18 sits fully entrenched in pop culture awareness. The Hispanic fighter and his father both appreciate the pure fighting skills Pacquiao exhibits and consider him the fighter of this generation.

In fact, the boxing community thought it laughable that Tiger Woods, a golfer, was named the "athlete" of the decade. The notion of a great athlete as someone in a non-contact sport, who demands complete quiet, doesn't worry about opposition hindering his efforts and walks during his competition is simply ridiculous.

"I believe in boxing you have to be tough," Rincon said. "When you say you are a boxer, that's saying a lot. When you say you are a boxer, you are a true athlete."

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum said having Hispanic fighters on Saturday's undercard helps sell the bout locally. However, he suggested the Mexican population has embraced Pacquiao because of his accomplishments. Pacquiao became the first fighter in history to win seven world titles in seven weight classes.

"Our goal when we started with Manny was to break him out from the Filipino base that he had," Arum said. "We were able to pick up millions of Hispanic fans and we have broken him into the general conscience of the people around the world.

"He is truly a crossover star. How many fighters of our time go on Jimmy Kimmel Live and go on Good Morning America and have a big article coming out in Time magazine? I think that is saying something."

Something else to be said is that Pacquiao plans to run for Congress in the Philippines with campaigning beginning on March 26.

If he wins, it certainly will force him to split time between political service and jumping rope, working the speed bag and knocking people out.

"After the fight I will go back to the Philippines and start campaigning," Pacquiao said. "It is going to be busy. I want to pass some bills that will be good for the livelihood of the people there and education for the children."

As for Rincon, he'll continue to support/emulate Pacquiao as long as his career lasts.

"He has speed and power, good defense and offense and he's very aggressive," Rincon said. "He has been beating the top Hispanic fighters and to me it doesn't matter. It's not about his race."

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

Source: TOBIAS XAVIER LOPEZ @ star-telegram.com

DIAZ PREDICTS TOUGH FIGHT FOR PACQUIAO AGAINST CLOTTEY

Former WBC lightweight champion David Diaz who was annihilated by reigning pound-for-pound superstar Manny Pacquiao in nine rounds predicts that Pacquiao’s fight against Joshua Clottey “is a tough fight, but a winnable fight for Manny.”

Diaz who faces Humberto Soto for the vacant WBC lightweight title told insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports “we’ll see how Manny can penetrate that good defense that Clottey has but I definitely think Manny will win.”

Clottey’s style of keeping both hands up and taking many of his opponents punches on the forearms or gloves created problems for Zab Judah, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto and indications are he will use the same defensive tactics against Pacquiao and try to wear him down.

Diaz, who came back from the loss to Pacquiao on June 28, 2008 to win a majority decision over former WBC and IBF lightweight champion and WBC super featherweight champion Jesus Chavez last September 26 said he is “feeling good and f eels blessed to get another opportunity to fight for the world title. I am getting ready and hope everything will go right.”

He said the almost six months break since the Chavez fight wont affect him since he has been sparring a lot and while its not the same thing Diaz said “I think I’ll be okay.”

Diaz has been training under Mike Garcia and Jim Strickland in Chicago and said although Sotto “is a tough guy but I’ll work that body and try to get inside of him. He’s a real good technician in the way he uses his reach but if you get inside of that and work him I think we’ll be okay.”

Diaz recalled how well he was treated when he was Pacquiao’s guest along with Edwin Valero at Pacquiao’s lavish 30th birthday celebration in his hometown of General Santos City in December 2008. He said “they were all very nice and give them my best wishes.”

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

Source: philboxing.com