Pacquiao vs Clottey Weigh In Video

Seven-time world champion and "Fighter of the Decade" Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and challenger Joshua Clottey weigh in (Pacquiao 145.75 lb, Clottey 147 lb) at Cowboys Stadium Friday for their upcoming World Welterweight championship on Saturday, March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Photos: Pacquiao vs Clottey Weigh-In in Texas

Pacquiao vs Clottey

Arlington,Texas — (L-R) Seven-time world champion and "Fighter of the Decade" Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and challenger Joshua Clottey weigh in (Pacquiao 145.75 lb, Clottey 147 lb) at Cowboys Stadium Friday for their upcoming World Welterweight championship on Saturday,March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View. — Photo Credit : Chris Farina - Top Rank






Source: mannypacquiaovs.com

WEIGHTS FROM TEXAS

Pacquiao vs Clottey

ARLINGTON, TX -- The fighters for the “Event” scheduled on Saturday night at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington had the official weight in this afternoon.

The following are the weights:

FOR PACQUIAO'S WBO WELTERWEIGHT BELT:
Manny Pacquiao - 145.75 lbs.
Joshua Clottey - 147 lbs.

FOR THE VACANT WBC LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE
David Diaz - 134 lbs.
Humbert Soto - 134 lbs.

FOR THE WBC CONTINENTAL AMERICAS WELTERWEIGHT TITLE
Jose Luis Castillo - 144 lbs.
Alfonso Gomez - 145 lbs.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Clottey Updates, Pacquiao vs Clottey Weigh In Weights: Manny Pacquiao 145-Pounds, Joshua Clottey 147

The year’s first big event – aptly named “The Event” is officially under way.

Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey both made weight for their welterweight fight at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday evening (HBO PPV, $54.95).

Pacquiao checked in at a chiseled 145 ¾ lb, while the finely-tuned Clottey weighed in at the division limit of 147 lb.

The fight marks the first truly big event of 2010, though with plenty more in queue.

At stake is the alphabet welterweight title Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38KO) violently annexed in his 12th round stoppage of Miguel Cotto last November.

The title-winning effort led to Pacquiao –widely regarded as the best fighter in the world, pound-for-pound - securing Fighter of the Year honors in 2009. The award was the third in the past four years for the Filipino southpaw, in addition to being named the top fighter of the past ten years and establishing himself as the biggest draw in the sport today.

Clottey (35-3, 20KO) plays the role of hard-luck challenger hoping to cash in on the opportunity of a lifetime that landed in his lap. The Ghana-born, Bronx-based welterweight enters the fight on the heels of a nine-month layoff. His last fight came in his close, disputed points loss to Cotto last June in New York City.

The last time Clottey has seen the win column was August 2009, when he won a vacant title against faded former two-division champ Zab Judah.

However, the opportunity came about after plans for a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather showdown fell through due to an unresolved dispute over the handling of drug tests for the fight. Clottey willingly stepped in the moment he was contacted by manager Vinny Scolpino.

No additional drug testing beyond what’s required by the Texas Boxing Commission has been demanded by either side for this event.

A crowd of 45,000 is expected to file in to the newly renovated state of the art Cowboys Stadium for this event, a testament to the drawing power of Pacquiao considering that Clottey is only known in hardcore boxing circles, save for the features dedicated to him for this particular event.

Source: boxingscene.com

Manny Pacquiao plays head games with Joshua Clottey

Pacquiao vs Clottey

MICHAEL MARLEY'S POST WEIGH-IN EXCLUSIVE: THE FIGHTS BEHIND THE FIGHT AND THE STORIES BEHIND THE STORY

GRAPEVINE, TEXAS--Don't let his Smiling Jack, giggling public persona fool you. Manny Pacquiao loves to play psychological games with his opponents.

Muscular Joshua Clottey, who could climb into the Cowbooys Stadium ring late Saturday night as heavy as 164 pounds (or so manager Vinny Scolpino told me seconds ago as our hotel rooms are adjacent at the Gaylord Texan Hotel here), is no exception to Manny's penchant for trying to infect the mind of his foes.

A source who witnessed it told me that, upon their very first face to face meeting in the initial press conference hosted by Cowboys owner and billionaire Jerry Jones, Pacquiao shook hands with the study Ghanaian and leaned in close as if to share a special secret.

I'm reminded of the O'Jays song about "Smiling Faces..." (Top Rank, Chris Farina Photo) as Joshua Clottey made the welterweight limit of 1467 while Pacman was 145 3/4 at Friday afternoon outside the front gates of Cowboys Stadium

"I did you a favor," Pacman said to the African fighter. "I beat up Miguel Cotto for you."

Nudge, nudge and wink, wink. It was Pacman's obvious mental jab, his way to say I beat the rugged Puerto Rican and he beat you.

Pacquiao was at ringside in Madison Square Garden last June when Cotto pulled out a split decison over Clottey.

Did Clottey take Manny's bait?

According to the eyewitness, Clottey just kept grinning.

On the HBO telecast, look for lead announcer Jim Lampley to mention accurately how Pacman tries to "befriend" all his foes, never badmouthing them and then inviting some over to the Philippines as his personal guest...after he gives them a thorough beating.

Will Clottey be the next guy to get a free roundtrip to Manila? David Diaz, who fights on the undercard here, coould tell him how much fun and how lucrative it can be being a beaten down Pacman foe who lost graciously.

Source: Examiner.com

PACQUIAO-CLOTTEY SPECIAL ON 'THE MAIN EVENT'

Pacquiao vs Clottey

A one hour pre-fight special on “The Event” featuring pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and former world champion Joshua Clottey of Ghana will be telecast on the top-rated weekly boxing show “The Main Event” over RPN 9 at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Hosted by veteran boxing commentator Ronnie Nathanielsz, the special sponsored by Tanduay, the No.1 Rhum will provide viewers an insight into both fighters, their training camps and the launch at the spectacular $1.2 billion state-of-the-art Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas with famed ring announcer Michael Buffer as host.

Highlights of Pacquiao’s title fights and Clottey’s showdowns with Miguel Cotto, the late Diego Corrales and Zab Judah will also be part of the special

The Pacquiao-Clottey special will set the stage for what many believe will be an intriguing contest and although Pacquiao is an overwhelming favorite to win Clottey’s trainer Lenny De Jesus has warned Pacquiao and his legions of fans not to underestimate the tough, strong and bigger fighter from Ghana.

The fight will be telecast on Sunday, Manila Time by Solar Sports and GMA 7 while it will be shown on a pay-per-view basis at the Araneta Coliseum where the giant four-sided screens create an atmosphere that makes viewers feel they are actually at special ringside at the venue.

The fights will also be telecast at all SM, Robinson and Rockwell Cinemas and in numerous other venues including restaurants and clubs across the country.

Manila Mayor Fred Lim has also guaranteed that city residents in the various congressional districts will be able to follow the action on big screens strategically located in the various districts free of charge.

The giant broadcast network ABS-CBN will telecast the fights on a pay-per-view basis over its widely watched global channel TFC in the Middle East, Europe and Australia with well-known commentators Bill Velasco and Ed Tolentino handling the coverage.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao – Clottey: Keys to Victory + Predictions

Pacquiao vs Clottey

We are now just a few days away from one of the biggest fights this year and the boxing world is buzzing once again. After a very quiet couple of months with nothing much happening, we find ourselves on the edge of our seats once more eagerly anticipating an all-out war between Pound for Pound king Manny Pacquiao and rough and rugged Ghanaian, Joshua Clottey. Coming into the fight, most observers didn’t give Clottey much of a chance to upstage Pacquiao, even going so far as to dub Clottey the equivalent of a “Miguel Cotto Lite”. And rightfully so in my opinion, Joshua Clottey though easily the largest fighter Pacquiao will have ever fought to date is a perfect opponent to showcase the Filipino’s extremely aggressive style. For those of you that don’t know, Clottey is a safety-first fighter and tends to cover up during attacks. He employs a shell defense that though can be very effective in deflecting shots, is not the ideal way to combat Pacquiao’s ultimate offense. Anyone who knows boxing, knows that the only way to beat Pacquiao is by counter-punching, a department Clottey lacks talent in. The result is lopsided betting odds in favor of the Philippine’s finest.

Manny Pacquiao’s Keys to Victory:

Already expected to win, Pacquiao is the overwhelming favorite. What’s left to discover about him? We all know how explosive he is, how his blinding speed suffocates and hits you from all these unconventional angles. In his last fight with Miguel Cotto we discovered how durable he really is in the Welterweight division. All Pacquiao has to do is be himself, and that is the two-fisted beast that Freddie Roach created. Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza pointed it out that the blueprint to defeating Clottey would be the same as when they fought Cotto, and he was right. Clottey is Miguel Cotto minus the mobility but with better defense. And just like what happened in his last fight, Pacquiao’s offense will throw Clottey off his game and completely frustrate the guy. Pacquiao’s foot speed and volume punching is key here. He will have to dart in and unleash his combinations, then dart back out before the retaliation comes in, just like he has done so brilliantly in the past. He will have to make Clottey work every minute of every round, constantly on the offensive, beating Clottey to the punch. Another tactic that he and Roach had perfected is when he throws a right hook and simultaneously slips a counter-punch by stepping to the side, spinning his opponent and out of harm’s way, a sequence that shows unbelievable coordination. This should be very effective against a plodder like Clottey. Will we see a knockout? That may be difficult but Pacquiao is notorious for trumping the odds and defying the logical. I don’t see Clottey being knocked out cold, but a referee stoppage would not be surprising if he isn’t able to defend well against Pacquiao’s crazy angles.

Joshua Clottey’s Keys to Victory:

Clottey has to use his size advantage. He simply has to. I know Pacquiao’s previous opponents all tried but failed, but for Clottey to have any chance at beating Pacquiao, he will have to be the first to effectively rough Pacquiao up and win the fight on the inside. Clottey needs to use his strong Welterweight jab to keep Manny off balance and rush in quickly to close the gap. Once he is in position he has to score clean shots, preferably to the body in the early going to slow down Pacquiao. Easier said than done as Manny is a quick little guy and is very hard to catch. Most importantly however, Clottey cannot be content with just covering up. He has to counter-punch, which is a tall task, since he is not a counter-puncher by nature. Everytime Pacquiao launches himself forward for an attack, Clottey will have to catch him with his strong jab. He needs to make use of his 3 inch reach advantage to do some damage. If Pacquiao tries his rope-a-dope on Clottey the way he did against Cotto, Clottey will have to take that as a sign from god to move in for the kill. That is a golden opportunity to deal out some real hurt. Make every opportunity count and we could be seeing Pacquiao in a real fight since his battle with Marquez.

Prediction:

I foresee a very exciting match with great back and forth action. Clottey is a tough customer and will not bow down easily. I go for a referee stoppage by the 10th round in favor of Pacquiao. I believe Clottey will be tired from all the defense he’d be playing up until that time and against a guy with boundless energy like Pacquiao, it will be his downfall. He will take too much damage without dishing out his own that the referee will have no choice but to stop the fight. Score another TKO for the Pacman. Pacquiao by TKO 10.

I went around and asked a couple of my boxing friends what their predictions are and here’s what they had to say. Fight fans from all the way over here in the Philippines!

“Of course Manny Pacquiao will win, but I hope Clottey lasts more than 4 rounds. Clottey is a hard and tough fighter, but we are only human, if you get hit multiple times on the chin you’re going down.” –Adz Garcia, Computer Expert/Pro Gamer

“I see Pacquiao winning by ref stoppage in the 9th, if Paquiao catches Clottey clean on the chin, we could see a real knockout but I doubt it. What we’ll be is seeing speed, speed and more speed, bunches of punches against a guy who stops throwing punches after the 6th round. I do think that Clottey’s chance to get Pacquiao is if he hits him hard to the body. I think Clottey is a harder body puncher than Cotto. Pacquiao has to stay off the ropes.” –Hans Visitacion, Call Center Trainer/Athlete/Boxing Enthusiast

“Contrary to popular belief, I think Pacquiao is stronger than Clottey. Speed and more importantly strength will be in favor of Pacquiao. I do think Clottey is a tougher fight than Cotto, but Pacquiao should catch him with something he doesn’t see in and around rounds 10-12. Clottey’s only chance is to land a lucky punch. Pacquiao by stone cold knockout.” –Elijah Ortiz, Tech Support Agent/Pacquiao Fan

“I think either Pacquiao wins by late round stoppage or on points. There is absolutely no chance that Clottey can win on points, his punch output is way too low and he only fights for half a round as opposed to Pacquiao, who fights the full 3 minutes. People, even judges nowadays want to see offense. We are tired of seeing ‘impressive defense’. We have enough of that with Floyd Mayweather. Look for Pacquiao and Clottey to redefine what throwback fighters are all about, expect a war on the most impressive stage of them all, the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, with Pacquiao staking his claim as Boxing’s biggest and brightest star!” –Marco Garcia, Long time boxing fan

Source: officialscorecard.com

Pacquiao-Clottey: The People’s Eyebrow

Pacquiao vs Clottey

Prior to the 2001 baseball season, baseball pundits and fans alike could reasonably conclude the following about Barry Bonds:

1.) Barry Bonds was an exceptional baseball player

2.) Barry Bonds was physically achieving what many people thought impossible for someone his age, but as suspect of an achievement as it may have been, it was still explainable and therefore celebratory.

Then, the 2001 season happened. Bonds hit 24 more homers than the previous season and broke Mark McGwire’s single season record. He batted .328 with 137 RBI’s and a slugging pct. of .863, an astounding accomplishment for a 36-year-old. At an age where most players’ statistics begin to plummet, he rewrote the baseball record books.

The 2001 season was so disproportionate to his previous achievements that it served as an “eye brow raiser.” At that time there wasn’t any conclusive evidence linking Bonds to steroids, but when you looked at the numbers, his age and what he achieved, you at least raised an eye brow.

Manny Pacquiao placed a microscope on his achievements this past winter when he declined to accept Floyd Mayweather’s contractual request to submit to Olympic-style random blood testing. Whether you believe Manny is reasonable when he says he feels drained after such tests, the amount of money left on the table for declining such a request is enough to give pause.

Still, all of Manny’s achievements up to this point are explainable and reasonable. Is it suspicious that in March 2008, he was in a war with Juan Manuel Marquez at 130lbs and by November of 2009, he was crushing an established and bigger Miguel Cotto at 145lbs? Sure. But Manny is an exceptional workhorse whose training regime is second to none. Up to this point, his achievements should still be celebrated.

This Saturday, Pacquiao is set to face Joshua Clottey in what could be his “2001 season”. Clottey has never been stopped inside of 12 rounds. He is a much bigger Welterweight than Pacquiao, has a solid chin and is a defense-first boxer. His three losses come from a disqualification, a decision to Antonio Margarito and a very questionable loss to Miguel Cotto.

Yes, Manny Pacquiao is arguably the best boxer, pound for pound, on the planet. His last three wins illustrate a type of streak that is incomparable to any recent fighter. On the surface, this fight should serve no other purpose other than to showcase Pacquiao’s skill set, Dallas’s new venue and help magnify the public’s desire for a fight with Floyd Mayweather. But a closer look at the Pac Man’s last three tornado wins should lead someone to the following three facts:

1) Oscar De La Hoya was not only in the twilight of his career but was physically and mentally drained prior to the start of the fight.

2) Ricky Hatton is not, nor was he ever, an elite boxer. He was a very good fighter whose most notable win was against a much older Kostya Tszyu. In his two opportunities to fight on the grand stage, he was knocked out.

3) Cheaters never prosper, but they sure can hurt you. Miguel Cotto was badly beaten and battered in his 2008 loss to Antonio Margarito, who would later lose his boxing license for tampering with his hand wraps prior to his 2009 fight with Shane Mosley.

This fight with Clottey is an entirely different animal. Clottey is still on the rise, he hasn’t been unceremoniously battered into a pulp like Cotto and he’s not going to drop his hands and engage in a pub fight like Ricky Hatton.

Manny is by far the superior fighter. He has the faster hands, and his pace is likely to frustrate and confuse Clottey. A unanimous decision win for Manny would be nothing more than a stamp on a hall of fame career. However, I cannot help but realize that going into this fight, the following states are relevant:

1.) Manny Pacquiao is an exceptional boxer.

2.) Manny Pacquiao is physically achieving what many people thought was impossible for someone his size, but as suspect of an achievement as it may be, it’s still explainable and therefore celebratory.

Maybe Manny is telling the truth and has absolutely NO idea what a steroid even is. Maybe he’s a once-in-a-lifetime fighter.

As a longtime boxing fan, I know anything can happen in a fight, but then again, a knockout of a very game, very big, very underestimated Clottey on Saturday should at least…be cause to raise an eyebrow. Or two.

Source: newyork.fighthype.com

Promoter's anger at MGM/Mirage could keep Manny Pacquiao out of Las Vegas

Pacquiao vs Clottey

The animosity that exists between Manny Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s camp extends to MGM/Mirage, the company that operates the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

That arena will be dark Saturday night, when it could have been the site of Pacquiao's world welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey.

In an interesting column Thursday by The Times' Bill Dwyre, Arum addressed his anger at Mayweather promoter Golden Boy Promotions and at MGM/Mirage, which has staged several of Oscar De La Hoya's bouts as a fighter and as a promoter, including the upcoming April 3 fight between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. and the May 1 Mayweather-Shane Mosley bout.

In January, Arum said he extended MGM/Mirage the opportunity to host Pacquiao-Clottey, while Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones bid to do the same. During that period, Arum said he had a discouraging conversation with MGM/Mirage President Richard Sturm, while checking to see if Pacquiao could fight at the MGM Grand for a fourth consecutive time, after bouts against De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

“They said the date’s booked,” Arum said, referring to a prior request filed to the Nevada State Athletic Commission by Golden Boy Chief Executive Richard Schaefer to keep the March 13 date open for Jones-Hopkins first, then Mayweather-Pacquiao.

"Golden Boy had told me at the time that they planned to bring in Mayweather versus another opponent -- [Paulie] Malignaggi at the time," Sturm told The Times on Thursday. "It's industry practice to honor whoever has the first hold on the date. Bob called me, I explained that situation, and the rest is history."

When Mayweather ultimately opted to fight Mosley May 1 at MGM Grand, the March 13 request was dropped.

The MGM explanation, as Arum said he interpreted it, was that the company had more loyalty to Golden Boy fighters than Arum’s.

Last week, at a lunch with The Times, Arum said this: “We’ll never have Manny fight at MGM again. Manny brings in more business to Las Vegas than any other boxer, more than anyone since [Mike] Tyson. Manny’s a boon to the gaming tables. A casino guy once told me, ‘Manny’s Frank Sinatra times 20.’ So MGM just [hurt] themselves, and all the other casinos in Vegas.”

Sturm said he hopes that's not true.

"We had no idea March 13 was going to open," Sturm said. "Had I known, I'd be more than excited to have Manny come back here, and I'd love to have him back."

Sturm said he plays no favorites among promoters.

"We don't book promoters; we book fights," he said. "Bob is entirely wrong to say there's anything more to our relationship with Golden Boy than that."

For now, however, Arum is talking of taking his business elsewhere.

After Dallas, Arum said he is going to stage light-middleweight world champion Yuri Foreman’s first title defense against ex-welterweight champ Miguel Cotto June 5 at the new Yankee Stadium, and he’s promising another Dallas show later this year, along with a spring 2011 event at the new Meadowlands in New Jersey.

On Thursday, Arum mildly softened his stance to say he'd "never say never" to another Pacquiao fight at the MGM Grand.

"But Pacquiao is disillusioned after the way they disrespected him," Arum said.

Sturm said he's willing to extend an olive branch.

"I wouldn't have a problem picking up the phone and expressing my interest in having Manny back here soon," Sturm said.

-- Lance Pugmire

Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com

PACQUIAO, CLOTTEY FINAL PRESSER

Surrounded by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, seven-time world champion and "Fighter of the Decade" Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao (L) and challenger Joshua Clottey(R) pose during the final press conference Wednesday for their upcoming World Welterweight championship on Saturday, March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View. -- Photo Credit: Chris Farina - Top Rank.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao-Clottey tiff headed for sellout

GRAPEVINE, TEXAS—For billionaire Jerry Jones, Manny Pacquiao is the money man of boxing.

This is the reason why the owner of the Dallas Cowboys and the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium is co-promoting The Event between Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey on March 13.

The 67-year-old Jones, who struck it rich in oil and gas exploration, is on target in his belief that any fight featuring the Fighter of the Decade will be saleable.

Bob Arum of Top Rank, which is co-promoting Pacquiao-Clottey, said that only 4,000 out of 45,000 tickets are left for Saturday’s fight.

Arum and Jones remained confident of a sellout due to the interest the fight has generated, not only among Filipino-Americans but Hispanics, Mexicans and Americans as well.

“It’s like a Super Bowl,” said Jones of his first major boxing promotion.

Jones, who drew 2,500 fans in his first fight promotion in 1984 in Little Rock, Arkansas, said he admires Pacquiao as a great athlete and a great person.

“The main reason that I wanted the Pacquiao-(Floyd) Mayweather (Jr.) fight was Manny,” said Jones of the botched negotiations between the current and former pound-for-pound kings. “He (Pacquiao) is the draw.

“And so certainly when that didn’t work I still had the interest of getting him here at all cost and whoever he fights,” added Jones.

This early, Pacquiao-Clottey is certain to break attendance records in Pacquiao’s previous fights in the United States, way over the 18,276 paying fans who watched Pacquiao-Erik Morales III in Las Vegas in 2006.

Source: sports.inquirer.net

Pacquiao's Final Fight?

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.- After Manny Pacquiao's dramatic stoppage of Miguel Cotto in November 2009, the scribes of the sweet science proclaimed that boxing had peeled itself off the canvas. Once again, there was a boxer who, like Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya, could command the interest of the general sports fan.

Soon after the Filipino sensation's victory over Mr. Cotto, the public was clamoring to see Mr. Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) and the undefeated, recently unretired Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 knockouts) battle for the unofficial title of best pound-for-pound pugilist on the planet. But boxing has a knack of clobbering itself on the chin.

A couple of months ago, Messrs. Mayweather and Pacquiao were poised to ink contracts when Mr. Mayweather insisted on Olympic-style drug testing. Mr. Pacquiao took umbrage and sued Mr. Mayweather and his promoters for defamation of character. When attempts at mediation failed, the two welterweight giants stomped away from what could have been the biggest payday in boxing history.

Still, Mr. Pacquiao, who has garnered titles in a record seven different weight divisions, was intent on fighting in March, as he is set to begin campaigning for Congress in the Philippines in April. Instead of facing Mr. Mayweather, Mr. Pacquiao will be tapping gloves with Joshua Clottey (35-3, 21 knockouts), the No. 1 welterweight contender from Ghana. The fight, which has already sold more than 38,000 tickets, will take place on Saturday at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mr. Clottey, who now in lives in New York, began boxing on the streets at age 6 in his hometown of Accra, Ghana. He made it to the quarterfinals of the Commonwealth Games in 1994 and turned professional in 1995. A broad-shouldered man with an endearing smile and laid-back body language, Mr. Clottey is a rugged and highly competent combatant who has the respect of his peers and the boxing press. But the 32-year-old former world champion has yet to win a mega pay-per-view fight. He came close in June 2009, losing a split decision to Mr. Cotto. Many observers believed that Mr. Clottey should have had his hand raised after that bloody 12-round contest, but virtually everyone agreed that he would have won the fight had he brawled with less caution.

After a brisk workout at his Florida gym, the soft-spoken Mr. Clottey gushed: "This fight is a dream come true, I can hardly believe it. I'm so excited. Right now, Manny is the best of the best. He is the man. I know that I can beat him, but I have to fight the whole time. I have to keep busy. But unlike some of the other guys that he has fought, I will not underestimate his power. One punch from him can take you out. So I also have to stay calm and think in there as well as fight." While reasonable enough, that note of caution would land like a punch on elements of Mr. Clottey's boxing braintrust.

In this pivotal contest, Mr. Clottey will be without his trainer, Godwin Dzanie Kotey, who could not get a visa to come to the U.S. Mr. Clottey's veteran cutman, Lenny De Jesus, will work the corner instead and told me: "You have to take risks in there to be a great champion, and that is what Joshua has to learn to do in this fight. I used to work with Manny, and he is not afraid of losing."

While the elite of the elite in boxing have very special powers of concentration and reservoirs of motivation, Mr. Clottey, for all his virtues, has yet to show that he can hit the internal switch, turn his tempo up a notch, and take over a close fight.

Mr. Clottey is quick, coordinated, strong and gritty. While not an overpowering puncher, his blows are fast, direct and flinty. He boasts a solid straight right, which he likes to chase with a left hook to the body. The combination of right uppercut and left hook is also essential to his slugging syntax. Watching Mr. Clottey work out, one gets the impression that his camp believes their man needs to make the Pac Man pay for his hyperaggressive tendencies with hooks to the body.

Freddie Roach, Mr. Pacquiao's famous trainer, assessed his antagonist: "Clottey is a big welterweight [5 feet 8 inches, compared with 5 feet 6½ inches for Mr. Pacquiao]. He is a great fighter. He has good skills. He has some power. He can take a punch. But I have watched a lot of films of him and he is not versatile. He does not move his head. He is easy to hit." For weeks now, Mr. Roach has been saying that "Manny will be the first one to knock Joshua out."

For his part, Mr. Pacquiao says: "The victory is always the most important thing to me. If I get a knockout, it's a bonus. But a knockout has never been a goal for me for any fight." But then he adds, "Freddie has his own opinion on the outcome of the fight with Clottey, and I will try not to disappoint him."

The diminutive dynamo with the impish smile unleashes hellfire in the ring. He seems to delight in the utter destruction of the opponent whom he will hug and praise after the fight.

Mr. Pacquiao, recently voted the Fighter of the Decade by the Boxing Writers Association of America, is still improving. In boxing, he who is not busy learning will soon be busy losing. When I asked Mr. Pacquiao what lessons he was working on for this fight, his maestro, Mr. Roach, was quick to answer for him: "Manny has to stay off the ropes and continue to work from his strengths—and that is throwing punches from different angles and to keep moving. . . . Manny's speed is the key to winning any fight. People think I mean the speed of his hands, but what I really mean is the speed of Manny's feet. He has the best footwork in the game."

Mr. Roach, who has Parkinson's probably brought on by too many bouts during his own boxing days, warned that this might be the last time we see his champion in the ring, especially if Mr. Pacquiao wins a seat in Congress. His stellar charge has had a long, tough career. And if Mr. Pacquiao wins and Mr. Mayweather does not quickly agree to terms, Mr. Roach says, "there will be nothing left for Manny to prove." There will only be bales of money.

Mr. Marino writes about boxing for the Journal.

Source: online.wsj.com

Joshua Clottey ready to follow hometown heroes when he fights Manny Pacquiao

Bukom, in Jamestown, on the outskirts of the country's capital Accra, is an area known to all Ghanaians. It is a slum, and yet the small number of criss-crossed dusty streets in the port town have spawned a succession of world-class fighters over several decades.

Clottey follows in the tradition of the great Azumah Nelson, arguably the best boxer to come from Africa, who defeated Wilfredo Gómez in the Eighties and held the World Boxing Council title at feather and super-featherweight, and Ike Quartey, the welterweight from the mid-Nineties, who fought, and lost, to Oscar de la Hoya.

They all hail from those tough streets. The people of this tiny shanty are renowned as warriors throughout Ghana.

Clottey remembers when, as a youngster, he was beaten up in a street fight by the local bully. Until then, football had been his game, his precious football boots lovingly polished.

He had dreamt of playing professionally, even for his beloved Manchester United, with his heroes, among them Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona.

Why Manchester United? "Why? Because they were the team who were always winning, and sport is about winning," he says.

Clottey, cool, calm, calculated and softly spoken, admits the street fight was the moment his life changed. He started training, strengthening his arms by weight training with bags of bricks and rocks and running twice a day.

But he also started going to one of the renowned Jamestown gyms. And then he went back and got his revenge.

"I beat him and I became a boxer. It was a simple as that, and from that, here I am today, at the point where I am facing the No 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world."

There are those who believe Manny Pacquiao's relentless attacks will prove too much for Clottey when the two powerful welterweights collide in front of the newly built $1.2 billion (£800 million) Dallas Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night, in front of a capacity crowd of 50,000, but Clottey shakes a finger slowly.

"He is showing you that he cannot be discouraged," one of his entourage said.

Clottey and his brother, Emmanuel, set out to make their fortunes in boxing in Europe just over a decade ago. They alighted at the Lennox Lewis Centre, in Hackney, where promoter Frank Maloney housed fighters from Africa and Eastern Europe, a spartan environment where fighters ran in the morning, slept in miniature dormitories, showered and sparred, repeating the process daily.

Clottey, now 33, made New York his base after that, and has a nine-year-old daughter in Ghana, whom he cites as his "inspiration". He has clawed his way through the welterweight division, having lost only twice to world champions Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto, and the second of those was close.

Clottey has never been stopped nor been knocked out. He has a reputation for being a dirty fighter, probably because he has a very hard head and has led with it at times. But if the battler from Bukom has his way, the form book will be overturned on Saturday night.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Manny Pacquiao Vs. Joshua Clottey: Keys To The Fight, Part I

How Pacquiao (above left) and Clottey (above right) match up could be more telling than who's the overall better fighter. Today, we'll look at how they stack up physically, as well as how they stack up in the more mental aspects of boxing. First up: The physical.

Size. Both men will weigh 147 pounds or less the day before the fight. But by the next day, Clottey will have transformed into the physically largest opponent Pacquiao has ever fought. For his bout against Diego Corrales, Clottey weighed a whopping 170 pounds the night of the fight due to rehydration. He’s a bulky, muscular specimen, Clottey, who’s prone to having to fight to get down to 147. And he’ll have a height and reach advantage, too, at 5’8” and 70” to 5’6 ½” and 67”.

It gets more pronounced still. Pacquiao’s team frequently notes that he’s a natural 140-pounder, and that he has to almost be force-fed an absurdly calorie-rich diet to keep any weight on him above that. This size gap didn’t prove determinative for Pacquiao against the other welterweights he’s fought, Oscar De La Hoya, who was taller and had a longer reach than Clottey, or against Cotto, who had some of Pacquiao’s same physical dimensions but was a natural 147-pounder. But it could be a bigger factor here than in those fights for several reasons, besides Clottey’s ridiculous rehydration.There is less risk of Clottey draining himself the way there was in the case of De La Hoya or Cotto, with De La Hoya fighting at 147 for the first time in years and Cotto having to shave off an extra two pounds for a 145-pound catchweight. The size differential is the most thorough edge for Clottey in this fight. Advantage: Clottey

Speed. Until the day Pacquiao fights Floyd Mayweather, if it ever happens, there’s just not going to be anyone in his league in the speed department. He is quick-fisted and nimble of foot to the degree that everyone who faces him complains later that his speed is the one of the two most difficult aspects of facing him (see “offense,” in keys to the fight part II).

Clottey’s not slow of hand, but he’s not particularly quick either. I’d give him about a B, B- for a welter. Quick hands bother him, too – Zab Judah and Miguel Cotto both had success by being faster and beating him to the punch, which forced him into the defensive shell (see “defense,” in keys to the fight part II) for spells. Where Clottey really suffers is in his movement around the ring. He’s a plodder. He makes up for some of his handspeed problems with excellent timing, and he makes up for some of his footspeed problems by cutting off the ring well. But in both speed categories, Clottey is going to be so much slower than Pacquiao that Clottey will make the U.S. Senate seem jumpy and hyperactive by comparison. Advantage: Pacquiao

Power. Pacquiao demolished Cotto, knocking him down hard twice and stopping him in the 12th round of a prolonged beating that should have ended at least three rounds earlier. Clottey rocked Cotto here and there, but never had him in any serious trouble.

Let’s say the respective handling of Cotto is not a fair measure by itself. For nearly two years, moving up in weight from 135 to 147, Pacquiao has either pounded the stuffing out of his man until someone saves him or knocked him out with shocking cleanliness. Over that same period, Clottey has one knockout. In his last 10 fights, that’s his only knockout. If you saw it, it was a b.s. stoppage over Jose Luis Cruz, a decent fighter. Clottey was probably cruising to a knockout of Judah before a head butt ended matters, but he’s a strong puncher at best, not at all as powerful as his physique suggets. Even at 147, Pacquiao is the true puncher here. Advantage: Pacquiao

Stamina. Time and again, stamina is far and away the most underrated quality of Pacquiao’s game. He’s hyperkinetic and he expends a lot of energy, but from the 1st to the 12th, he never once looks any worse for the wear. His speed and power wow you, but his athleticism manifests itself equally in his non-stop, ceaseless motor.

Clottey never seems to wear down, either, but he usually starts fights so slow and his punch output is so economical as to make you wonder whether stamina factors into it. Somehow, perhaps, his struggles to get to 147 could drain him. I’d be more inclined to think it’s a stylistic question (see “offense,” in keys to the fight part II), but that’s enough for me to give the edge to the other guy. Advantage: Pacquiao

Chin. We’ve got some real iron men here. Both stood toe-to-toe with Cotto, a very powerful hitter. Clottey went down in the 1st round, but it was from a jab and probably had more to do with balance. Cotto rocked Pacquiao a little, and Pacquiao acknowledged later that Cotto had hurt him, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.

Elsewhere, I’ve never seen Clottey even remotely hurt. Big-punching Antonio Margarito pounded away at him (maybe with loaded gloves if Margarito’s cheating went back that far) to no avail. Pacquiao got wobbled by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008, but he hasn’t been in that bad a shape since. Ultimately, Clottey’s chin is more proven overall, and more proven in particular against bigger men. Advantage: Clottey

Source: queensberry-rules.com

Pacquiao could put Cowboys Stadium on boxing's map

DALLAS — About 41,000 tickets have been sold for the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night.

That's around 4,000 away from a sellout for the first boxing match at the $1.2 billion stadium.

Promoter Bob Arum says he's not sure whether people are coming to see Pacquiao — widely considered the best boxer, pound per pound — or this showplace facility, which Arum called "the greatest venue in the world."

Arum said he's eager to hold more fights at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. He said on a conference call that Kelly Pavlik, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and other boxers will be at the fight in hopes of getting to become headliners there.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said his stadium becoming a top destination would boost the sport of boxing.

Source: www.Google.com

Pacquiao confident speed can trump Clottey's size

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: www.reuters.com

Pacquiao and Mayweather: One Bout Away from the Big One?

It is 7:13 a.m. in Los Angeles and Manny Pacquiao, the world's best pound-for-pound boxer, is jogging on a public high school track. There are palm trees in the distance, and the low hum of traffic on I-10 is starting to turn into a low roar as the Filipino boxer, clad in a red tracksuit, dashes around the dirt oval despite a painful shin splint. A handful of early-arriving students hang on the chain-link fence surrounding the track and watch him do his work. The Pac-Man is preparing for his March 13 fight against Joshua Clottey, a dangerous but relatively unknown welterweight from Ghana. The $49.95 pay-per-view fight is billed as "The Event" but could easily be called "The Letdown."

Just three months ago, boxing was preparing for its version of the Super Bowl. Fresh from his mega-fight win over Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao had begun negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr., a brash welterweight whom non-sports fans know best from his appearance on Dancing with the Stars. The proposed battle was being compared to some of the greatest matchups in boxing history. Even people who had given up on boxing or hadn't really thought about it much were talking about the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, which would probably earn each boxer $40 million, the most lucrative match ever.

But negotiations became so acrimonious that they descended to the level of bad soap opera. Mayweather insisted on Olympic-style random blood testing, which Pacquiao refused, saying that drug-testing rules should be decided by boxing commissions, not individual fighters. Though suspicions were raised that Pacquiao was on some sort of performance-enhancing drug, the Filipino boxer — who has won an unprecedented seven belts in seven weight classes, putting on 40 lb. throughout his career — has never tested positive for banned drugs. He says he is willing to submit to random urine testing.

Pacquiao's camp says the boxer refused the blood testing because he is superstitious and doesn't want to give blood so close to fight time. He was blood-tested a couple of days before his fight with Erik Morales, and lost. "It made me weak," says Pacquiao, who is suing Mayweather for sullying his reputation. There is speculation in some boxing gyms that Mayweather knew about Pacquiao's aversion to pre-fight blood testing and used it as a tactic to duck him. But Mayweather insists that he simply wants to reform the sport's drug policies. "I am taking a stand," he says, adding, "I should get to choose who I want to fight." But by allowing the negotiations to collapse, Pacquiao and Mayweather quickly became defined as the boxers who wouldn't fight each other. "I think Floyd is scared of Manny," says Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer. "I think the public is disgusted by the controversy, but they still want the fight to happen." (See "The Meaning and Mythos of Manny Pacquiao.")

To fill the vacuum and assuage dissatisfaction, each boxer decided to take on formidable interim opponents. Pacquiao will fight Clottey, and Mayweather will battle "Sugar" Shane Mosley on May 1. The hope is that if Pacquiao and Mayweather both win their respective fights, they will work out their differences and fight in the fall. "My nails are going to be bitten down to the bone waiting until May 2," says Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, which is hoping to televise the Pacquiao-Mayweather spectacle.

Source: www.time.com

Pacquiao Vs. Clottey Coming Up on Saturday, March 13 from Dallas Cowboys Stadium

The Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey bout is right around the corner, taking place on Saturday, March 13 from Dallas Cowboys Stadium, where some 45,000 people are expected to be in
attendance. That makes for quite the event, but is it a worthy one and is Joshua Clottey a worthy opponent for Manny Pacquiao?

The truth is that outside of hardcore boxing fans, most people do not even know who Joshua Clottey is. He's certainly amongst the top 10 in the welterweight division rankings, but he's a long ways off from making the top 10 pound for pound list.

That doesn't mean that he's a bad opponent necessarily, but it means that it's a let down of a match after everybody was expecting Floyd Mayweather to be the other man in the ring. Mayweather lined up Shane Mosley for his next bout, a far more worthy and interesting challenger than Clottey happens to be.

We've come to expect a lot from Manny Pacquiao as he has surged to the top of the sport over the past several years. There have been marquee fights one after the other, from his highly anticipated rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez, to his retirement party for Oscar De La Hoya, near decapitation of Ricky Hatton and his thorough dismantling of Miguel Cotto.

That means that even in the aftermath of a failed Pacquiao vs. Mayweather extravaganza, Joshua Clottey is more than a suitable opponent. He's not a big name, and nobody should have any illusions that this is a big event. But he's a solid fighter and there simply were not many other suitable replacements. It's a much better fight than Pacquiao moving up to 154 lbs to challenge titleholder Yuri Foreman.

When your "easy" bout is against the number 6 fighter in the division, you've beaten number 5 (Cotto), numbers 2 and 3 (Mayweather and Mosley) are fighting each other and you're number 1, it's about as good as you can get (number 4, Andre Berto is a bigger name but was also supposed to be tied up with an earlier bout)

Source: associatedcontent.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

Consider:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But it's a handicap.

Source: queensberry-rules.com

Clottey's Advantages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

Source: sportingnews.com