Pacquiao wins unanimous decision

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Fighting on the star, Manny Pacquiao showed once again why he is such a star.

With the biggest fight crowd in the U.S. in 17 years cheering him on at Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao dominated a strangely passive Joshua Clottey from the opening bell Saturday night to retain his welterweight title and cement his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

The fight wasn't close, and it was never in doubt. It was so one-sided that even those in the cheap seats among the crowd of 50,994 could tell without looking at the giant video screens over the ring that Pacquiao was in total command.

One ringside judge gave Pacquiao every round, while the two others gave him all but one. The Associated Press scored it a shutout for the Filipino sensation.

It wasn't as flashy as his knockout of Ricky Hatton or as savage as the beating he gave Oscar De La Hoya, but there was no doubt Pacquiao was in command the entire way against a fighter who kept his gloves up high in front of his face and chose to engage him only in spurts. Clottey's strategy worked to keep him upright, but he was never competitive in the biggest fight of his career.

"He's a very tough opponent," Pacquiao said. "He was looking for a big shot."

Pacquiao was supposed to have been fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. instead of Clottey, but the megafight fell apart over a dispute over blood testing. He took out any frustrations over losing the biggest fight of his career by beating up Clottey on the biggest stage of his career.

"I want that fight, the world wants that fight, but it's up to him," Pacquiao said. "I'm ready to fight any time."

That time won't come soon. Mayweather is fighting Shane Mosley on May 1, and the earliest the two could get together would be in the fall and only if Mayweather backs off his demands for blood testing.


The fight this night was more of an event than a real competition, bringing in the biggest crowd in the U.S. for a fight since Julio Cesar Chavez fought Pernell Whitaker at the Alamodome in 1993. It paid off handsomely for Pacquiao, though, who earned at least $12 million and built on the reputation he has gained as one of the greatest fighters of his time.

Promoters not only sold out the 45,000 seats available for the bout, but added thousands more standing room only "party passes" for fans who could get a glimpse of the action and see every drop of sweat on the huge overhead screens.

"It's one of the most incredible stories not just in boxing but anywhere," promoter Bob Arum said. "Fourteen years ago he was sleeping in a cardboard shack in the Philippines and tonight he puts 51,000 people in this palace in Dallas."

The tone of the fight was set early, with Pacquiao advancing against his taller opponent and throwing punches with both hands from all angles. It was the same style that gave him spectacular wins in his last three fights and, though Clottey was clearly the bigger fighter, he fought back only sparingly.

"Everything's working now," trainer Freddie Roach told Pacquiao after the third round. "It's easy."

It was easy, too, much to the delight of the crowd and much to the delight of an entire country back in Pacquiao's homeland. There, traffic came to a halt and huge numbers of Filipinos, including army troops and allied American soldiers, jammed theatres in shopping malls and military camps nationwide to root for Pacquiao. In what has now become a familiar scene, Filipinos repeatedly yelled his name and threw punches in the air after the country's boxing hero was declared the winner.

Unlike most of Pacquiao's fights, this one lacked suspense from the opening seconds of the fight, when Clottey assumed the peek-a-boo position he would remain in except for brief spurts the entire bout.

"He has speed, I lost the fight," Clottey said. "He's fast, that's why I was taking my time."

Arum said he wasn't disappointed in the effort put out by Clottey, who was guaranteed to make at least $1.25 million.

"What was he supposed to do? If he played offense he'd get knocked out," Arum said. "I can't blame the kid for trying to wear him down."

Clottey seemed content to hold his hands high in a peek-a-boo style through much of the early rounds, trying to pick off Pacquiao's punches and perhaps rally late. But he gave away round after round, despite landing some clean punches on the rare occasions when he would throw a combination.

"You gotta take a chance," Clottey's trainer, Lenny DeJesus, implored him after the sixth round. "You're in a fight and you gotta start taking chances."

Clottey didn't, though, and his prize was that he was the first fighter in Pacquiao's last six fights to make it to the final bell. The only suspense when it came time to announce the decision was whether the three ringside judges would give Clottey any of the rounds.

Pacquiao threw three times as many punches as Clottey, an average of 100 a round, and landed as many power shots as Clottey threw. Final punch stats showed Pacquiao landing 246 of 1,231 punches to 108 of 399 for Clottey.

Clottey had gotten the fight off a good performance in his last bout against Miguel Cotto, but he was clearly more concerned with surviving the all-out assault that Pacquiao is noted for than winning the fight.

"Joshua Clottey had the power to knock him out but was reluctant to punch," DeJesus said. "We clearly got beat. I don't think he won a round."

Roach agreed, saying he saw nothing in Clottey to win.

"He had a good defense, but defense isn't enough to win a fight," Roach said.

Source: espn.go.com

Pacquiao vs Clottey Weight In Video

Manny Pacquiao ready to knock out Joshua Clottey in 'The Super Brawl' in Dallas

Yet the Filipino pugilist, the only fighter in the sport’s 150 year history to secure seven titles across eight divisions, has been called upon to make a bold statement at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on Saturday against teak-tough Ghanaian Joshua Clottey.

“We’ve worked on a game plan to stop or knock him out,” said Pacquiao’s Hollywood-based award-winning trainer Freddie Roach. “We see Clottey fighting us in one of two ways. We have game plans for both, and I expect Manny to break him up and hurt him in the middle rounds.”

Roach has a theory that Clottey fails to protect his body with his elbows when he tucks his hands in front of his face. “We’ll go for the body then…but we know he is a tough guy. If Manny has him hurt at any point, I’ll let him off the leash and we’ll go for the finish.”

Roach, who works a tight game plan has his fighter — regarded as the world’s No 1 pound for pound pugilist with 50 wins, three losses, and two draws — instructed to stay off the ropes, make clean shots tell, and avoid fighting on the inside.

“The plan is to control Clottey all night long, don’t let him set up, hit and get out of the way, and make that move to the side.”

What Roach has drummed into Pacquiao, is not to do what did against Miguel Cotto in November year when he allowed the Puerto Rican to attack as he leaned back on the ropes. “That would be a mistake. We can’t give Clottey those type of opportunities. Too dangerous.”

For Clottey — 35 wins, three losses — this is the night when he can project himself by causing a major upset. He has stopped twenty of his ring rivals inside the distance. He is likely to step into the ring weighing 155lbs. He is a genuine, natural welterweight, and is likely to have a 10lb advantage over Pacquiao. He has power, calmness and belief. He has dragged himself up through a shanty town in West Africa to get to this position. The centre will be firm. And he will hold his position.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Clottey actually wobbles Pacquiao early in the contest, even knocking the Filipino down. But Pacquiao’s relentless attacks are likely to eventually wear the bigger man down.

Clottey, the fighter who follows a line of great Ghanaian boxers from the small fishing port on the outskirts of Accra, will not give up the fight however, and I expect him to be stopped - against his will, but with the cold judgement of his corner- around the 10th or 11th round, having taken too much punishment. Should he win, he will become as famous an African boxer as the greater Azumah Nelson, his compatriot who was World Boxing Council feather, and super-featherweight world champion.

The contest will be witnessed by a sell-out crowd, and expected to reach around 700-800,000 homes on HBO’s pay per view telecast. British viewers can see the event on Sky Sports, from 2am.

It marks the first occasion that a prize fight has taken place at the immense Dallas Cowboys Stadium, built at a cost of 1.2 billion US dollars.

When Muhammad Ali fought Cleveland Williams at the new Houston Astrodome in 1966, Bob Arum was the promoter. Four and a half decades later, with the collaboration of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the fight — originally to have staged Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather, which collapsed at the negotiating stage - has taken on major dimensions.

It is now being referred to as 'The Super Brawl’ at the Cowboys Stadium. “It is an honour to fight here this week,” said Pacquiao, who runs for a congressional seat in the Philippines after this fight. “I’m not saying if I win the election it will be my last fight, I’m going to decide (afterwards).”

It should be some event, in what is arguably the greatest stadium on earth.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

De La Hoya: Easy for Pac-Man

Oscar De La Hoya believes Manny Pacquiao will have an "easy time" of it against Joshua Clottey this weekend - but is not so sure the Filipino can beat Floyd Mayweather Jnr if the two modern greats ever meet in the ring.

Pac-Man puts his WBO welterweight title on the line on Saturday when he takes on Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Texas, live on Sky Sports.

While some are predicting the tough Ghanaian may prove a handful, De La Hoya feels the defending champion will comfortably retain his belt.

In an exclusive interview on Sky Sports News, De La Hoya - who has not fought since losing to Pacquiao back in December of 2008 - explained how Clottey's defensive technique will play right into his opponent's hands.

Easy fight

"I think Manny Pacquiao will have an easy time with Joshua Clottey," he predicted.

"Styles make fights, and his (Clottey's) defence is one where he blocks punches, then he has to bring his hands down to look at you and then throw punches.

"Manny is too fast to stay there in the pocket and receive punches. I believe he will hit him then move side-to-side.

"Clottey will look for him, but he's not going to be there. He (Pacquiao) is going to do the same thing for 12 rounds.

"It's probably going to be an easy fight for him."

Pacquiao had originally been set to face Floyd Mayweather Jnr in a money-spinning showdown between the two biggest names in the sport.

However a dispute over pre-fight drug testing led to negotiations between the two parties collapsing, forcing both boxers to find new opponents.

Mayweather will instead take on Shane Mosley in May and De La Hoya - now a promoter - fears the bout with Pacquiao may never now go ahead.

"I'm having my doubts now because Floyd Mayweather Jnr is fighting Shane Mosley, and the interesting part about that fight is that Sugar Shane has the bets shot at beating Floyd Mayweather," he said.

"I've faced both guys and I have to say that there is going to be a knockout in that fight - and it's not going to be pretty.

"I believe Mayweather is the best boxer, purist boxer, in the sport today. He fights to survive, which is the most dangerous boxer out there."

True great
Asked whether Pacquiao has to beat Mayweather to be considered a true great of the sport, De La Hoya replied: "I believe so.

"I believe he's now a true great in the sport but there are a couple of question marks, as there is in every fighters' life, but I believe if Manny Pacquiao beats a Floyd Mayweather Jnr, if that fight happens, then you can obviously consider him as one of the best in the history of the sport."

And what about a winner in what would be, according to De La Hoya, one of the top five fights of all time? "I would have to say Floyd Mayweather, because of styles," the American added.

"I believe Pacquiao would come in, try to get his punches in and be very aggressive. But that plays into Mayweather's hands.

"He's such a defensive, purist boxer. The best there ever has been. He waits for you to make mistakes and then capitalises."

Source: skysports.com

Festive stadium weighs in boxers

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A weigh-in at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium isn't just a normal one.

With screaming fans and the plaza doors open to show the massive video board as a backdrop, Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey weighed in Friday for their Saturday night WBO welterweight title fight.

Pacquiao, the champion, came in at 145¾. Clottey was at 147.

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said he wasn't concerned about his fighter's weight. Pacquiao averaged about 152 pounds per day during training.

"After he stopped drinking protein shakes, the weight drops," said Roach, who added his fighter weighed 144 on Friday morning.

The fighters tried to stare each other down after the weigh-in but broke out in laughter.

The weigh-in was attended by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who said this inaugural fight at the stadium is "hopefully one of many."

Promoter Bob Arum said he expects the fight to have at least 1 million pay-per-view buys with the fight shown in more than 80 million homes worldwide.

The event brought out a star-studded crowd which included actor Robert Duvall and former Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson.

Cowboys officials expect 42 former and current members of the team to attend the fight, including former coach Jimmy Johnson and ex-quarterback Troy Aikman.

The fight is nearing a sellout of 45,000, and stadium officials said they will sell standing-room only tickets for $35 each.

Source: espn.go.com

Pacquiao to follow Hoya fight blueprint

GRAPEVINE, Texas—Manny Pacquiao will be tracing the Oscar De La Hoya blueprint when he stakes his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown against Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Launch an all-out attack throughout. Control him all night long. Don’t let him set. Keep turning him. Hit and then get out of the way. Go under and out, both sides.

These were four-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach’s instructions when Pacquiao made De La Hoya quit on his stool after eight rounds on Dec. 8, 2008.

Roach merely recited them again on the final day of their training Thursday at the Gaylord Texan Hotel here.

And Pacquiao responded with aplomb, showing Roach that he knows them by heart.

So satisfied was Roach that he quickly ended the light training session in less than an hour, way too short and easy for Pacquiao, who’s used to two hours of uninterrupted training sessions.

“Go home,” hollered Roach, immediately removing his gloves so that Pacquiao would not have a chance to ask for more, as he normally does.

“We were doing more talking than punching,” explained Roach. “I don’t want him to do much. Serve and move myself in a position that Clottey does and he knew exactly what to do with the positions. He’s 100 percent ready.”

According to Roach, Pacquiao was doing everything according to plan.

“Like today with me, he’s always behind me. He’s not keeping himself in front of me, always making that move to the side. He knew exactly how to fight this side,” said Roach who predicted that Pacquiao would be the first boxer to stop Clottey, either in the sixth or seventh round.

Of course, Roach also has words of wisdom to impart on Pacquiao, three-time Fighter of the Year and Fighter of the Decade as well.

Don’t let Clottey line on the ropes or fall into the pocket. Don’t fight him inside, the rationale being that Clottey is good with his uppercut and his head.

Roach explained that when Clottey jabs he comes forward with his head, his whole body comes forward and if Manny stands there and let him do that, he can bang his head or get hit.

According to Roach, this is probably the smoothest training camp they ever had since he took Pacquiao under his wings in 2001.

With Pacquiao in peak form, the only thing that could stand in the way is for the pound-for-pound king to get a little too cocky and allow Clottey to hit him, just like what he allowed Miguel Cotto to do to him last Nov. 14.

“If he (Manny) does that, he might get knocked out because Clottey is a better puncher than Cotto. But I don’t see that happening because his focus is so good and his mindset is perfect right now.”

Though he’d advised his ward not to go into the ropes, Roach said it’s up to Manny to decide as they’ve also studied how to get out of it.

But sometimes, Pacquiao just wanted to go to the ropes and find out how hard his opponent hits.

He did it against Cotto and wound up with a busted right ear drum.

Roach could only hope that Pacquiao has learned his lesson.

Source: inquirer.net

Win over Clottey to boost Pacquiao's hand vs Mayweather

MANILA, Philippines – A strong performance by World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao against challenger Joshua Clottey on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) will put him in a better negotiating position against Floyd Mayweather, a boxing analyst said Friday.

But this is if Pacquiao still wants a multi-million dollar super fight with the former pound-for-pound king, said veteran boxing analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz in an interview over dzMM.

“If I know Manny as I think I know him, he will try to put on a spectacular show. [So that] when they negotiate with Mayweather, they will have the upper hand,” he said.

However, Nathanielsz said Pacquiao won't have an easy time against Clottey, who is a full-blown welterweight boxer.

“[Conditioning coach Alex] Ariza said Clottey is a very dangerous opponent,” he said.

Nathanielsz said that if Pacquiao plays his cards right, he can win the match in the middle to latter rounds just as coach Freddie Roach predicted.

Somewhere in 6, 7, 8...

“Somewhere there, (Rounds 6, 7, 8)… but you know, ugali ni Manny Pacquiao, entertainer siya, eh. Palagi niyang concern is ‘I want to make the people happy’,” said the analyst.

Sports analyst Joaquin Henson shared Nathanielsz’s view about Clottey.

“The consensus is it won’t be easy disposing of the Ghanaian challenger,” said Henson in his analysis published in The Philippine Star on Friday.

He said that among the things Pacquiao should watch out for is Clottey’s unpredictability, aside from the Ghanaian’s ability to handle southpaws.

And of course, there’s Clottey’s size.

“Clottey’s size may make it a little difficult for Pacquiao to find angles for his punches and he’ll surely use his body mass to tire out the Filipino by leaning on him. The downside is because of his huge frame, Clottey is not as mobile as Pacquiao, making him an easy target,” Henson said.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao registers 146 lbs, Clottey still overweight

GRAPEVINE, Texas – It wasn’t only natural hard work ethic after all.

When Ghanaian Joshua Clottey was spotted doing a very early morning run at the lobby of the Gaylord Texan Hotel on Monday, he was not just trying to keep in tip-top shape. He was actually trying to lose extra poundage.

The suspicion that Clottey, a big welterweight, was still overweight was confirmed Thursday when he and his gang of four were spotted by Team Pacquiao member Roger Fernandez at the convention hall jogging wearing thermal suit for 45 minutes and then skipping ropes.

“Masama nga ang tingin nila sa akin, pero di ako umalis [They threw dagger looks at me, but I didn’t leave] said Roger, younger brother of Buboy, who is Pacquiao’s bosom buddy and trainer.

“I’m sure Clottey’s still overweight,” said Roger. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t do that [wear thermal suit].”

“He looks haggard and his stomach appears to be deep already,” added Roger.

In the final press conference Wednesday, Clottey’s chief trainer Lenny DeJesus claimed that Clottey, who has fought above the welterweight limit (147 lbs) 11 times, twice at 154, has made weight in his challenge for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight crown.

As Clottey scrambles to shed pounds, Pacquiao relaxes as he weighed 146 even after a hearty lunch of beef stew and pakbet (vegetable stew) Wednesday, according to Roger, adding that the seven-time champion in as many divisions would still eat a full meal, hours before weigh-in Friday afternoon.

Making weight hasn’t been an issue for Pacquiao at 147 lbs. Fact is, conditioning expert Alex Ariza continues to give him protein shakes so as he’ll keep weight.

Source: inquirer.net

Fight-central notebook from Pacquiao-Clottey

The end of a boxer's road can be a sad and lonely place, even if 45,000 people are in your close company.

Mexico's Jose Luis Castillo, the former world lightweight champion, will fight for the 71st time when he meets former "The Contender" cast member Alfonso Gomez in a welterweight bout on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The undercard will also feature a world lightweight title fight pitting Chicago's David Diaz vs. Mexico's Humberto Soto, and a middleweight bout starring Ireland's John Duddy.

Castillo's appearance could very well be the final chapter in a career that featured incredible peaks: his 2000 upset of Stevie Johnston to claim the lightweight belt, the narrow unanimous-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2002 that many believe was the closest Mayweather has come to losing, and his classic 2005 slugfest with Diego Corrales that The Times voted fight of the decade.

But there have been sad lows, as well, including his inability to make weight twice in a rematch with Corrales and a third fight that was canceled. He proceeded to lose to Ricky Hatton, missed weight by seven pounds and squandered a bout against Timothy Bradley, and has suffered the heartbreaking deaths of his brother and sister during the last six years that required psychological counseling, he revealed Thursday.

Promoter Bob Arum has seen this act play out before in his long involvement in the sport.

"I know he's having money problems, I'd rather he didn't fight," Arum said.

Castillo, 36, has fought 377 rounds, and hasn't been in the ring since September. He served as a sparring partner to Pacquiao before the Filipino star's November bout against Miguel Cotto.

Yet, Arum's promotional partner in Mexico, Fernando Beltran, has vouched for Castillo's stability.

"It doesn't thrill me," Arum said minutes before giving Castillo a stirring introduction at a news conference: "As long as boxing exists, that fight [with Corrales] will go down in lore. And he still lookds in great shape."

Castillo, of course, touted his skills and spoke of how he wants "to come back and be a world champion," even at 140 pounds, where he so badly missed weight against Bradley.

"I know I can do this," Castillo said through an interpreter. "I abused myself. I didn't treat myself correctly. But now I'm going to quiet a lot of people in Mexico. I feel great. I feel like I was when I was 28."

Beltran vowed that Castillo will perform well against Gomez.

"He's going to be fine," Beltran said. "It was easy convincing Bob. Bob appreciates his great fights."

--Arum said he budgeted for Pacquiao-Clottey to generate between 500,000 and 700,000 pay-per-view buys, and now believes the number will be between 700,000 and 900,000, while HBO dreams of 1 million buys.

Pacquiao's bout in November against Cotto had 1.25 million buys.

The draw of Pacquiao and the intrigue of seeing a fight inside the mammoth stadium will fuel this show -- HBO is promising the use of special cameras to allow the viewer to experience the feel of next year's Super Bowl site.

"We're going to lose 110,000 buys from the island of Puerto Rico, though," Arum said. "How we can make those up remains to be seen."

--Tecate is offering a $20 rebate coupon for the pay-per-view purchase inside special cases of 12-packs and larger, the beer company announced.

--Fight publicist Ed Keenan staged a moment of redemption for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday, when he had Pacquiao present Jones with a bottle of XXX wine during Pacquiao's media workout session.

At the NFL combine last month, New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton swiped a bottle of wine, expensive 2007 Caymus Special Selection cabernet sauvignon, from an Indianapolis steakhouse table that was meant for Jones. Payton wrote on the empty bottle, WHO DAT!, and instructed a waiter to leave it for Jones.

Pacquiao took a new bottle into the ring Tuesday and handed it to Jones, signing it as a token of appreciation.

--Lance Pugmire

Source: latimes.com

Pacquiao vs Clottey: Keys to Victory, Four to Explore, Official Prediction

By Vivek Wallace - In just a few hours the collective attention of fight fans around the world will be locked on Dallas Cowboys Stadium to witness a spectacle that may serve as a chief catalyst in bringing the sport back to a global forefront. The date of March 13th was initially reserved for something even more grand, yet fate decided to shuffle the deck, removing one key component and instead inserting a very unlikely one, turning a lifelong dream into a 'sudden-death' styled date with destiny. Sudden-death is the operative term, as this is now a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but after failed chances in the past, it may also serve as the final one if his bid for success fails. As we prepare for this amazing spectacle, we now take a moment to analyze the two men involved:

MANNY PACQUIAO: KEYS TO VICTORY - For Manny Pacquiao, this fight has 'trap' written all over it. In the minds of some, Pacquiao wasn't supposed to defeat his last four opponents so easily, yet he walked through each of them with little resistance. With easy success in his head, the world in his ear, and the wind at his back, it would seem natural to think his forecast calls for smooth sailing.......but it doesn't. Joshua Clottey will be the firmest test of his entire career - both literally and figuratively. The biggest key for Pacquiao will be CONTROLLED AGGRESSION. Clottey is very deft at timing his jab with precision. Pacquiao's fairly short arm length prevents him from settling for outside shots, therefore he has a tendency to blitz an opponent by jumping in and swarming..

If these blitz attempts are met with a thunderous jab, his momentum would be stunted, and Clottey will achieve his ultimate goal of "making Pacquiao think more than he has ever had to in the ring before". Pacquiao will have to exercise great patience, realizing that he isn't facing a fighter who will wilt under the pressure of a few well-placed shots. Pacquiao's plan (as stated by camp insiders) is to come out and take it to the Ghanaian native from the opening bell. While that worked with many in the past, it would be ill-advised, and could result in alot of misses, and subsequently have him wearing down late in the fight. Patience, power and execution will be Pacquiao's critical recipe if he is to find success.


JOSHUA CLOTTEY: KEYS TO VICTORY

For Joshua Clottey, this fight will be leveled on several building blocks, but all will hinge on one thing. That one thing is motivation. Injury prevented him from defeating Margarito, but his lost to Cotto came ONLY as a result of his failure to keep his foot to the gas. The HBO "Road to Dallas" segment showed us that even his daughter was prompted to ask him "what happened" in his failed bid to defeat a dead man walking? Considering that he has the God-given attributes necessary to find success, that attribute of motivation could be the final piece to complete the puzzle. Another key for Clottey is to use a stiff jab - early and often. Both Marquez and Morales found success against Pacquiao using it, and neither had the power found in Clottey's.

Pacquiao has a tendency to 'reset' every time he's met with a stiff jab, so that would serve as the perfect appetizer before Clottey unloads the main course. Finally, Clottey must remember that no fighter - not Tyson, Duran, or any other power puncher in history - has ever demonstrated the art of mastering true power from their back foot. Clottey must keep this in mind and not only keep Pacquiao going backwards, but force him to stand his ground and engage in in-fighting, which Pacquiao has never been too skilled at. This blueprint holds the key for a Clottey victory.


FOUR TO EXPLORE

'5th DIMENSION': Pacquiao's last four opponents were all men who were left-hand dominant. While only Diaz was a true southpaw, the left-hand dominant Oscar, Hatton, and Cotto were all far less than threatening with the right hand - which happens to be the weapon of choice against a southpaw. In Clottey, Pacquiao will be facing a man who not only packs adequate power with the right hand, but often leads with it. For the first time in a long time Pacqiuao won't be facing a man who's left-hand dominant, he'll just be facing one who has seemed to master those who are. How will he handle that?

'TEXAS TAKE-AWAY': Trainer Freddie Roach has recently gone on record stating that he has "never lost a fight in Texas". This streak is said to go back as far as his very own professional career inside the ropes. The old adage states that "every thing's bigger in Texas", and as Team Pacquiao gets prepared to take on its biggest opponent to date, they very much understand that the agony of defeat would be bigger than any pain ever experienced in the past. Will the streak live to die another day?

ONE & ONLY - Joshua Clottey has never been stopped in his entire career, and only floored once. Considering that he has already faced Margarito, Cotto, and others, it's safe to say that the only man in this neck of the woods with the ability to stop him is the one he will now face. Could Pacquiao be the one and only to give Clottey his one and only (KO loss)? Stay tuned.

MARQUEZ ON THE MIND - The last time Pacquiao fought in March he fought the one man who many feel he still doesn't own a definitive victory over (Juan Manuel Marquez - 03/15/08). Marquez was also the last right-hand dominant person that Pacquiao fought before immediately going into a string of four left-hand dominant fighters. Many things about Clottey parallel Marquez, from the strong right (hand) to the never-back-down warrior mentality. Will the end be controversial too? Should be interesting to find out.


OFFICIAL PREDICTION/UPSET BAROMETER (RATING 1 thru 5)

Official prediction for the fight is Manny Pacquiao on close points - split decision. That being said, ladies and gents, the black crow is circling the building, and the upset barometer has peaked at a solid 5 out of 5. Meaning, if there's anyone in the sport who can come in as an underdog, yet be skilled enough to pull off an upset over Pacquiao, it's Joshua Clottey. Many say Pacquiao's work rate will be too strong. Well......Remember that guy named Antonio Margarito? He just happened to set a compubox record for punches thrown against Clottey that I don't expect Pacquiao to beat (1,675). Do you know what Clottey did in return? He set a compubox record of his own - by blocking/avoiding 1,338 punches, which no one has come close to in the history of the sport. If Clottey is able to fatigue Pacquiao a bit and is fresh himself past the 9th round, the crow will squawk loud and the eventual outcome could be clear.

Secondly, many continue to cite Pacquiao's strength, but few have stopped to consider what the effects will be of a thunderous puncher like Clottey in a pair of 8oz gloves. This will be the first time that Pacquiao absorbs that shock from a full blown welter and it will come against arguably the most solid one in the talent pool. Somehow I think this could play a very intricate role in the outcome of this fight. Tune in to HBO PPV Saturday night at 9pm eastern time to watch it all unfold.

Source: eastsideboxing.com

Pacquiao has perfect game plan for Clottey

DALLAS, Texas, (AFP) - Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao puts his World Boxing Organization title on the line Saturday against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey as they headline the first fight card at Cowboys Stadium.

The 31-year-old Pacquiao will be making the first defence of his WBO welterweight belt but it could also be his last fight as he prepares to embark on a political career in his native Philippines.

Pacquiao, who will run for a congressional seat in May after failing to get elected three years ago, said Filipinos are now more accepting of his political goals.

"Before they don’t want me to enter politics because I am still fighting," Pacquiao said. "They didn’t want to lose Manny Pacquiao in boxing. But now my time in boxing is really short. I have to think about the future and helping my people."

But first the three-time fighter of the year Pacquiao has to get past the much bigger Clottey who is fighting at his natural weight (147 pounds) unlike Pacquiao who is moving up in weight class.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 28 KOs) has looked unstoppable in his last three fights and he isn’t showing any signs of losing power as he fights bigger and stronger opponents.

Pacquiao has won 11 consecutive fights, eight by knockout, since losing to Erik Morales in March 2005.

His plan is to wear the 32-year-old Clottey down on Saturday so he can finish him off in the later rounds.

"Joshua will bring out the best in Manny," said Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach, who wants to see his champion fight one more time - against Floyd Mayweather - then retire. "Manny will go out there and fight another perfect fight."

Promoters are expecting a sellout of 45,000 for the first fight card at the 1.2 billion dollar Cowboys Stadium which was opened last year.

The home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys is an unusual venue for a world championship fight because of its location and size. The majority of world title fights these days are held in much smaller venues in Las Vegas.

This will be the largest crowd Pacquiao has fought in front of and he is looking forward to showing what he can do.

"This is very important fight for me," Pacquiao said. "This is my first time here in Dallas.

"It is going to be worldwide and it is a good example to other places that also want to promote boxing."

Pacquiao had been expected to fight Mayweather on the same date in a pound-for-pound mega-fight.

But when that bout fell through over a drug-testing dispute, former IBF champion Clottey (35-3, 21 KOs) came into the picture.

Both fighters fought former champion Miguel Cotto in their most recent fights - southpaw Pacquiao winning by a 12th round TKO four months ago and Clottey losing a close decision to Cotto nine months ago.

Clottey, who has never been knocked down, comes into the fight without his long-time trainer Godwin Kotey, who is back in Ghana because he couldn’t get a visa to come to the US.

Kotey’s replacement is former cutman Lenny DeJesus, 64, who was promoted to head trainer just seven weeks ago.

DeJesus says his boxer is more than just a fill-in fighter for Mayweather.

"It is a hurting game," said DeJesus, who worked a half dozen fights in Pacquiao’s corner as a cut man. "If my guy can put a hurt on Pacquiao that will change the fight.

"I got a stronger and bigger guy. I have created some different movements so he won’t be a target."

This is Pacquiao’s second fight as a true welterweight. He weighed just 106 pounds for his first professional fight in 1995 and won his first title in the 112 pound flyweight division

His major titles have come in weight classes ranging from 112 pounds to 147 pounds and he is the first Asian to win four or more major belts.

Before systematically dismantling Cotto in 12 rounds, he sent Oscar De La Hoya into retirement in December 2008 and demolished Briton Ricky Hatton in just two rounds in May 2009.

"I want to give a good fight and make people happy," Pacquiao said. "We have a plan. We have some strategy and whatever happens in the ring we will adjust to.

"We based our training on our opponent’s style. We trained perfectly to the style of the opponent so I think our team work for this fight is very good."

Source: leaderpost.com

Once KO'd by Manny Pacquiao, Diaz Battles Soto For WBC Crown

ARLINGTON, Texas -- On the evening of May 5, 2009, Manny Pacquiao was sitting in the dressing room following his ferocious, second-round knockout of England's Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.

Suddenly, Pacquiao's cell phone rang.

The call was from David Diaz (pictured above, at right, with Humberto Soto), the man whom Pacquiao had dethroned with a ninth-round in June 2008 to earn the WBC lightweight (135 pounds) title.

Diaz was phoning to thank Pacquiao for the new highlight-reel stoppage of Hatton -- the one he figured would be used in future bouts promoting the Filipino superstar.

In between the stoppages of Diaz and Hatton, Pacquiao had similarly made Oscar De La Hoya remain on his stool between the eighth and ninth rounds.

But De La Hoya quit. He wasn't devastatingly dismantled and dropped like Diaz or Hatton.

And the way Hatton went out, Diaz was confident that Pacquiao's sensational blowout of the Englishman would supplant his own demise at Pacquiao's hands as the replay of record for future HBO highlights.

Diaz was correct.

"I sure did call him, and I told him to stop using my highlight and to start using Ricky Hatton's," said the 33-year-old Diaz, a southpaw who resides in Chicago.

"But this is what we do. We're supposed to sometimes lose and sometimes win," Diaz said. "And sometimes, unfortunately, that means getting knocked out. It just happens. It's my job."

On Saturday night on HBO pay-per-view from Cowboys Stadium, Diaz (35-2-1, 17 knockouts) will get a chance to regain the crown that he lost when he engages in a clash of former world champions with 29-year-old Humberto Soto (50-7-2, 32 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex., for the WBC lightweight belt vacated by Edwin Valero.

"I never thought that I would be a world champion. Now, to be able to be called two-time world champion? That lights a fire under my a** real quick," said Diaz, whose matchup with Soto takes place on the undercard of Pacquiao's defense of his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title against Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs). "That makes me want to go out there and do what I've got to do against the guy who is across the ring from me."

Diaz said that he considers Soto a personal friend, having seen him around at boxing events and during the many times when they have fought on the same cards.

"We have a good camaraderie with each other. A lot of people don't understand the concept that we can go in there and beat each others brains in, and then later on be sharing a Coke or a beer," Diaz said.

"You have to live this life to really grasp it and understand it, and I think that boxers are really good people when you come down to it," Diaz said. "We just work hard and try to have that competitiveness that we want to be good. You just want people to talk about you and say, 'Hey, you had a pretty good fight.'"

Source: fanhouse.com

The Boxing Weekend: Manny Pacquiao Vs Joshua Clottey PPV

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, 50-3-2, 38 KO’s, headlines this weekend’s boxing as he defends his WBO Welterweight title against the very capable and dangerous Joshua Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s.

Pacquiao is at an all time high in his career and has quite the following. He is a national hero in the Philippines and has a large fan base just about everywhere else. His continued improvement and likable nature have made him a pay per view smash. He is willing to take on just about anyone and has destroyed most of his opposition, including Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and David Diaz. He has struggled with Juan Manuel Marquez in recent years, a fighter with good defense and the ability to control the ring, which is something that Clottey is able to do. The difference is: Clottey is a natural welterweight.

Pacquiao has to use his speed and movement in order to beat Clottey. Clottey has a history of beating up smaller guys. He battered and destroyed Diego Corrales, pounded Zab Judah into submission, and chased Miguel Cotto around the ring, before losing a controversial decision. He has a great chin, packs a decent punch, and keeps a tight defense. Clottey is a very dangerous opponent for Pacquiao and one that he may not be able to get beyond.

A win is a win and you can’t take anything away from the recent victories of Pacquiao, but when you look at the big names that were destroyed, you have to analyze it realistically. Oscar De La Hoya was spent, Ricky Hatton wasn’t an elite fighter, and Miguel Cotto’s psyche was broken. Clottey is a much bigger test for Pacquiao the welterweight, despite the fact that he isn’t as well known as the fighters mentioned above. He will try to walk down and pound Pacquiao to the floor in the later rounds. It should be a fun show.

The vacant WBC Lightweight title will be decided as Humberto Soto, 50-7-2, 32 KO’s, takes on David Diaz, 35-2-1, 17 KO’s. Soto recently dominated Jesus Chavez and has been on a winning streak. Diaz struggled with the same Chavez to take a majority decision in his last fight. Prior to that, he was dominated and planted on the canvas by Manny Pacquiao in nine rounds. He does hold a win over ancient Erik Morales, and at 33 years of age, still has some time left in the game. This should be a competitive and busy fight.

Contender favorite, Alfonso Gomez, 21-4-2, 10 KO’s, tries to send former WBC Lightweight Champion, Jose Luis Castillo, 60-9-1, 50 KO’s, into retirement in a ten round bout. Gomez has rebounded from his TKO loss to Miguel Cotto and put together a couple of wins as he goes into his biggest challenge. Castillo has been very active lately, fighting four times in 2009, winning all four by stoppage, although the opposition is highly questionable. Can Gomez avoid the slow powerhouse? We’ll find out Saturday night.

Irish Middleweight John Duddy, 28-1, 18 KO’s, is still a hot property in boxing and hopes to defeat the untested Michael Medina, 23-1-2, 18 KO’s, in a ten round bout. Duddy has beaten some decent competition like Matt Vanda, Howard Eastman, and Yory Boy Campas, while Medina has been feasting on guys like Roberto Valenzuela, who brought in an impressive record of 51-49-2. This is a huge step up for Medina.

Source: ringsidereport.com

Pacquiao vs Clottey - ROAD TO DALLAS

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Part 3:

Pacquiao vs. Clottey LIVE STREAMING

Pacquiao-Clottey.blogspot.com is excited to provide the most exciting fighter and pound for pound number 1 on “The Event”. Watch Pacquiao vs Clottey Streaming for free on your PC. The fight will be held in Dallas on March 13th Saturday at 9PM eastern.

HBO Video - Manny Pacquiao in Dallas

PICTURES: Final Presscon in Dallas

Source: Yahoosports.com

Clottey savors arduous journey to title fight

GRAPEVINE, Texas – Manny Pacquiao arrived in Dallas on a charter plane on Monday with an entourage of about 130 people in tow.

A crowd of about half that many on Tuesday encircled Joshua Clottey – his opponent on Saturday in their HBO Pay-Per-View bout for the World Boxing Organization welterweight championship at Cowboys Stadium – in the lobby of the hotel where Clottey is staying.

Clottey looked more like a candidate for political office than a boxer as he moved comfortably among the people, many of whom were asking someone else in the crowd who it was they were waiting to see.

A young man wearing a T-shirt with Pacquiao’s image asked to have his photo taken with Clottey, who beamed and quickly slapped his right arm around the man’s shoulders. Just as the man’s friend was taking the picture, though, Clottey made a fist and pretended to punch the photo of Pacquiao in the nose as the crowd chortled. A few minutes later, an elderly woman posed for a picture with Clottey and then walked away grinning, saying to no one in particular: “Isn’t he darling?”

Clottey easily could have retreated to the sanctuary of his massive suite to avoid the fans. He was having too much fun, however, to leave.

A guy from Ghana who was once betrayed in his own country – and who spent most of his career playing second fiddle to higher-profile boxers – was intent on soaking it all in.

He remembered a time when his countrymen didn’t hide their disdain for him, when it seemed unlikely that he’d follow in the footsteps of such boxing greats as Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey and become an international star.

He was challenged by men who were once his friends, who told him to his face that he was never going to amount to anything and that they wanted a chance to beat him up.

“People wrote me off, and the papers, the people, nobody [in Ghana] was talking about Joshua Clottey,” he said later, gulping down a plate of fruit while relaxing in his suite. “They would come up to me and said, ‘You’re nothing, man. I want a chance to fight you in the ring.’ A close friend of mine who had been everywhere with us when I was fighting in England came up to me. He said, ‘You’re too old, man. It’s over.’ ”

Clottey was 25 years old and had a 26-1 record – his only loss a hotly contested decision to Carlos Baldomir, a one-time feather-duster salesman who would later go on to become the undisputed welterweight champion.

Clottey knew the only way to salvage his career was to base himself in the United States. So, with little more than his courage and his boxing gear, he set out to make a new life for himself. He desperately wanted to succeed in his career because he knew in his heart he was good enough to be the next in the string of great Ghanaian fighters. He just needed a chance, and to that point in his career he wasn’t getting it.

“The only choice I had at that point was to go to America,” Clottey said. “I talked to God. I said, ‘Hey God, America is the last place for Joshua Clottey. It’s the mecca of boxing. If you want to be a champion, if you want to become a big star, you have to go to America – nowhere else. I am begging you: Please God, let me become someone. Let them talk about me like the way they talk in America about Shane Mosley, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and Zab Judah. I need this God. Please.’

“I came to America and I prayed that God would do it for me. And to my surprise, it really happened.”

The road to a bout against the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world was neither fast nor easy – and it wasn’t like Clottey was greeted as a conquering hero when he touched down in the States.

When he arrived in Las Vegas, an acquaintance from Ghana dropped him at a small motel. A day later, he received a disconcerting telephone call from someone on the motel staff.

“They said, ‘You’re going to have to leave,’ ” Clottey recalled. “I said, ‘What do you mean? Somebody put me here.’ ”

But that someone didn’t pay for more than one night and the motel wasn’t about to treat him as a charity case. He had little money and wasn’t sure what to do. He knew of another Ghanaian living in Las Vegas. He made another call and soon found himself a guest in the man’s two-bedroom home.

It would have been perfect, except for one small thing.

“He was smoking weed all the time – chain-smoking it,” Clottey said. “He would have cocaine, there was drinking. It was a terrible atmosphere. I would rather go home and quit than be in the middle of that. It was a place to become an addict.”

So he called his older brother, Emmanuel, and asked what he should do. Emmanuel Clottey recommended a move to New York City’s Bronx borough. Desperate to salvage his career and find a place where he could fulfill his destiny, Joshua agreed.

The decision to move to New York was a watershed moment in his life. It was like the scene in “The Wizard of Oz,” when it shifted from black-and-white to color. Clottey arrived in the Bronx and discovered native food, an African market and boxing gyms aplenty.

“It was like I was home in Ghana, but I was living in America in New York,” he said. “I said, ‘Wow, I’m never going to leave this place. I have found it. I love the Bronx.’ ”

He went to the gym and quickly built a reputation as one of the toughest men in the place. Vinny Scolpino, a New York businessman and boxing manager, brought one of his fighters to the gym to spar with Clottey.

They began to talk. Clottey expressed dissatisfaction with the way his career had progressed. He needed competent representation; Scolpino needed some quality fighters.

“I just saw him as a tough, dedicated kid, and I really didn’t think about anything else,” Scolpinio said. “I didn’t think of all the problems and the baggage. I’ve told him this many times, but I could smell something different about him. He had that something about him, a drive, that made him different. You could see it when he was in the ring. A lot of people had the opportunity to help him but they didn’t. I knew he was a hard-nosed guy and I knew he was a guy who could use some help.”

Clottey’s career took off not long after. He got a bout against Antonio Margarito in Atlantic City, N.J., on Dec. 12, 2006. During his training camp, he’d had pain in his knuckles on his left hand, pain that only went away when he’d rest the hand completely for several days.

In the fifth round, he hit Margarito with a jab and a hook and instantly winced. Pain shot up his arm. In the next round, the same thing happened to his right hand. He walked back to his corner, planning to quit.

Scolpino and his girlfriend urged him to keep fighting.

“My girl,” Clottey said, chuckling. “My girl says I can’t quit, so I say, ‘OK. I won’t quit.’ ”

He fought defensively the rest of the fight, spending most of his time blocking Margarito’s punches. He went to a hospital after the fight to have his hands checked, where he learned he had stress fractures in both. While he was there, he saw Margarito, who was in obvious pain. Margarito’s face was badly swollen and he would wince in pain when he was touched.

“I felt bad for him, to be honest,” Clottey said. “But I thought to myself, ‘My God, Joshua, you did that to him after only four rounds?’ I didn’t punch much at all after that and that was the way he was. I said, ‘You know, I can do something here.’ “

Clottey routed Diego Corrales in his next fight in what would be the last bout of Corrales’ legendary career before he died in a motorcycle accident in Las Vegas. He then stopped Zab Judah in Las Vegas and won the International Boxing Federation welterweight title in 2008. Still, he knew he could do more.

Promoter Bob Arum offered him a bout with Cotto last June. Though Clottey lost a split decision, his performance was enough to convince Arum that Clottey was a tough opponent for any welterweight in the world.

“Everybody knows that Joshua Clottey is a tremendous defensive fighter and can put a real hurting on an opponent,” Arum said.

While Arum was attempting to put together a Pacquiao fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Scolpino stayed in close contact with Arum and Top Rank executive Carl Moretti. He kept telling them that if negotiations fell apart, Clottey was available to face Pacquiao.

Scolpino’s persistence paid off. When Arum finally got frustrated by Mayweather’s contractual demands, he called Scolpino and quickly made the fight.

Clottey could hardly believe his good fortune. He would finally get the opportunity to follow Nelson, a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and Quartey, and become the next Ghanaian to become a star in the States.

“It would have been easy to quit,” Clottey said. “Nobody was on the side of Joshua Clottey. Nobody. I had faith and I knew if I kept working and kept trying, sooner or later it would happen. And here I am.”

He looked around the spacious suite he was occupying. He remembered all the fans he’d greeted earlier in the lobby. He had, Joshua Clottey said, arrived.

“Can you believe this?” Clottey said. “Of course I’m enjoying this. It’s like a dream. I am a very happy man right now.”

Source: yahoo.com

Pacquiao-Clottey: Attendance Numbers Are a Strong Sign

By Rick Reeno

Top Rank has confirmed to BoxingScene.com that only a few hundred tickets are remaining for Saturday's pay-per-view clash between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and challenger Joshua Clottey. The event, taking place in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, was scaled to seat 45,000 fans.

The attendance number is a strong indication of just how popular Pacquiao has become. Clottey is not exactly a household name in the state of Texas. Hell, Clottey is not exactly a household name in New York. This card is being sold on the strength of Pacquiao's name.

Even with all of the controversy, Clottey being a big underdog, criticism about the undercard, and the lack of a 24/7 from HBO - 45,000 tickets are going to be sold. Pacquiao may live in the Philippines, but he is certainly one of the biggest draws in the United States.

boxingscene.com

How big will Pacquiao-Clottey be on pay-per-view?

We've done these "Guess the PPV Buys" posts before for a few fights, namely last year's three major PPVs, but this one strikes me as the most interesting we've done to date.

We are now living in a boxing world dominated by Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., whether we like it or not. And whether we're all sick of hearing about Pacquiao-Mayweather for the time being (since it isn't, you know, going to happen right now) or not, there are a lot of people that aren't. To those people, Manny and Floyd are all that matters, and these other fights, with Shane Mosley and "whoever the hell Joshua Clottey is," are merely speed-bumps. Maybe even speed-bumps that risk taking the bumper off your car, which nobody wants in this situation.

For some people, I think there's a genuine fear that Manny or Floyd could lose before we get to see them go at each other for all of boxing's pound-for-pound marbles.

They're the two biggest stars in boxing. Pacquiao's name value and some good promotion in Texas have combined to sell nearly 45,000 tickets at Cowboys Stadium as of this moment on Thursday morning. Clottey -- even though he deserves better and bigger standing and is a legitimate opponent without question -- is the proverbial nobody at the box office.

This isn't the Manny Pacquiao from a year ago. While Manny was big before his December 2008 fight with Oscar de la Hoya, and very big after, he's become huge. He's the boxer of choice for everyone in the world that wants to be inspired by a boxer, it seems, featured everywhere.

Pacquiao's popularity has in large part come the old-fashioned way. When he fights, people want to see him, because he's exciting, fearless, and ruthlessly efficient in the ring. Outside the ring, he's humble, good-humored, a philanthropist, and, at least in his own mind, a dynamite singer.

I think you can even argue that Manny Pacquiao is a boxing star, whereas Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a star who also boxes, if that makes sense. (And I'm not saying Mayweather doesn't box exceptionally well, so keep the "hater" comments in reserve for when I actually "hate" on him.)

Pacquiao-Clottey is a really good fight. With Shane Mosley and Andre Berto both tied up when Pacquiao needed to find an opponent, Top Rank surprised a lot of people by matching Manny with the absolute toughest available opponent. Names like Paulie Malignaggi and Timothy Bradley (junior welterweights) were tossed around, and this was a time when Floyd was rumored to be considering opponents like Nate Campbell and Matthew Hatton.

On January 7, I made a comment about Clottey being inserted as Pacquiao's opponent. I truly didn't think that would happen, nor had it ever really been in discussion publicly. Five hours later, Top Rank announced Pacquiao-Clottey via their Facebook page.

Since then, fan reaction has been mostly positive, and the fight is being treated as legit by everyone who knows anything, which it should.

But can it sell on PPV? I think this might be a reverse of the Mayweather-Marquez situation last year, where the live gate and attendance in Las Vegas were very disappointing, but the PPV numbers shocked everyone in and around the sport. The gate for this isn't going to set any records (well, it'll set the record for boxing in Texas, which is currently held by last year's Marquez-Diaz fight), but the attendance is obviously something that American boxing hasn't seen in a dog's age. But on PPV? I'm just not sure.

Pacquiao's fight last May with Ricky Hatton did around 800,000 buys, and his November bout with Miguel Cotto did about 1.25 million, matching what Pacquiao did against former PPV ruler Oscar de la Hoya the year previous. Does Clottey have the name power to help Manny reach those heights again? Does Manny himself have such enormous branding power himself that he can carry a show alone to a million homes in the States? Or will there be some disappointment with the buys for this show?

Source: badlefthook.com

Promoter Bob Arum gets in his shots ahead of Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey figh

Reporting from Arlington, Texas

The gloves are off, and this isn't even hockey.

Manny Pacquiao will fight Joshua Clottey on Saturday night in an airplane construction hangar known as Cowboys Stadium. Think of two Staples Centers, placed side by side, with a retractable roof, and you've got it. The people at Boeing are green with envy.

If Texas truly wants us to believe everything is bigger here, then with this, it wins.

Such is the backdrop for the match.

But this is boxing, and a bigger fight is going on outside the ring. Bob Arum, president of Top Rank, called Saturday night's fight a "huge moment" for his sport, and he was referring to much more than punches in the ring.

Arum used the platform here to torch his largest competitor and, until recently, his business partners, Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions. Arum also directed cracks at the Las Vegas casinos, with whom he has been doing business for years, and at the Floyd Mayweather Jr. camp, which was represented in the failed Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations by Schaefer and Golden Boy.

It was a wide-ranging smackdown, clearly an aftershock of the Pacquiao-Mayweather controversy. Even for the ever-controversial and outspoken Arum, it was surprising in its depth of bitterness. Hollywood might want to grab this one for a reality series: Arum, a 78-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer, versus Schaefer, a 49-year-old former Swiss banker.

As recently as the December 2008 Pacquiao-De La Hoya fight, which made both sides filthy rich, the relationship was sugar and spice and everything nice. No more. The Vegas future book is expected to open soon with Arum a 2-1 favorite.

In an impromptu gathering here Wednesday, before the start of a news conference for the fight, Arum said the future of boxing was in big fights in big stadiums, such as Saturday night's. He mentioned Yankee Stadium, where he will promote a fight in June, and the Meadowlands in New Jersey as his prototypes, as well as more in Dallas.

"If boxing is to be big league — and it's not now — we have to put on these kinds of big events around the world," he said. "We can't be big league by putting on the same old casino fights.

"I look at these Vegas fights and I look ringside and all I see is people from Hong Kong. Nothing but guys from China. You aren't going to grow boxing's brand like that. The casinos don't give a damn about anything other than their customers, and it becomes a circus act."

He implied that he was pretty much out of business with the MGM Grand, where he has held the bulk of his big fights in recent years, because "Golden Boy is in bed with MGM."

Asked if he worried about upsetting Schaefer and Golden Boy with his comments, Arum, surrounded by about 10 writers, said, "…Golden Boy." Fill in your own profanity.

Schaefer, reached by telephone in Los Angeles, took the high road.

"It sounds like Bob is declaring war," Schaefer said. "I am sorry he feels like that. I respect him and Top Rank, and I won't get involved in this back-and-forth."

Arum, of course, is sly like a fox. He knows there are more ways of calling attention to a boxing match than praising the competitors at a news conference. He also knows that his line of pro-big-stadium, anti-casino talk will help endear him to new investors in the sport, such as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the man who built this most recent Texas treasure.

Most men Arum's age stop looking forward. At 78, he still has visions of grandeur. He talks about having fights in Jones' stadium that would headline Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who can't fight a lick but can sell tickets. He talks about getting a license in Texas for the suspended and disgraced Antonio Margarito, knowing that there might be enough Mexican support nearby to be worthy of a Cowboys Stadium match.

He is at his best as an attack dog. He heard of an incident last week in which TV reporter Chino Trinidad of GMA News in the Philippines was denied access to Mayweather at a Mayweather-Shane Mosley news media gathering in Los Angeles to promote their May 1 Las Vegas fight. Trinidad said he was told he would not get an interview — when all other members of the media could and did — because Mayweather wouldn't talk to Filipino reporters.

"That's racist," Arum said. "If anybody on my staff denied a reporter like that, they'd be gone."

It is also possible that Arum was merely setting the table for the next round of talks, post Pacquiao-Clottey and Mayweather-Mosley fights, for the boxing granddaddy of them all: Pacquiao-Mayweather.

Schaefer and Mayweather have said they won't fight at Cowboys Stadium. Negotiations to that end failed before. Perhaps if Arum makes them mad enough, they'll stop talking about steroids and the glory of Vegas fights and take on Pacquiao here just to make Arum shut up. Arum could act shocked and giggle all the way to the bank.

It is boxing. There is always a method to all the madness. And it is never dull.

bill.dwyre@latimes.com

Source: latimes.com

Manny Pacquiao faces a much tougher fight in political ring

Reporting from Arlington, Texas - Manny Pacquiao's financial advisor in the Philippines says the world-champion boxer has invested an estimated $5 million into winning a congressional seat in the country, an effort that is more than likely headed to a defeat.

"I'm not going to use the term longshot, but … it motivates Manny to know he's not expected to come through," Pacquiao's U.S. business advisor, Michael Koncz, said Wednesday as Pacquiao and his Saturday night opponent, Joshua Clottey, held a news conference at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Pacquiao's attempt to win the congressional seat in the Philippine province of Sarangani faces the stiff opposition of Roy Chiongbian, the son of a powerful political patriarch who helped create the country's large General Santos City. Manila News reporter Nick Giongco, in Texas for Pacquiao's bout, compared Chiongbian's name recognition in Sarangani to "Kennedy and Bush here in this country."

"I know I have to work hard and campaign," Pacquiao said. "From what I hear so far, the surveys [polls] are good."

Yet, Pacquiao's political friends and close advisors, including financial advisor Rex "Wakee" Salud, said they tried to express the reality of the political challenge to Pacquiao. The boxer has spent the past eight weeks in the U.S. training for his WBO welterweight title defense against Clottey while Chiongbian is in the Philippines preparing for the May 20 election.

"It's his decision; we don't know if he'll win" the election, Salud said. "Everybody has advised him that he's probably not going to win, but that's what he wants to do. He wants to help the poor, and he thinks there's no better way to do that than in politics."

Pacquiao has previously sought and failed to win an elected office in the Philippines. In the earlier campaign Pacquiao was hampered by poor organization, Koncz said, and the voters' desire to keep their sporting icon out of the controversial political arena.

"He's still up against it, but at least this [run] is better planned out," Koncz said. "We learned last time, without planning, you have no chance."

Pacquiao has said he wants to assist his countrymen as they struggle with weak education, health care and poverty, as he did in his youth. He has told Philippine reporters that political office is his best chance to do so. But if he's not elected, Pacquiao said, "In the eyes of God, I'm at peace. I know I've tried to help."

Pacquiao plans to return to Manila by March 22 and immediately begin an intense campaign to topple "the well-greased machines" of Chiongbian, Koncz said.

Political defeat would be good news for those who want Pacquiao to continue boxing. Last week, his trainer, Freddie Roach, speculated to The Times that a political victory and resistance by Floyd Mayweather Jr. to stage a mega-bout could make Saturday's bout Pacquiao's final fight.

Yet, Pacquiao said Wednesday that, "I don't think this will be my last fight," and Koncz said even if Pacquiao does upset Chiongbian, "It will only probably cut back his fight schedule from three fights a year to one or two."

Neutral corner

Texas has selected Rafael Ramos to serve as referee for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight, and the judges will be Duane Ford of Nevada, Levi Martinez of New Mexico and Nelson Vazquez of Puerto Rico.

Ramos worked the entertaining Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz fight in Houston in 2009, a bout that Martinez judged.

Ford is a veteran official who judged Pacquiao's victories over Miguel Cotto and his 2008 split-decision win over Marquez, a bout that Ford gave to Pacquiao, 115-113. Vazquez has been assigned to Shane Mosley's past two bouts.

Concert tour

Koncz said Pacquiao will earn more than $100,000 to perform in concert March 21 at Hawaii's Waikiki Shell venue, with plans to extend the "concert tour" to Canada (Winnipeg, Toronto and Vancouver) during the third week of June.

Pacquiao's singing sprouted from karaoke at home to appearances on Philippine talk shows to a post-fight concert after he defeated Miguel Cotto in November, to last week's appearance on " Jimmy Kimmel Live."

"Our contract requires a 35-minute performance in Hawaii," Koncz said. "But we'll go beyond that, for sure."

Source: latimes.com

Clottey holds little fear of Pacquiao’s punching power

GRAPEVINE, Texas – Joshua Clottey holds little fear of Manny Pacquiao’s punching power. Fact is, the Ghanaian is willing to take a few hits just to feel what’s in store for him when they collide on March 13 (March 14, Manila time) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington City.

And if his punches don’t hurt, Clottey swears Pacquiao will be in trouble. He’ll go after Pacquiao and unleash a few that will surely rattle the pound-for-pound king and put his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown in jeopardy.

Pacquiao throws more than a thousand punches and I’ll block most of them,” said Clottey during Thursday’s press conference at the $1.2 billion facility. “I only throw a few, but those punches will land and those punches will hurt.”

Knowing that Pacquiao started fighting at 106 pounds, Clottey, a naturally big 147-pounder, feels he can impose his strength upon Pacquiao.

Claiming that he didn’t watch tapes of Pacquiao’s fights, Clottey said all that he knew was Pacquiao’s speed and footwork. Plus of course, the left hook and right hook.

“Apart from that, nothing,” said Clottey, who enjoys a 2-inch height and 2 ½-inch weight advantage over Pacquiao. “I don’t watch his tape. I never watch his tape. The only thing I know is those deadly two punches.”

Rated as a 5-1 underdog, Clottey said he felt good about it and was motivated to do even better come fight night.

Clottey said he felt happy and proud to be given the opportunity to fight the world No. 1 and be his country’s greatest fighter, ever.

Ghana’s prime boxers include Hall-of-Famer Azumah Nelson and former world champions Ike Quartey, Joseph Agbeko, David Kotei, and Alfred Kotei.

“If I win the fight, Azumah Nelson, lost to Pernel Whitaker, Ike Quarter lost to Oscar De La Hoya. And I’ll win mine. So I’m the greater one.”

The 33-year-old Clottey said he has a big, big chance of unseating Pacquiao and bring joy to the people of Ghana because he has never trained harder than ever before.

Source: inquirer.net

Clottey’s mistakes will cost him dearly – Roach

DALLAS, Texas - Freddie Roach said the mistakes Joshua Clottey made against Miguel Cotto would cost the Ghanaian fighter dearly.

“He can’t afford to do that against Manny (Pacquiao this Saturday),” said Roach, referring to a few instances in their June 2009 brawl that saw Clottey allow himself to get pounded on the ropes.

“If he does that, he’ll get knocked out,” said Roach, stressing that not only does Pacquiao hit harder but is much faster than the Puerto Rican, who struggled against Clottey in carving out a 12-round split decision.

Roach once thought that it would likely take all of 12 rounds for Pacquiao to stave off Clottey’s challenge before cutting it down to about nine rounds after weeks of viewing the African on tape.

Then just before Team Pacquiao left Los Angeles, Roach told Filipino scribes that the pound-for-pound king would likely struggle in the first four rounds before taking full control en route to a stoppage in rounds six or seven.

Roach had also noted that Clottey moves in “straight lines” and that would make it easier for Pacquiao to place his punches, blows that he believes has enough power to shatter Clottey’s anvil jaw.

Roach has been in Pacquiao’s corner the last nine years and called the shots in each of his fighter’s previous 17 fights on American soil.

Source: mb.com.ph

Manny Pacquiao will be trouble

DALLAS, Texas — If his chin holds up to Manny Pacquiao’s expected bombardment Saturday night, Ghanaian Joshua Clottey said the Filipino pound-for-pound king would be in for a huge trouble.

“If his punches don’t hurt (me), it’s going to be a big problem for him,” said Clottey on Wednesday, boasting that during his training camp in Florida he never got himself in trouble with the guys he sparred with.

“Those who sparred with me, once they hit me, I didn’t feel nothing,” said Clottey, who is a 5-1 underdog in the scheduled 12-round bout for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.

Against Pacquiao before an expected sellout crowd of 45,000 at Cowboys Stadium in the neighboring city of Arlington, Clottey is more than confident that even Pacquiao’s best blows would not be enough to stop him from making history.

Even Pacquiao’s vaunted rapid-fire punches coupled with blinding speed, don’t faze the 32-year-old from Accra.

“He (Pacquiao) can throw a thousand punches, but the few that I will throw are the ones that will land, the punches that will hurt him.”

Armed with a 35-3-0 win-loss-draw record with 20 knockouts, Clottey has earned a reputation of being a durable fighter after years of slugging it out with some of the heaviest hitters of the welterweight class.

Clottey’s most memorable bouts were against Antonio Margarito, Zab Judah and the one versus Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, who went through hell in carving out a split decision in his last outing in June 2009 before a throng of Cotto fans in New York.

Pacquiao enters the ring with a 50-3-2 slate with 38 knockouts and his trainer Freddie Roach insists that Clottey will taste his first knockout loss at the hands of Pacquiao.

But that’s not what a vocal member of Team Clottey imparted to a handful of journalists during the interview session following Wednesday afternoon’s press conference.

“Joshua will make Pacquiao quit,” said Kwaku Gyanfi, known as ‘Alligator’ to members of Clottey’s party.

And if Gyanfi’s words turn out to be prophetic, Clottey said he won’t splurge on the $1.2 million purse and an upside on the pay-per-view sales that he is getting.

“If I win this fight, the only thing that I would like to do is make a party for myself in Africa,” said Clottey.

That will be known Saturday night (Sunday Manila time).

Source: mb.com.ph

Olivar tells Manny Pacquiao to stay focus on Joshua Clottey

Malacañang Thursday advised Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao to focus on his fight against Joshua Clottey this weekend and set aside his political ambitions for the moment.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar said Pacquiao should particularly watch out for Clottey's "dirty tactics" in their World Boxing Organization welterweight fight on March 13 in Texas.

He said Pacquiao risks getting hurt if he loses his focus on his challenger and worry about his political plans in May.

"We advise to him to watch out for headbutting since Clottey plays dirty. We advise Manny Pacquiao to be careful about dirty tactics by Mr. Clottey," Olivar said in a news conference in the Palace.

Olivar said the government is confident that Pacquiao, considered the world's greatest boxer, could defeat Clottey and keep his welterweight crown.

"We fully expect that Pacquiao will win. We hope he will not be severely injured by the dirty tactics that may be done by Clottey," he added.

He said the Palace continues to support Pacquiao despite reports he is allied with the political party of presidential bet Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.

"Manny is a Filipino who we can be proud of and a national treasure. Politics is just secondary," he added.

Once the fight is over, Olivar said the Palace would respect any decision of the pound-for-pound king Pacquiao whether he would stay in boxing, retire, or pursue politics.

President Arroyo, a self-confessed fan of Pacquiao, has often paid tribute to the boxer after his every bout abroad.

Last year, she conferred the Order of Sikatuna to Pacquiao with rank of Datu for the honor he has brought to the country. He has won seven world titles in seven weight divisions, earning accolades as the world’s greatest boxer.

A few years ago, Pacquiao was bestowed the Order of Lakandula with the rank of “Champion for Life” for his unprecedented feat in international boxing.

Source: mb.com.ph

Arum Hits the Big D

For promoter Bob Arum, who is staging “The Event” at Dallas Cowboys Stadium this weekend between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey, there has to be a sense of déjà vu. Back on November 14th, 1966, he promoted the heavyweight clash between Muhammad Ali and Cleveland Williams at the Houston Astrodome, which had just opened its doors in April of 1965.

"I sure did; I sure did," said Arum, on Monday afternoon, "and I thought when I did that fight in the Astrodome, it was the most magnificent building I had ever seen and it was unbelievable. It was an unbelievable place and here we are, almost 45 years later, and this Cowboy Stadium, of course, makes the Astrodome pale by comparison. But of course, all those intervening years have that effect."


Arum is correct; the Astrodome, which played host to a series of notable fights and was best known for being the home of the Astros and Oilers, was, for that time, the most modern facility in the country. It featured a dome and a new-fangled invention called “Astroturf” (because of the inability to grow real grass indoors) that was cursed for years by those who played on that artificial surface.

It was dubbed “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” So what would that make Jerry Jones’ $1.2 billion palace?

"I don’t know what you would call it, except it has to be the greatest stadium in all of the world. There is nothing like it. I mean, it is just thrilling to be in there to watch everything on that screen, all the amenities they have," said Arum, who knows that this building- and the novelty of bringing a prizefight inside of it- is every bit the attraction as the “Pac-Man” himself. "It’s just unbelievable," he continued. "The people who go to Cowboy Stadium for a game or for a fight, it’s an entertainment experience from the food, the drinks; everything is so accessible; it’s really state-of-the-art."

The build-up to “The Event” seemed to be overshadowed by the press tour that took place for the May 1st showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley. Now, Top Rank has a full week to recapture that buzz for their pay-per-view event on Saturday evening. Arum, who arrived in Texas over the weekend, said the momentum for this fight is building quickly around the local area. "The sports editor of the Fort Worth paper told me that they wrote a big article on Sunday, as did the Dallas paper, and they said that their phones have been off the hook, people calling up, ’Can we still get tickets?,’ etc, etc." said Arum, who presided over the media day for Clottey, alongside Jones on Monday. "So the town is really getting excited. Last night, they had me on for seven minutes on a sports show on one of the television channels."

Pacquiao arrived on Monday night on what Arum has dubbed the “Manny Pacquiao Express.” "It’s the Manny Pacquiao plane with his picture on it and so forth, which he chartered for the occasion and then the Manny Pacquiao bus meets them as they land; it’s hilarious. We’ll have all the television crews out there capturing it."

The house will be configured for a capacity of 45,000 patrons. Arum believes every seat will be sold by fight time. "Yeah, sure. We’re getting close, now. I think we’re about 5-to-6,000 away from a complete sell-out," he claimed. And with Arum, a lifelong New York Giants football fan, getting along so famously with the head Cowboy, expect more fight cards at “Jerry’s World.” "The opportunities to do shows here is enormous because of the number of open dates because the football team only takes certain dates and I’d like to bring Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. here instead of having him fight in Mexico. I think that would be a great idea," said the promoter, who mentioned that he could be coming back to Cowboys Stadium later in 2010.

As for the all-important pay-per-view projections, Arum admitted, "I have no idea. I know that the reports are tremendous, the cable systems, the dish people are advertising like mad and we expect do to very good numbers. Whether it’s going to be higher or lower than the Cotto fight (which did approximately 1.25 million buys), remains to be seen."

Source: maxboxing.com