Pacquiao vs Clottey - Latest News and Updates, HBO 24/7 Episodes, Streaming Videos

Pacquiao wins unanimous decision

2010-03-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-12T19:38:00.003-08:00

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

2010-03-12T19:38:00.001-08:00

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

2010-03-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-12T07:02:00.002-08:00

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

2010-03-12T07:02:00.001-08:00

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

2010-03-12T06:58:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-12T06:52:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-12T06:50:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-12T06:40:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-12T06:37:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-11T07:42:00.001-08:00

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Pacquiao vs. Clottey LIVE STREAMING

2010-03-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-11T05:37:00.000-08:00

PICTURES: Final Presscon in Dallas

2010-03-11T05:31:00.000-08:00

Source: Yahoosports.com

Clottey savors arduous journey to title fight

2010-03-11T05:23:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-11T05:18:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-03-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-11T04:51:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-11T01:26:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-11T01:25:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-11T01:24:00.002-08:00

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

2010-03-11T01:24:00.001-08:00

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

2010-03-11T01:21:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

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

Saturday’s “Event” a Far Cry from Pacquiao’s First Texas Trip

2010-03-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

Long before Manny Pacquiao’s coronation as the best fighter on the planet, the late-night serenades on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” or even the Nike endorsement deal, there was trouble in the Alamodome.

On November 15, 2003, the home of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs hosted the Filipino’s first mega-bout, and only 24 seconds into the fight, his ascent to boxing’s peak was almost over before it started.

After landing a lead left cross on then-featherweight world champion Marco Antonio Barrera’s jaw, the two fighters’ legs became entangled, causing Pacquiao to slip and fall on the blue canvas.

Incredibly, referee Laurence Cole started flashing fingers at the challenger and counted to eight. The third man in the ring had, in fact, incorrectly scored the mix-up as a knockdown in favor of Barrera.

By rule, Pacquiao instantly trailed 10-8 in a fight where the differences between him and his opponent began to present themselves.

REWRITING HISTORY

The predominantly Mexican fan base almost instinctively jumped out of the 10,127 seats they occupied, filling the cavernous arena with raucous screams and horns, cajoling Barrera to finish him off. Pacquiao, in contrast, heard no reply from his own fans because they resided an ocean away in the Philippines.

Even worse, while “The Baby-faced Assassin” had fought nine previous times at the 126-pound limit, Pacquiao had accomplished the feat only once since vacating his IBF super bantamweight title.

If there was any question of the house fighter’s identity, Oscar De La Hoya watched ringside. His Golden Boy Promotions outfit was both the lead promoter of the fight and Barrera’s handler. It was clear to see why Vegas oddsmakers installed the Mexico City native as a four-to-one favorite.

A psychological roadblock to victory existed as well. In the decades following the reign of legendary flyweight champ Pancho Villa, a long line of great Filipino fighters after World War II, like Flash Elorde and Luisito Espinosa had clawed their way to the cusp of boxing notoriety in America—only to fall short when it mattered most. It is arguable that the disappointments of Pacquiao’s predecessors contributed to the lingering stereotypes then attributed to Pinoys as lacking the heart and skills to succeed against elite competition.
In addition, the former teenage construction worker had already made his countrymen proud by merely getting his name and likeness printed on a poster alongside the great Barrera. There would be nothing to be ashamed of in the event of a loss.

In short, Pacquiao was not only going up against the man in front of him, the officiating, and the hostile crowd, but the ghosts of failures past. Most fighters in his shoes would have packed up their tents and disappeared over the horizon in a fashion befitting a “spaghetti western” film.

But there was something different about this fighter from the Pacific Rim and the signs were evident. Pacquiao was no stranger to winning on the road. In December of 1998, at the age of 19, he traveled to Thailand and dethroned longtime WBC flyweight world champion Chatchai Sasakul. On only two weeks’ notice, he came to America for the first time, in June 2001, and promptly knocked out IBF super bantamweight world champion Lehlo Ledwaba.

This Filipino was hungry to make amends for almost a century of heartache in the ring. If Barrera refused to pass him the torch, he would take matters into his own hands.

REDEMPTION

As Cole administered the controversial standing eight-count, the crowd noise was deafening. Despite the heightened tension and immediate deficit, Pacquiao kept his composure and finished the round.

As the challenger walked toward his corner, his trainer, Freddie Roach, would later divulge to the press that he told his ward, “We have to make him fight every minute of every round now.”

Like a soldier eager to prove his mettle on the battlefield, the “Pac-Man” executed his general’s orders with precision.

As if energized by the injustice impeding him, the inspired underdog began to bewilder and frustrate Barrera by utilizing a storm of punches from a variety of angles that swarmed his opponent from pillar-to-post. Two rounds later, a role reversal occurred.
This time it was Barrera dazed on the canvas, the recipient of a bona fide knockdown via another Pacquiao left cross—a precursor to the prolonged beating of which the future Hall of Famer would be at the losing end.

The thousands in San Antonio and millions around the world from Mexico City to Manila were stunned at what they were on hand to witness. As every cumulative punch landed on Barrera’s head and torso with increasing accuracy and impact, the attrition in his body language was on full display. In the midst of Pacquiao’s relentless attack, the spectators soon turned the Alamodome into a place with all the personality of a morgue.

When Cole mercifully stopped the punishment in the 11th frame and raised the underdog’s arm in triumph for his third world title in as many weight classes, it signified the greatest accomplishment of Pacquiao’s career up to that point. HBO commentator Jim Lampley likened the coming-out party to the emergence of Greta Garbo.

A superstar was born, with the remnants of previous stereotypes about Asian fighters sprinkled like shattered glass all over the atmosphere of the boxing world.

HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED

Four weight classes, 21 pounds, and four world titles later, Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao stands today as the pound-for-pound king. In a twist that would rival The Most Interesting Man in the World, he singlehandedly causes military ceasefires and holds a spot on the Time Magazine Influential 100, a list usually reserved for dignitaries like President Barack Obama.

This Saturday, he makes his triumphant return to the Lone Star State to defend his unprecedented seventh belt against former welterweight champion Joshua Clottey. However, the circumstances have changed dramatically.

This time, the venue is the pristine Cowboys Stadium in Arlington and will house four times the number of spectators that viewed his knockout of Barrera. Unlike the fight in 2003, Pacquiao is the overwhelming odds-on favorite. As the headlining attraction, he stands to make a reported $6.5 million plus a portion of the pay-per-view revenue; seven years ago as an opponent, his piece of the purse was $350,000, paltry by comparison.
Maybe the most telling factor is that he no longer toils in anonymity. The once-hostile Texas boxing fan base has been stricken by “Manny Mania” and will be expecting nothing less than another eye-popping knockout.

Eerily enough, it seems he now finds himself in the similar precarious position once occupied by Barrera that fateful day in San Antonio. Remarkably, in Pacquiao’s 14 subsequent fights—a résumé that includes a second fight with Barrera, three tours against Erik Morales, two wars with Juan Manuel Marquez, and a series of emphatic knockouts over De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto—that Cole’s erroneous ruling still stands as the last time the “Pac-Man” has ever been technically knocked down.
With enough money to fill an Olympic swimming pool and his place in Canastota secure, will he approach Clottey with the same sense of urgency and resolve that willed him to victory seven years ago?

It’s almost certain that, at some point this week, Manny Pacquiao will remember the Alamodome.

Source: maxboxing.com

Clottey's lethal weapons - uppercut, headbutt

2010-03-10T09:16:00.001-08:00

DALLAS – Freddie Roach said there are only two things to avoid when you’re up against Joshua Clottey.

One, the uppercut, and two, the headbutt.

“If you fall into the pocket with him, his best punch is an uppercut and his second best punch is a headbutt,” said Roach Tuesday when Manny Pacquiao held a media workout that turned out to be fans day as well.

More than 400 fans and media trooped to the Convential Hall of the Gaylord Texan Hotel here to watch the pound-for-pound champion break a sweat just four days before the big showdown at the Cowboys Stadium.

Pacquiao did a couple of rounds with the mitts, worked the speed bag, did a lot of crunches, and spent close to an hour fielding questions from the media. He sat with Roach on the edge of the ring to face the press.

Roach said Clottey could be a dirty fighter if and when he wants to, but said they’ve worked out a plan to avoid any of it.

“We’re not going to go in there. We’re going to fight him at a distance,” said Roach.

Over the last seven weeks at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Roach and Pacquiao, the hottest tandem in boxing today, have worked on the moves that would keep Clottey guessing, not knowing what to do, what to expect.

They plan to run rings around the bigger, stronger but older fighter from Ghana, the way they did against Oscar dela Hoya or even Miguel Cotto. They had very little time to do it against Ricky Hatton who was out in two rounds.

“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,” said Roach.

“My quickness will be the key, my speed,” said Pacquiao, who will defend his WBO welterweight title for the first time, almost four months before he took it away from Cotto and became the sport’s only seven-time world champion.

Pacquiao and Clottey will come face-to-face Wednesday for the final press conference at the Cowboys Stadium, and on Thursday they should spend their last day at the gym in preparation for Friday’s official weigh-in.

Source: philstar.com

Pacquiao aiming for speedy KO

2010-03-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has acknowledged he will need to be on his toes when he meets Ghanaian opponent Joshua Clottey at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on Saturday night.

Widely considered to be the best pound for pound fighter, Filipino favourite Pacquiao is focusing on speed to counter Clottey's size advantage in the near sell-out bout.

"My quickness will be the key, my speed," the seven-time world champion said.

"You cannot underestimate Joshua Clottey,"

"He's a good fighter, and he's bigger than me, and I have to be very focused in the fight."

Showcase venue

About 41,000 tickets have been sold for the fight at the Cowboys Stadium.

That's around 4,000 away from a sell-out for the first boxing match at the $1.2 billion stadium in Dallas and Pacquiao said he was looking forward to the opportunity to showcase 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, 50-3-2 (38 KOs), who enjoyed a training session in front of several hundred fans.

"It's an honour 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."

Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach was confident that the Filipino's skill would triumph over Clottey's strength.

Roach acknowledged 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, left, with seven-time World Champion Pacquiao [EPA]
Game plan

"He'll wait for you to throw a combination and then, when you've stopped, he'll throw back," said Roach.

"So if you stand in front of him, you're an idiot," said Roach, who has studied footage of Clottey fighting.

"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 head butts.

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

The venue promoter Bob Arum said he was eager to hold more fights at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, hoping 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: aljazeera.net

Manny Pacquiao will end up in hospital

2010-03-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

DALLAS – He must have had a drink too many for him to say some nasty things about Manny Pacquiao.

“Manny’s going straight to the hospital after the fight,” Kwaku Gyamfi, a member of Team Clottey, told Pinoy scribes, who chanced upon him at the cozy Silver Bar of the Gaylord Texan Hotel Tuesday evening.

It was just a little past 8 p.m., and Gyamfi, the chief cook of Clottey, sounded like he was in there the whole day. He was seated at the bar, facing a couple glasses of what looked like vodka mix, and enjoying them.

He sounded too excited talking about the coming fight, talking about a Clottey win.

“Manny will be all cut up and bruised. It’s gonna be messy,” said Kwaku, motioning with his hands that Pacquiao will be cut all over his eyes, his nose and his mouth.

“He’s going to be hit by a brick.”

Pacquiao, almost an 8-1 favorite to beat Clottey at the Cowboys Stadium on Saturday, has lined up a few of his favorite songs for his after-fight party-concert at the Gold Club of the Texas Rangers ballpark.

It’s been a tradition for Pacquiao to host a gig for his fans after each fight.

Too bad, Kwaku said, the 31-year-old pound-for-pound champion from the Philippines won’t be able to join his fans.

“He won’t be able to perform after the fight. For the first time he won’t be able to perform,” said Kwaku.

Just outside the bar, Clottey’s chief trainer, Lenny de Jesus, stood, and spoke to the Manila reporters. He gave his thoughts on the fight.

“It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be interesting,” he said.

“And this is a dangerous fight for Manny. You can tell it because Freddie is not talking too much. If he knew this is going to be an easy fight, he would be talking a lot more. But he’s being careful with what he’s saying.”

The 64-year-old De Jesus, who worked as Pacquiao’s cutman in five fights with Emmanuel Lucero in 2003 to Erik Morales in 2005, has their gameplan ready, and that’s to “hit him (Pacquiao) right, knock him out and win the fight.”

He said Clottey logged in 90 rounds of sparring for this fight, much, much less than Pacquiao’s 142 total.

“It’s because Joshua sent all of them out of the ring after four rounds,” said De Jesus. – Abac Cordero

Source: philstar.com

Clottey to come forward

2010-03-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

Joshua Clottey is predicting fireworks when he meets Manny Pacquiao in Dallas on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1&HD1.

Filipino hero Pacquiao was due to face Floyd Mayweather Jr in a pound-for-pound showdown before he pulled out following a row over drug testing procedures.

Ghanaian grinder Clottey has stepped in and he will fight for the WBO light welterweight title against the Pacman in front of 40,000 fans at the new $1.1 billion Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

Now based in the Bronx in New York, Clottey has proved a tough opponent in the past and his 35-3 record does not include a stoppage defeat - something which Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has promised to change.

Clottey though says it will be far from a battle for survival against Pacquiao, and believes it will be an exciting battle with him too promising to come forward and attack.

Exciting

"It will be an exciting fight, as they are predicting," said Clottey.

"I'm always coming forward to face my opponent and fight like a man, not like I just come in like that, I come forward with timing.

"Everything is in my head, I'm always looking, and the truth is I'm a forward fighter."

Former IBF light welterweight champion Clottey has been a stubborn man to fight in his career, but has crucially never managed to bea the best around.

Pacquiao is a big favourite to continue his magic run despite being at a disadvantage in size and strength.

Clottey has also lost to Miguel Cotto, who was destroyed in 12 rounds by Pacquiao in the Filippino's last fight.

Source: skysports.com

Arnel Pineda to sing anthem in Pacquiao-Clottey bout

2010-03-09T07:42:00.001-08:00

MANILA, Philippines -- It's confirmed.

Arnel Pineda, the Filipino front man of popular American rock band "Journey," will sing the Philippine national anthem in Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s much-awaited fight with Ghanaian Joshua "The Grand Master" Clottey on March 13 (March 14 in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

In an exclusive interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com, Pineda confirmed that he was invited by Pacquiao to sing "Lupang Hinirang" in his upcoming fight.

"Pupunta ako sa Dallas to sing sa laban ni Manny [Pacquiao].This Thursday [ang alis ko]. (I am going to Dallas this Thursday to sing in Pacquiao's fight.)," Pineda said.

"I'm really happy kasi matutuloy na. Nahihiya na ako kay Manny kasi pangatlong invitation na ito sa akin. Baka kasi isipin ay iniisnab ko. So finally, matutuloy na. (This is my third invitation from Manny who might think I'm snubbing him. I'm happy this is finally pushing through), " he said.

The crooner said he was not able to sing in Pacquiao's previous fights because of his hectic schedule as Journey's vocalist.

Pineda, who was introduced over the phone to Pacquiao by common friends, was also present during the boxer's birthday party in General Santos last December.

Pineda is currently part of ABS-CBN's weekly variety show "ASAP XV."

Aside from singing in the Pacquiao-Clottey bout, Pineda is also set to fly back to US this coming April to record the latest album of Journey. -by Reyma Buan-Deveza, abs-cbnNEWS.com

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Arnel Pineda to sing anthem in Pacquiao-Clottey bout

2010-03-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao entourage also gets star treatment

2010-03-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

DALLAS, Texas — Several years ago, when Manny Pacquiao was an obscure journeyman still seeking his destiny in the United States, he would fly commercial and dump himself in the economy class.

No problem with that then.

But he’s now a multi-millionaire – in dollars at that – and millionaires no longer travel economy.

In fact, with his stature, commercial flights are no longer the travel of choice.

So on this day and in the recent past, Pacquiao, as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, travels in luxury.

Which his entourage, a hundred or so, also experienced as it moved from Los Angeles in California to Dallas, Texas.

In getting here from Los Angeles on Monday, Pacquiao arrived on board a chartered Boeing 737-800 that carried his training team and friends and media from both here and the Philippines.

StarFlite International took charge of the trip and its president, Stephen Lyons, was on hand to preside over the check-in procedure that was just as strict as the ones being done in US airports.

As if to show that Pacquiao is in a rarefied status, Lyons said basketball star Kobe Bryant had just been flown to the player’s residence in Orange County on a chopper a couple of hours before Pacquiao’s trip, using the same facility located just beside LAX International.

Lyons then mentioned that his clients include the entire LA Lakers squad as well as the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics and in one instance in 1992, he handled the flight arrangements of The Dream Team.

Along with Pacquiao, there were 141 passengers and one dog – Pacman – the Jack Russell Terrier that always runs with his master during morning workouts. The flight took two hours and a half to complete.

Before takeoff, the passengers were treated to a late-lunch of Filipino food. When they arrived in the city of Grapevine close to midnight, there was another long table of native delights that the tired guests feasted on.

Needless to say, the trip was pleasant and fulfilling from beginning to end as Pacquiao made sure no one went to bed hungry. — Nick Giongco

Source: mb.com.ph

Pacquiao 8-5 favorite against Clottey

2010-03-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao finds himself an overwhelming 8-5 favorite over Joshua Clottey less than a week before they face on the ring for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.

The figures meant an $800 bet on the Pacman would only win $100, whereas a $100 bet on Clottey could earn as much as $500 in return.

This is the third straight time Pacquiao finds himself as the one favored to win, although it’s not as tremendous as the odds were in his fights against Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

The universally acknowledged pound-for-pound fighter in the world today was a 5-3 favorite when betting odds opened moments after the 12-round match was sealed in January.

Odds are also stacked in the champion’s favor on whether the fight will go beyond nine rounds or not.

The "Wont Go" for nine rounds proposition read at +140, meaning it might be over from rounds 1 to 8 while the "Will Go" beyond nine rounds side is at -180.

Top Rank Promotions’ Bob Arum, however, believes the figures will even out a bit better come fight time, with Pacquiao still favored to win.

"The proper odds on the fight are probably two and a half to one," he said.

Clottey, fighting the biggest bout of his career, is unmindful about what the odds say about his chances of pulling off perhaps one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

"I’m very, very 100 percent sure that I am the only one who can beat him (Pacquiao)," said the challenger from Ghana, whose entourage arrived in Texas on Sunday. – GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Jet-setting Pacquiao touches down in Dallas

2010-03-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

This historic city of Texas finally welcomed boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who arrived in Dallas late Monday night five days before squaring off with Joshua Clottey for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title.

The 31-year-old southpaw was with trainer Freddie Roach, strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, along with a host of others who make up the bloated manifesto of 141 people that boarded the 170-seater Miami Air International Boeing 737 from Los Angeles to Forth Worth Alliance airport.

A throng of media men from both print and broadcast endured the biting cold as they await the reigning champion to disembark from the aircraft bearing an image of the Pacman.

Once Pacquiao touched ground in the state where former U.S President Kennedy was killed, he only vowed for one thing.

“I am going to put on a great show for the fight fans," he said without giving specifics if there will be a knockout or not in Saturday’s (Sunday in Manila) main event.

It was the first time Pacquiao rode a chartered flight for an upcoming fight. His last six fights were held in Las Vegas, where his team frequently travels in a convoy of vehicles, or in the customized Pacquiao bus that has become the norm the last two years since meeting Oscar De La Hoya.

“This is much better because we all get to travel together," said Pacquiao smiling, unmindful of the stunned reaction by Top Rank officials upon seeing the big number of people who are part of the champion’s entourage.

After the short media interviews, Pacquiao was quickly escorted at a waiting Navigator and, followed by three buses – one of which again bore images of him – drove off for the 35-minute travel to the Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center, where he was met by Top Rank Promotions’ chairman Bob Arum.

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

After dinner, Pacquiao retreated to his sixth floor suite as he is scheduled to do roadwork early Tuesday morning.

By afternoon, the world’s top pound-for-pound king will hold his own public workout at the hotel’s basement.

Clottey held his own media workout Monday afternoon, a day upon arriving here from his training camp in Florida.

Pacquiao closed out his seven-week training camp at the WildCard gym in Los Angeles earlier, going three rounds with sparmate Ray Beltran a few hours before departing for Texas.

In all, the seven-time world champion sparred 142 rounds since coming over to the U.S. middle of January.

The General Santos City native was actually asking for more when his round of mitts with Roach was over.

The four-time trainer of the year declined his prized wards’ request.

“Take a rest. Dress up. We’re leaving for Dallas," Roach reminded Pacquiao. –

Source: gmanews.tv

Donaire predicts Pacquiao via decision

2010-03-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino boxer Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, Jr. believes that world’s best pound-for-pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao has more than enough goods to win against his challenger from Ghana, Joshua "The Grand Master" Clottey.

Donaire, the World Boxing Association (WBA) interim super flyweight champ, said he sees the fight either going by decision or ending by the 10th Round.

"Matapang din itong si Clottey most likely siguro mga 80% or 85% magde-desisyon yon in Manny's favor but then there's always that 15% na he will take him out," said the US-based boxer.

Donaire said during a recent launch of a commercial endorsement described the Pacman as a fighter with exceptional discipline in training.

"He's gonna do well. I know Manny, he focuses well... hindi pa ako nakakakita ng tao and fighter na ganoon ka-disiplinado in terms of working out," the boxer said.

The Pacquiao-Clottey fight will held in Texas this coming March 13 (March 14 in Manila).

Donaire, who successfully defended his title against Manuel "Chango" Vargas, said Pacquiao has opened the gates to Filipino boxers in the international arena.

He added that just like Pacquiao, he wants to become a record holder himself by attempting to become the first Asian to be undisputed champion.

"Siya ang daan na tinitignan ko para maabot ko din... ang potential ko as a fighter sa talent ko na binigay ng Lord sa akin," he said.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Manny Pacquiao will not take Joshua Clottey lightly

2010-03-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

It's not the fight most wanted to see, and many casual sports fans probably don't know much about this guy who's stepped into Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s void to fight Manny Pacquiao.

Understandable. So much about why that mega-bout crashed over a drug-testing dispute, with $25-million guarantees to each fighter, is head-scratching.

Time, then, to bring some simple reasoning to the sport now as fight week arrives for Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The soundest logic says the man considered the best boxer in the world will have his way against the African challenger.

Any reason to think differently? A letdown? A visit to Pacquiao's Hollywood gym brings an onslaught of rebuttals from those asked if the Filipino superstar has shown any sign he's blowing off the threat of this lesser-known opponent.

"I wish we were fighting Mayweather this time, the way Manny has worked," Pacquiao's conditioning trainer, Alex Ariza, said.

A gym regular said he saw Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) unleash a barrage of two dozen unanswered blows to respected veteran sparring partner Steve Forbes.

"I hear Vegas has the over/under for rounds at 10," said Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, who has been so sharp in projecting his prodigy's latest conquests of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. "I'll take the under. We've watched a lot of tapes on Clottey. He's predictable. Manny will be the first to stop him."

Clottey, a 32-year-old native of Ghana and current resident of the Bronx, is 35-3 with 21 knockouts, and his lone losses have come to world champions: Carlos Baldomir in 1999 (controversial disqualification); Antonio Margarito in 2006 (close decision); and Miguel Cotto (close decision) in in June, his most recent bout.

Pacquiao watched Cotto-Clottey from ringside, scouting Cotto before beating him by 12th-round TKO in November. In Clottey, Pacquiao will be fighting a second consecutive true welterweight who has victories over the accomplished Zab Judah (a world title fight) and the late Diego Corrales on his resume. Clottey performed strongly against Cotto, but oddly stopped asserting himself in the final rounds.

"Clottey, he's a good defensive fighter," Pacquiao said. "He's bigger than me [by 2½ inches, with a three-inch reach advantage], so I've had to study his style and maybe he's trying to learn some new techniques. But from what I've studied so far, I think he's a good formula for me. I'm still sure he's studying different techniques he can try against me."

And how's that going?

"It is not easy. [Pacquiao's] good, but I tell people I'm going to beat him," Clottey said. "They don't believe me, but I'm a confident guy and I will keep my word. I will make him think a lot in the ring because of my defense. … I believe in my defense. He's going to throw a lot of punches. I'll block nine out of 10."

Clottey has been groomed in Ghana by impressive countrymen, including the tough Ike Quartey. Like Pacquiao, he came from a poor family and hawked goods on the street, including fish, oranges and bananas.

So is Clottey bound to frequently go into a self-made shell, stalling as he did late against Cotto? Clottey says he won't, wanting Pacquiao to stay cautious of the size advantage and punching power that is considered by some to be suspect. Clottey's last true knockout was in 2004, at a club show in Laughlin, Nev.

"What about mine?" Clottey asked of his punches.

Roach has openly said, "We don't know what Clottey has. We're concerned with his uppercut and hook, but we'll keep Manny out of that pocket."

Pacquiao, guaranteed $12 million plus a pay-per-view cut for this fight, has some bigger days ahead of him this year, including his campaign for a congressional seat in the Philippines, along with the expected resumption of talks with Mayweather.

Clottey, meanwhile, wants to keep logic thrown out the window. He never expected to get this fight and was negotiating for a bout against 154-pound champion Yuri Foreman when notified that Mayweather was out and he was in.

"I'd like to think good things come to good people," Clottey said. "We'll see. I know he's a good fighter. If he hits me, and I don't feel his punches, I'll jump on him. If I do feel them, I'll just have to hit him more."

Source: latimes.com

Manny Pacquiao: Fighter, icon, politician…and pop star?

2010-03-08T06:15:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao is a rarity – a man who fights with a smile stitched onto his face. The Filipino fighting icon still enjoys soaring popularity, in spite of the collapse of his much anticipated contest this year with Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
Pacquiao’s last few weeks leading into his match-up with Ghanaian Joshua Clottey have seen him in the public spotlight. There have been nearly 240,000 hits on You Tube watching Manny sing on Jimmy Kimmel Live (posted above). That number is growing by the hour.

For me, it was a little like karaoke, but what do I know ? Pacquiao’s courage certainly knows no bounds.

Manny has had busloads of celebrities visiting his training camp, including the actors Jeremy Piven, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Segal, Robert Duvall and Ron Perlman (Hell Boy movies).

“It has been the place to be,” one camp insider told me earlier today. Undefeated No. 1 light-middleweight contender Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. watched Manny work out last Friday.

Clearly, Pacquiao has no fear. But I think he should stick to the day job. The Filipino world will stop revolving once more and grind to a halt when the great fighter steps through the ropes to contest another title, having dispatched Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto in his last three contests.

Later today, a specially designed plane will charter 100 Pacquiao VIPs into Dallas, and the fighting team will travel in a specially designed tour bus…

It promises to be some spectacle. One only hopes that there is one man who is not reading the script…one Joshua Clottey, because everyone is hoping that they will get to see a fight at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Pacquiao remains cool, composed as fight nears

2010-03-08T06:12:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao was in his favorite gangster get-up on a drizzling day that he spent whiling away time with his friends, looking and behaving very much like the sinister crime chief that has been immortalized in print and in film.

Pacquiao, who stakes his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown against Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas this Saturday night, was on hand to personally award the participants of a four-week weight reduction program and for a few moments, his mind was not on the task at hand but on giving his friends something to remember for a long time.

It was only during a brief instance inside his room at the Palazzo where Pacquiao was forced to talk about his upcoming fight, sounding very calm and composed even though it happens in less than a week before a crowd that is expected to number 45,000.

“We‘re ready,” said Pacquiao in between composing text messages in his Blackberry. “There’s nothing more that we can do except maintain my current condition.”

That current condition is the one that has seen him pummel and dazzle his sparring partners with a combination of power and speed, something that has compelled trainer Freddie Roach to make a slight alteration to his original forecast of a ninth-round knockout.

After watching Pacquiao put on a show over the weekend, Roach now believes Clottey will not go past seven rounds.

Even making the agreed weight of 147 lbs is not a concern for Pacquiao, who bared that he is not even making changes in his food consumption.

“I am always eating so that I won’t be under-weight,” said Pacquiao, who is expected to give away between five to ten pounds to the rugged challenger come fight night.

Odds for Pacquiao still rising
The odds in glitzy Las Vegas are so out of whack that you’d think Manny Pacquiao will answer the bell toting a pistol against Joshua Clottey this weekend in Dallas.

Latest odds from Sin City has Pacquiao -800 and Clottey +550, meaning an $800 wager on the Filipino will only win a paltry $100, while a $100 bet on the Ghanaian will win $550, according to Texas-based physician Allan Recto, who informed Manila-based scribes about the latest propositions.

When this fight was announced a little over two months ago, Pacquiao was immediately installed a 4-1 favorite to stave off Clottey’s challenge owing to his sensational wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. — Nick Giongco

Source: mb.com.ph

Clottey says Pacquiao bout like a miracle

2010-03-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Ghana’s Joshua “the Grand Master” Clottey thinks that things are going his way ever since he was chosen to fight Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao on March 13, even if he experienced a setback in his training camp.

“I never expected to be in such a huge fight like this, which is the biggest pay day of the year. It's like a miracle, like something is being worked out. It's like a miracle, something is coming, and I'm so happy,” Clottey told Lem Satterfield of Boxing FanHouse.

The Ghanaian stated another reason for saying that his chance to fight Pacquiao is like a miracle.

“They never talked about me moving to a catchweight. We're fighting at the welterweight limit, so it's like, a miracle,” he noted.

Pacquiao will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Cowboys, Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Clottey stepped in the March 13 fight card after talks for the Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather, Jr. blockbuster bout collapsed.

However, the Ghanaian’s trainer, Godwin Nii Dzanie Kotey, was denied a United States work visa.

Despite such setback, Clottey and his manager, Vinnie Scolpino, found a new trainer in Lenny DeJesus.

“The training is going fine, because it's easy with me to connect with anybody. Lenny, he's a nice person. He talks to me. Lenny talks to me about boxing,” said Clottey.

“Lenny can tell me things like, ‘Go into the ring, go to his body.’ If I go to the body, and it doesn't work, I have to change my whole plan in the ring.”

Focused only on training

Clottey (35-3, with 20 knockouts) elaborated on his training camp in Florida.

“When I'm in the gym, that's the time I fight more,” he stated.

“And you know one thing, I don't like any thing being around me when I'm training. That's the only thing I think about is the training. Nothing makes me happier now than thinking about the training and the fight, and believe me, I've trained so, so, so, so hard.”

He added that he is happy with DeJesus, his cut man during his fight against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto last June. Cotto beat Clottey via split decision at the Madison Square Garden in New York.

Cotto then yielded his WBO welterweight title last November to Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Source: abs-cbnnews.co

Roach now says Pacman will stop Clottey early

2010-03-08T06:01:00.000-08:00

Convinced Manny Pacquiao is in the best shape of his fighting career, Freddie Roach is departing from his earlier prediction of a ninth-round knockout against Joshua Clottey in their title fight this Sunday (Manila time).

Yes, the 12-round bout won’t still go the distance.

But instead of later rounds, the knockout may come much earlier.

“He’s (Clottey) a tough guy, but he’s not gonna last 6-7 rounds. He’s going to be overwhelmed with the punches," Roach said at the end of their second to the last training day at the Wildcard gym before departing for Arlington Texas, site of the match dubbed “The Event."

Boxing’s current best trainer was impressed with the way the ring icon from the Philippines sparred for six rounds Saturday that he declared "it’s the best I’ve ever seen Manny Pacquiao."

“Manny looked very, very sharp today. I’ve never seen him sharper."

The 50-year-old disciple of the late great trainer Eddie Futch stressed they intend to have a fast start the moment the first bell rings.

“We’re gonna throw him off in the first four rounds. He has never been attacked like this before," Roach said.

Pacquiao did exactly that in sparring, swarming on both David Rodela and Abdullay Amidu, who traded bombs with the Pacman for three rounds each.

So focused was the pound-for-pound king that he once again bloodied the nose of Rodela, who looked to be on the verge of getting knocked down.

“I thought he’s gonna knock down David out for a minute, but David hang in there," Roach said.

Pacquiao is set to spar four more rounds with old reliable Rey Beltran on Monday morning, bringing to a total of 142 the rounds the boxing icon did in seven weeks of training camp.

Later in the afternoon, a chartered flight will bring Pacquiao and his entourage, numbering to about 150, to Dallas, Texas, around 1,251 miles from Los Angeles following a three-hour flight.

Earlier, Pacquiao jogged for about an hour at the Pan Pacific Park, unmindful of the cloudy and cool weather that has been the norm in L.A. the past few days.

Shortly after running, Dr. Allan Recto checked Pacquiao’s pulse rate and was amazed that it was at the range of just 52 beats per minute.

“He’s really in top condition," said Recto, the Texas-based doctor involved not only with Pacquiao, but with other world boxing bodies as well.

Recto explained that well-conditioned athletes usually have a lower beat per minute than the regular rate of 60.

“And considering that he’s fresh off a strenuous exercise, dapat talaga mataas ang pulse rate niya," said Recto.

In contrast, Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, according to Recto, has a pulse rate of 140 beat per minute shortly after joining Pacquiao in his early morning routine. - GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Pacquiao vs Clottey - The Event - Documentary

2010-03-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

Part1

Part2

Part3

Clottey To Weigh 155 Tops, on Fight Night With Pacquiao

2010-03-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Ghana’s Joshua Clottey and his trainer, the well-known and respected cut-man Lenny De Jesus have a great deal of respect for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao but that doesn’t mean they are not ready to beat him in their showdown at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13 in a fight to be telecast in the Philippines on Sunday by Solar Sports.

The strategy will be for Clottey who will come in around 155 pounds at fight time to try to wear down Pacquiao by making him punch himself out in seeking to fulfill trainer Freddie Roach’s prediction of a knockout in nine rounds.

Clottey’s manager Vinny Scolpino was quoted by Mark Vester of boxingscene.com as saying Clottey wants to shut the mouth of Roach … “He wants to beat Freddie Roach. That’s his motivation. He wants to put him in his place. He beats Pacquiao, he puts Freddie in his place too.”

In a telephone conversation with insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports after Clottey’s media workout at the Kingsway Gym in New York, trainer De Jesus said he plans to let Clottey come in at 155 pounds “at the most, so he can move , so he can do his thing. We are ready to roll.”

Asked whether he feels Clottey has an even, fifty-fifty chance, De Jesus shot back, “No, I got a 75 percent chance. The reason being I’m the guy who trained him. I’m the guy that put him in condition. Believe me when I say this is going to be a good fight and a tough fight for Manny Pacquiao in many years and he’s got a real 147 pounder on his hands.”

De Jesus who earlier claimed that Pacquiao made Roach and not the other way around said “it’s going to be tough work for Manny to knock out his kid (Clottey)” pointing out that he can take a big shot.

The trainer who has been in boxing for over 30 years said he had Clottey spar with 175 pounder Alejandro Berrio of Colombia, a knockout artist and said "he did very, very well.” Berrio who lost to Lucien Bute in an IBF super middleweight title fight in October 2007 has a record of 28 knockouts in 29 wins with 5 defeats.

Despite his handling Clottey’s preparation for the WBO welterweight title fight against Pacquiao and predicting that his fighter has a more than even chance of scoring a stunning upset, De Jesus who worked in Pacquiao’s corner in six fights with the last being his first bout with Erik “El Terrible” Morales in 2004 spoke highly of Pacquiao.

De Jesus said “you’ve got to give it to Manny Pacquiao. He has done wonders for boxing and I think he’s the best, even better than the great little guy Flash Elorde.”

Clottey himself noted that Pacquiao comes in and starts throwing punches and said he’ll be ready because, the Ghanian pointed out, “ My body can take it. When he throws punches at me I will block him and that will confuse him.”

Clottey said in reply to Pacquiao’s 30 punches he will throw 4 and “the four will connect while I will block most of the 30. I will wear him down for sure.”

Source: boxingscene.com

Pacquiao ready to rumble

2010-03-06T07:45:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES – Sometime during the fast and furious punch mitt sessions that Freddie Roach did with Manny Pacquiao on Friday afternoon, the top trainer did something that he normally didn‘t.

After constant pounding from Pacquiao’s heavy hands, Roach motioned to his prized pupil to stop, telling boxing’s pound-for-pound king that he has done enough to cap another day of hard work at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

“No more,” a visibly exhausted Roach said as Pacquiao continued to throw punches as the crowd that gathered watched in awe. “Go get some water (for you to drink).”

Pacquiao would not have any of Roach’s excuses, no matter how valid they were.

“I am just warming up,” said Pacquiao as those in attendance laughed.

But Roach still managed to calm down Pacquiao, who still amazed onlookers by training without letup even after two hours of continuous high-paced action.

With exactly a week to go before Pacquiao tangles with Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Pacquiao said he is more than ready, telling a foursome of visiting scribes from the Philippines that “he can’t wait to get to the ring.”

From what took place during the 15 rounds of mitts, it became clearer and clearer that Pacquiao and Roach have all the battle plan all figured out.

As if on cue, Pacquiao would dig a left to Roach’s bodyguard after unleashing his trademark blinding combinations.

“Kill the body,” hollered Roach as Pacquiao was about to unload another barrage.

Roach said the key for Pacquiao is to “win the exchanges” and “stay away” from Clottey’s firing range.

Pacquiao’s superb showing made the day of Roach, who celebrated his 50th birthday.

After the workout, Pacquiao presented his master a cake as some gym rats shared on Filipino culinary delights like lumpia (spring roll), pansit bihon (stir-fried noodles), chicken adobo (stew), and beef caldereta (pot roast).

Source: mb.com.ph

Pacquiao will win by points - Chavez Jr

2010-03-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the fancied son of Mexico’s greatest ring warrior, predicted on Friday that Manny Pacquiao will encounter rough sailing against Joshua Clottey of Ghana when the two collide next week in Dallas.

“It’s going to be a tough fight for both fighters,” said Chavez, who didn’t mind waiting for close to two hours for Pacquiao to show up for workout at the Wild Card Boxing Club just to see the Filipino showcase his wares.

Asked whether Pacquiao is going to become the first to deal the Ghana banger a knockout loss, Chavez answered in the negative although he says with conviction that Pacquiao is going to retain the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.

“Manny on points,” said Chavez, who, once upon a time, had been mentioned as a possible foe of Pacquiao.

Pacquiao and Chavez are both promoted by Top Rank Inc. owned and operated by Bob Arum.

The 5-foot-11 Chavez Jr., who fights in the super-welterweight class, has a record of 41-0-1 with 30 knockouts.

Teased by the Manila-based writers that he might be considered to face Pacquiao in the future, Chavez just smiled before saying his piece.

“Maybe, someday,” said the 24-year-old Chavez, grinning.

Source: mb.com.ph

Analyst: ‘Leg pain’ could mean trouble for Manny

2010-03-05T16:12:00.002-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – If there is truth in rumors of that “pain” in Manny Pacquiao’s leg, then he’ll be having some trouble when he faces a full welterweight like Joshua Clottey.

According to veteran boxing analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz, any problem in Pacquiao’s legs could affect his advantage against most boxers inside the ring.

“That can bother him… because ‘yung strength ni Manny ‘yung galaw ng paa niya,” explained Nathanielsz.

Nathanielsz, who has already seen a lot of boxing fights, said that aside from Pacquiao’s mental fortitude, what sets the Filipino champ apart from his competitors is his superior speed.

The analyst said that Pacquiao’s speed could suffer if there indeed some leg pain.

“If he has some pain, medyo mahihirapan s’ya. Speed is his biggest asset,” Nathanielsz said.

The analyst also said that there could be some truth to the rumor that Pacquiao’s conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, has somehow admitted that the Filipino champ has recovered from some sort of pain.

“Sabi ni Alex Ariza, ‘I hope it will hold up. God willing it will hold up until the fight’. Ibig sabihin mayroon siyang concern whether if it will hold up,” said Nathanielsz.

The problem is if it will hold up against someone like Clottey, who will attempt to take away Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title on March 13.

Unlike Miguel Cotto whom Pacquiao demolished at a 145-pound catch weight, the Filipino boxer will be fighting Clottey at the full welterweight limit of 147 pounds.

“The question is really if it will hold up in the ring in a fight and against a big strong guy like Clottey,” he said.

Pacquiao earlier denied that he sustained a leg injury while preparing for his welterweight title defense against Clottey.

Pacquiao, who is known to always immerse himself in brutal training whenever he prepares for a fight, dismissed the “slight pain” as a mere sore in his leg.

"Wala namang injury, sore lang ang muscle," he said.

Pacquiao said that they made changes on their strategy to pick on Clottey's defense.

"Binago namin [ang strategy] para ma-apply namin sa fight. 'Yung mga muscles [tuloy] na hindi nagagalaw medyo sumakit," he explained.

During a recent open training in front of the media, Pacquiao showed off his footwork, showing no signs of the reported leg injury.

"It was just shin splints. It's not really an injury. It's more of a nuisance,” said 4-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach.

abs-cbnnews.com

First-round KO will make Roach happy

2010-03-05T16:12:00.001-08:00

HOLLYWOOD— the sooner the better.

Sticking to his prediction that Manny Pacquiao is going to knock challenger Joshua Clottey out, Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach said Thursday he’d be glad if it comes early in the fight.

“If he (Pacquiao) gets him in the first round, then I’d be much happier,” said Roach, who expressed satisfaction with the way the Filipino seven-time world champion performed against sparmates Abdullai Amidu of Ghana and David Rodela at the Wild Card Gym here.

“But that (first-round knockout) is unlikely to happen as Clottey had never been knocked out,” said Roach, who insists that the Ghanaian is certain to fall in the later stages.

“It won’t go 12 rounds. The game plan is in place and Manny’s going to implement it.”

Roach said he and Pacquiao have watched tapes of Clottey in action and they have everything figured out.

“We compare notes and we know how to fight him,” added Roach.

Though he initially planned to limit Pacquiao’s sparring to 100 rounds, Roach said he’ll raise it to 142 on the insistence of the seven-time world champ.

In his successive stoppages of David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao sparred at least 150 rounds.

Team Pacquiao will leave for Dallas via a chartered plane on Monday, well in time for Pacquiao’s defense of his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown against Clottey on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington, Texas.

Roach said Clottey’s going to be overwhelmed by Pacquiao’s speed and power as the Ghanaian hasn’t fought anybody in the mold of Pacquiao, who’s going to “swarm all over him.”

inquirer.net

1 round or 9, Roach will take it

2010-03-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES — Freddie Roach wouldn’t mind seeing Manny Pacquiao take out Joshua Clottey early.

“I have said that the fight will be long and that it’ll probably end late, like nine rounds but I would be very happy if Manny wins in one round,” Roach said on Thursday, the eve of his 50th birthday.

After seeing Pacquiao flex his muscles for eight rounds against two sparmates at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, the bespectacled cornerman said he just can’t wait for the fight to take place.

Pacquiao and Clottey slug it out on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas with the Filipino the overwhelming 5-1 favorite to retain his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown before an expected sellout crowd of 45,000.

Owing to Clottey’s huge advantage in size and durability, Roach said he doesn’t see the fight ending quickly, adding that “they’ll make Clottey quit,” even though nobody has done that before to the Ghana slugger.

Pacquiao has been ruthless to his sparring partners, something that gives Roach the confidence that Clottey will end up looking like Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto, fighters who withstood Pacquiao’s early assault but wound up getting stopped late in the bout.

Team Pacquiao leaves for Dallas on Monday.

Source: mb.com.ph

'Fight won't go full route'

2010-03-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

HOLLYWOOD – On the eve of his 50th birthday, Freddie Roach said he’s sticking to what he had said that Joshua Clottey, who’s never been knocked out in his life, is going down in Texas.

“It won’t go twelve rounds. That’s my prediction,” said Roach Thursday as he tried to cool down after Manny Pacquiao sparred for eight rounds, behind closed doors, at the Wild Card Gym.

It seems that Roach is slowly getting under Clottey’s skin as the hero from Ghana, during his own media workout in New York Thursday, hinted that he’s going after Roach, and not Pacquiao.

Clottey’s manager, Vinnie Scolpino, said that’s the case.

“He wants to beat Freddie Roach. That’s his motivation. He wants to put him in his place. He beats Pacquiao, he puts Freddie in his place, too. Roach says he (Pacquiao) is going to knock him out,” said Scolpino.

Roach said Wednesday the fight could be over in nine rounds. He made the same prediction against David Diaz, who was stopped by Pacquiao in the ninth round, and Oscar dela Hoya, who quit after eight rounds.

And he’s not about to change his mind. Not on the eve of his birthday.

“They (reporters) forced me to pick a number. I pick number all the time because that’s my favorite number. If he gets him in one, I’m much happier, believe me. But I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said.

“The thing is he’ll be going to be overwhelmed by the punches. He’ll get it from so many angles. He’s never fought a guy who swarms over him like Manny Pacquiao does. He’s not used to that. Like Oscar, we’ll let him quit it, I feel.”

After three rounds, Dave Rodela got off the ring bleeding from the nose. Later on, he said he “didn’t move well” and got caught with a left straight.

It’s been a typical scene at the Wild Card Gym, Pacquiao beating the lights out of his sparring partners. It’s a good thing that it’s almost over, with only two more sparring days on Saturday and Monday.

We boxed eight rounds today. He looked really good, really sharp. We’ll box six rounds on Saturday and four rounds on Monday and we’re done. He looked very good today, I’m very happy where he’s at. The game plan is in place and he know’s what to do,” said Roach.

Roach couldn’t exactly recall the number of sparring rounds they’ve had in this camp, and had to walk in to his office because he said he had it written down somewhere. He came out and said they’ve had 132 so far.

“We’re pretty much there. We know how to fight this guy,” he said.

Notes: Here’s Pacquiao’s birthday wish for his trainer: More years to come, a good life and more winnings. “Yun lang (That’s all),” he said... Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley, who will fight each other on May 1, held a press conference Thursday in downtown Los Angeles. So many questions were asked but not all of them were answered, especially when it concerned Pacquiao. A Filipino TV crew, led by Chino Trinidad, towed the line for an interview with Mayweather, but when their time came, they were told that Mayweather, the flamboyant American champion who would have been better off facing Pacquiao than Mosley, wasn’t granting any interview with the crew. “No interviews with Filipinos,” Trinidad quoted someone as telling them just when they had Mayweather within arm’s reach. So, they had to go.... It’s unconfirmed but word sneaked out from within Team Pacquiao that Arnel Pineda, the Filipino lead singer of the iconic band Journey, will sing the Philippine national anthem on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium.

Source: philstar.com

Pacquiao eating sparmates

2010-03-05T16:01:00.001-08:00

Line 'em up and Pacquiao will knock 'em all down.

With just over a week left before his big fight with Joshua Clottey, Manny Pacquiao continues to plow through his sparmates.

As Pacquiao nears 100% form, his training camp buddies are finding it more and more difficult to keep up with him.

Jamie Kavanagh, a 19-year old future pro boxer from Ireland, is the latest in the long line of work-out victims.

With an impressive 168-12 amateur record, Pacquiao made Kavanagh look like the ring amateur he still is.

"He came in a little too brave... So he comes in and Manny hits him with a good shot," said Rob Peters, head of security at the Wild Card gym, who was answering questions as gym owner and Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach took a day off. According to Peters, Kavanagh was probably trying to make an impression, but in sparring Pacquiao had to step back a little after he "hit him with some serious shots."

Kavanagh was one of four sparring partners of Pacquiao that day, who completed 10 rounds of sparring. He worked with the same number of fighters for 12 rounds last Saturday. For this week, the number of rounds are expected to drop down to eight, six, and four rounds until they end the sessions early next week. Roach has said that he only scheduled Pacquiao, who usually spars about 150 rounds in preparation for his fights, to engage in a lessened number of rounds. This is because Pacquiao, as Roach said, did not take too long to get in shape, with his last training camp just ending in November, when he fought Miguel Cotto.

In completion of just about 110 rounds or less, Pacquiao has already worked with Brian Brooks, Dave Rodela, Ray Beltran and Jose Benavidez (2009 Golden Gloves welterweight champion), Mike Dallas, Steve Forbes, Shawn Porter, Abdulla Amidu, and Kavanagh.

"The more guys they put on him the more guys he beat up," said Peters.

Source: 411mania.com

FACE OFF: Pacquiao vs Clottey with Max Kellerman

2010-03-05T00:43:00.000-08:00

Roach: It’ll be over in nine; Arum disagrees

2010-03-05T00:39:00.002-08:00

HOLLYWOOD—Master trainer Freddie Roach believes Joshua Clottey will fall in nine, but topnotch promoter Bob Arum says he expects Manny Pacquiao’s foe to go the distance.

Roach, who had earlier predicted that his prized ward would hand the Ghanaian challenger his first-ever knockout loss, said the end will come in the ninth round of the 12-round bout.

Arum, the head honcho of Top Rank which promotes both Pacquiao and Clottey, offered a different scenario, however.

The 77-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer said Pacquiao’s defense of his World Boxing Organization welterweight title on March 13 against Clottey will be “a distance fight.”

Arum said he’d be surprised if Pacquiao carves out an abbreviated win over Clottey, who has been knocked down only once in 38 fights (35-3).

He said Clottey is a very dangerous welterweight who is capable of bucking the odds and clipping Pacquiao’s 11-game winning streak, the last four by knockout.

If Clottey wins, Arum said he’d see to it that there would be a rematch, although that is not stipulated in the fight contract.

While Roach agrees that Clottey is a tough, durable fighter, the four-time Trainer of the Year insists Pacquiao (50-3-2 with 38 knockouts) is going to add the Ghanaian to his list of vanquished opponents.

“We know his pluses and his mistakes,” said Roach. “He has a good defense but is very predictable. If his chin holds, we’ll destroy him downstairs.”

Roach added that Clottey can’t afford to coast against Pacquiao in the late rounds because the three-time Fighter of the Year will “finish him off if he does that.”

While Roach is happy with the way training camp has turned out, Arum is ecstatic that paying fight fans have vigorously responded to the showdown between Pacquiao and Clottey.

Praising Pacquiao’s drawing power, Arum bared that only about 7,000 tickets have remained unsold for the fight, dubbed as “The Event” and scheduled at the spanking $1.2-billion Cowboys Stadium, which has been reconfigured to accommodate 45,000 fans.

Arum said Top Rank plans to stage more big fights at stadiums, rather than at hotels in gambling havens which can hardly sit 20,000.

He said boxing must be seen by the masses and with lower ticket prices, the sport will sustain its revival.

Source: inquirer.net

Pacquiao's Clotty fight could be his last

2010-03-05T00:39:00.001-08:00

Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, says that his fight against Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on March 13 could be his last.

Pacquiao, 31, is running for a congressional seat in his native Philippines while training for his upcoming bout.

If elected in May, he'll represent a community of about 400,000 people in need of improved healthcare, education and employment that the boxer himself was deprived of while being raised in poverty, the Los Angeles Times reports.

If he beats Clottey as expected, and if Flyod Mayweather Jr defeats Shane Mosley on May 1, negotiations for a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout are likely to resume.

However if he is elected to office, which is a distinct possibility in Pacquiao mad Philippines, then it is believed that his proposed mega-fight with Mayweather could never eventuate.

Source: tvnz.co.nz

Clottey motivated by Pacquiao trainer's knockout forecast

2010-03-05T00:37:00.002-08:00

EW YORK (Reuters) - When Joshua Clottey steps into the ring against WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on March 13 the Ghanaian will imagine he is fighting someone else.

The 32-year-old said Thursday he had a world of respect for Filipino Pacquiao and liked him personally and so would be fixing his mind on another target as motivation.

"I'm going to fight because of somebody," Clottey told a small cluster of reporters as he ran on a treadmill at Kingsway Gym a few blocks south of the Empire State Building.

"I'm fighting Pacquiao, but I'm fighting somebody else outside the ring. Nobody knows. I'll let everybody know after the fight. It's my secret."

Clottey moved from the treadmill to the ring for some punching practice against a sparring partner.

Looking on from the side, his manager Vinnie Scolpino might have let the cat out of the bag.

"He wants to beat (Pacquiao's trainer) Freddie Roach. That's his motivation," Scolpino said. "He wants to put him in his place. He beats Pacquiao, he puts Freddie in his place, too. Roach says he (Pacquiao) is going to knock him out.

Scolpino said Clottey was offended by the prediction.

The lean yet muscular Clottey worked up a healthy sweat as he moved from the ring to the heavy bag and speed bag before finishing with some calisthenics and stretching.

"I'm in the best shape of my life," said Clottey, a former IBF welterweight champion who will carry a 35-3 record into the bout, including a controversial split decision loss to Miguel Cotto in his last fight.

Pacquiao, named Fighter of the Year in the last two years and Fighter of the Decade by the Boxing Writers Association of America, stopped Cotto in the 12th round in his last fight.

Clottey's big payday clash with Pacquiao (50-3-2) came about when the Filipino's mega-fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr fell through over arguments about dope testing protocols.

The million-dollar-plus purse will be Clottey's biggest.

"This fight is like a miracle," said the Ghanaian, adding that his defensive skills would be a crucial factor in the bout.

"We all know Manny Pacquiao. When he comes, he starts throwing. I'm just ready. My body can take it.

"When he throws on me, I will block him and that will confuse him. He'll throw 30, and I'll throw four. The four will connect. The 30, I'll block most.

"I will wear him down. For sure."

(Editing by Ken Ferris)

Source: reuters.com

Pacquiao not underestimating Ghanaian boxer Clottey

2010-03-05T00:37:00.001-08:00

WBO welterweight title holder Manny Pacquiao, who has won world championships in eight divisions, said he would tread carefully when he faces Ghanaian Joshua Clottey in Dallas on March 13.

"Joshua Clottey is taller and bigger than me," Pacquiao told reporters in a conference call on Friday. "He is a former (IBF) champion. I cannot underestimate him."

Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr, widely regarded as the two best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, had been scheduled to fight on March 13.

However, negotiations collapsed when the Filipino refused Mayweather's demands for Olympic-style dope testing procedures.

Pacquiao filed a lawsuit against Mayweather, the American's father Floyd Sr, his uncle Roger and Golden Boy Promotions for falsely accusing him of using performance-enhancing drugs.

"I believe Floyd Mayweather was not ready to fight me," said Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs). "That's why he makes some reasons to cancel the fight. I feel bad that he is accusing me of doing drugs, that he tries to ruin my name in boxing."

I'm disappointed for what he's accusing me of but I'm not angry at him. That's his style."

After the collapse of the Mayweather fight, Pacquiao turned to Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs).

It is a fight Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach is confident his man will win.

"Clottey's a very strong guy, he's a good puncher," Roach said. "I think his best punch is the uppercut.

"But I have a lot of confidence in my fighter. He's sparring with guys who fight quite a bit like Clottey.

"We have big, strong guys and Manny's handling them with ease. I think we will overwhelm him and I think the fight will end before 12 rounds are over," added Roach.

"I think Manny will be the first to knock him out."

(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedbackzthomsonreuters.com)

Source: timescolonist.com

Once more, with feeling: Pacman hits the high notes anew on American show

2010-03-05T00:28:00.000-08:00

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has wowed American audiences once more---not with his fists, but rather, his vocal chords.

The boxing champ-actor-singer-philanthropist-businessman-product endorser-congressional candidate sung his heart out when he made a second appearance in just four months on the popular talk show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The champ appeared on the same show, singing Dan Hill’s “Sometimes When We Touch”, November last year as part of the build-up leading to his bout with Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao is set to fight Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium.

Host Kimmel, who might actually be enjoying Pacquiao’s singing voice, introduced the boxer only half-mockingly as “the most beautiful voice in boxing since Leon Spinks.”

Pacquiao obliged the host, singing a heartfelt rendition of George Benson’s “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You” with much gusto.

Of course, Pacquaio was warmly applauded by the studio crowd for his effort.

During his talk with Kimmel, Pacquiao discussed his cancelled fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Clottey, singing and running for Philippine congress.

Pacquiao thinks the fight with Mayweather didn’t push through mainly because the latter wasn’t ready.

“I think he’s not ready for the fight. The job of the fighter is to train hard and to fight in the ring. You don’t need to change the rules and regulations because the Nevada athletic commission is there [to enforce them],” he said.

Asked if he’s still open to a Mayweather showdown, Pacquiao said he’s willing to fight anybody.

About Clottey, Pacquiao said he is training hard as the fighter is bigger and stronger than him. He drew laughter from the crowd when he admitted that he had to skip training that day though to practice singing for the show.

Kimmel suggested that with Pacquiao’s singing ability he could join “American Idol.”

“If they don’t like you, you could beat the crap out of all of them… Simon [Cowell, judge], Randy [Jackson, judge], Ryan [Seacrest, host]… you knock Ryan for no reason, that would be the greatest thing ever.”

Kimmel also brought up Pacquiao’s movie career showing the audience a trailer of Pacquiao’s Metro Manila Film Fest entry “Wapakman,” calling it the “greatest movie ever.”

“That was good stuff,” the host quipped, “I like that… you’re fighting a giant crab. That would be a good bout for you on pay-per-view, you know?”

Kimmel asked Pacquiao if he is going to retire from boxing if he wins in Congress.

Pacquiao cleared that his bout with Clottey is not going to be his last but that he is as yet undecided if he would be willing to juggle a career in boxing and politics and be a “fighting Congressman.”

“It’s hard to decide,” Pacquiao retorted.

Source: mb.com.ph

Tireless Pacquiao schools rising boxer in sparring session

2010-03-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao sent rising star Jamie Kavanagh to school as the man acknowledged as boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighter today battered the young Irish boxer during the two hour closed-door sparring held Tuesday at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood, California.

Rob Peters, head of security at the famed gym of celebrated trainer Freddie Roach, and among the few who saw the sparring session and attested that Pacquiao managed to withstand the 19-year-old Irishman’s serious challenge.

Manny Pacquiao’s works the speedball. Chris Farina, Top Rank

“Manny had to back up a couple of times, but he (Kavanagh) really hit him with some serious shots," said Peters.

“He (Kavanagh) came in a little too brave. He’s very good, but he’s got a little too much balls for his own good," said the tall, muscular Wild Card gym security chief, who’s an avid fan of the Boston Celtics.

Kavanagh, a light-welterweight who had an impressive 168-12 record as an amateur, is just one in the long list of sparring partners Roach has tapped to prepare Pacquiao for his first title defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) 147-pound belt against Joshua Clottey of Ghana.

The 12-round title fight is set on March 13 (March 14, Sunday in Manila) at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Also serving as Pacquiao sparmates other than Kavanagh are Mike Dallas, old hands Dave Rodela, Ray Beltran and Shawn Porter, Jose Benavidez, Clottey’s countryman Abdullay Amidu and former Oscar De La Hoya opponent Steve Forbes.

None of them, however, could match up well with the seven-time world champion.

“The more guys they put on him, the more guys he beat up," Peters added.

Pacquiao sparred for a total of 10 rounds with Kavanagh, Amidu, Beltran and Rodela on Tuesday.

Like in the past, Peters maintains a strict protocol in the Pacquiao training camp, barring hordes of people from entering the gym especially during sparring sessions held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

“So far, it’s been working," Peters added, saying Pacquiao has maintained his concentration six weeks into training and just 11 days before the 12-round title fight dubbed `The Event."

“Freddie’s happy and Manny’s been in good spirits. It’s good," he said.

Boosting more Pacquiao’s spirit was the arrival here of wife Jinky late Tuesday night, accompanied by her twin sister Janet and other close family friends.

A day after, the Filipino southpaw makes his second appearance in the popular talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he previously guested four months ago, just two weeks before taking on Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight belt. – GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Clottey - Pacquiao not on steroids

2010-03-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

Unlike Floyd Mayweather Jr., Joshua Clottey doesn’t believe Manny Pacquiao is into performance enhancing drugs.

“I don’t think Manny Pacquaio is doing that thing," said challenger Joshua Clottey during a conference call for his March 13 fight with World Boxing Organization (WBO) 147-pound bout with the `Pacman.’

“If he’s doing that thing, he is killing the sport."

Mayweather’s belief that Pacquiao is using steroids caused the collapse of the negotiations for the fight potentially expected to be the biggest and richest in boxing history.

Mayweather’s camp demanded that he and Pacquiao undergo Olympic style drug testing before and after the bout. Although the 31-year-old Filipino is not against drug testing per se, he is not sold to the idea of doing the procedure random style.

Mayweather again found the perfect opportunity to raise the issue during the initial press conference of his May 1 fight with reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Shane Mosley in New York.

“I can’t say how many fights Shane has won in the past because we know Shane was using enhancement drugs. That’s something we do know," said Mayweather, referring to Mosley’s claim that he unintentionally used steroids prior to his fight with Oscar De La Hoya in 2003."

“It’s no different that Pacquiao," stressed the unbeaten American. “I offered Pacquiao the fight. I said, `We’ll give you $25 million.’ I never met a man who wouldn’t take a $25 million drug test."

But Clottey doesn’t buy such an idea. And not because he’s fighting Pacquiao in a showdown considered the biggest in his boxing career.

The 32-year-old challenger from Ghana has too much respect for the man acknowledged as the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter today.

“I respect him too much. He is a very nice guy, to be honest with you, I feel comfortable around him. He is nice and respects everybody and I know where he is from," Clottey said.

“Between he and God, it is going to someday be a problem. I wouldn’t make him do that steroid thing because I believe in him. I know he throws a lot of punches. I respect him for that, so I couldn’t ask him to do that."

Vinny Scolpino, Clottey’s manager, also believes that drug testing for a fight shouldn’t be part of the negotiation for a contract, not unless it is part of the procedure required by the boxing body where the match will be held.

“If the commission wants to implement other drug-testing rules, let them implement them. We abide by the rules that are set for us, then we move forward. Manny is a super champion and we all hope he is doing the right thing. If the commission finds it in their drug testing, they find it.

“We are going to abide by the rules set by the state. We are professionals in the sport. Joshua is a professional, and if that commission in that state says to do this, we do it," said Scolpino. – GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Clottey wont last 12 rounds against Pacquiao - Ariza

2010-03-02T06:45:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Even if Ghana’s Joshua Clottey is bigger than 7-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino’s conditioning coach thinks the Ghanaian will not have enough strength to go the distance in his March 13 bout.

“I don't think Clottey will last 12 rounds. I think Clottey might just stop because he will get hit too much. I think Clottey will get tired of getting hit,” Alex Ariza told Brad Cooney of 8countnews.com.

“If Manny moves the way he's been moving in sparring, I just don't see Clottey being able to take the beating that he is going to get.”

Ariza, however, mentioned that he is concerned about the beating that Pacquiao will get from Clottey at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

He shared that he and Pacquiao focused “a little more” on strength training.

“Clottey is strong so that's my biggest concern… The physical punishment Manny might take is my biggest concern. Clottey is so much bigger, but we will have Manny ready for whatever comes his way,” stated Ariza.

Pacquiao’s conditioning coach went on to divulge on the status of their training camp in Los Angeles, California.

“I think we are right on schedule, maybe even a little ahead of it. He looks great, the weight is great, the conditioning is great.”

The Filipino boxing superstar trains at the Wild Card Gym which is owned by his coach, Freddie Roach.

Ariza even commented on Pacquiao’s LA training: “I am not a big fan of LA training because of all of the people here. I thought we had a good camp in the Philippines last fight. Manny trained well over there, but he looks good over here too.”

Pacquiao will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Clottey, a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion. Their match headlines the pay-per-view event entitled “The Event.”

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

My punches cause big damage - Joshua Clottey

2010-03-02T06:42:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines - Joshua Clottey doesn’t enjoy watching tapes of his opponents on the ring. Not even Manny Pacquiao.

However, that doesn’t mean that the 33-year-old fighter from Ghana is climbing the ring on March 13 not knowing what he’s up against.

“I have never watched his tapes. I never sit down and watch him and I never sit down and talk about him,” said Clottey during a media teleconference the other day to drum up his coming showdown with Pacquiao in Arlington, Texas.

The fight is set at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium, and no less than 40,000 fans are expected to brave the cold weather and see the fight. Promoter Bob Arum said there’s only around 8,000 tickets left and by fight time should be sold out.

“The only thing I think about is me and what I have to do when I come into the ring. I have been training very hard for myself to get to the ring and do my best. When I get to the ring, the fight will start and that’s what I’ll do,” he said.

Clottey is facing the biggest fight of his life and he considers this one as a rare opportunity to be with the greatest fighter in the planet. He is getting paid $1.2 million for this fight, and it’s more than what he’s earned over the last couple of years.

He said it doesn’t matter if he hadn’t seen any of Pacquiao’s fights.

“That is right. I never watch tapes of people. I don’t like watching tapes but I know how he fights. When I get to the ring I know how he is going to be,” he said of the gun-slinging fighter from the Philippines.

Pacquiao is staking his WBO welterweight crown against Clottey, and doesn’t see any reason why he’s going home empty-handed, just two months before he runs for a congressional seat in his hometown in Sarangani.

Clottey, however, said Pacquiao could be terribly wrong because he just knows what to do.

“I think you are right,” he told the media conference.

“You know, I’m not a flyweight. I am not a bantamweight. I am a welterweight and welterweights only throw punches that connect. I can throw shots which connect and land and cause damage,” he said.

“Not throw a lot of punches that he is deflecting and blocking. If you look at the last fight, I won the last round. He threw punches and I blocked them and I threw punches and they connected. I will throw punches that cause damage.”

Source: philstar.com

No prefight drug testing in Texas for Pacquiao vs Clottey

2010-03-02T06:40:00.000-08:00

The well-chronicled argument between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. over drug testing was so heated and divisive it caused the two boxers to walk away from a guarantee of $25 million each.

Mayweather's camp implied there was something unnatural about Pacquiao's steady move up in weight in recent years, with an increased dominance in the ring. Pacquiao grew so defensive about the comments that he sued members of the Mayweather camp for defamation.

Now, less than two weeks before Pacquiao fights Joshua Clottey in a welterweight title bout March 13 at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has ruled there is no "good cause" to institute any prefight drug screening for either boxer before their bout.

The Texas executive director, William Kuntz, can still change his mind "at any time," and order drug screening procedures for Pacquiao and Clottey that the fighters would pay for, according to department spokeswoman Susan Stanford. Pacquiao is guaranteed at least $12 million for the bout, his promoter has said.

Nevertheless, the absence of drug testing in Texas is in sharp contrast to the tests required for Mayweather's May 1 fight against Shane Mosley in Las Vegas. That bout will be subject to Olympic-style drug testing procedures to be supervised by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

That stringent protocol will be done beyond the typical urine screening for performance-enhancing and street drugs required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Not only is USADA set to preside over random testing, including the newer blood screening for human growth hormone, Mayweather will have the option to request additional tests of Mosley as long as he gives a sample of his own at or near the same time, Mayweather's advisor, Leonard Ellerbe, and fight promoter, Richard Schaefer, said.

Mosley has admitted that in the days before his 2003 victory against Oscar De La Hoya, he used performance-enhancing drugs. They were sent to him by BALCO founder Victor Conte, who also supplied steroids to Olympic sprinter Marion Jones, baseball slugger Jason Giambi and the personal trainer of all-time home run leader Barry Bonds. Mosley has insisted he thought the substances he took from Conte were legal vitamins.

"We're leading the way on this" in the drug testing for the Mayweather-Mosley fight, Schaefer told The Times.

The disparity in how the Pacquiao and Mayweather fights are being scrutinized is an unfortunate fact of life in boxing, says Timothy Lueckenhoff, president of the Assn. of Boxing Commissions, the national body that advises state commissions.

"Testing [is] an excellent idea, but the cost of [it is] somewhat cost-prohibitive," Lueckenhoff said. "If steroid testing is to be done as well as testing for illegal [street] drugs, it must be done across the board. When we talk about requiring all fights to be subject to this, we are just adding more cost to a struggling profession, especially regarding club show events.

"All drug testing is good and needed, but the cost is a huge factor right now."

Is Pacquiao’s final fight approaching?

2010-03-02T06:38:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, delivered a knee-buckling assessment for boxing fans already distraught by the failed Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. negotiations.

“This could be our last fight,” Roach told the Los Angeles Times last week, as Pacquiao heads into the final days of training for his March 13 welterweight world title bout against Joshua Clottey at Dallas’ Cowboys Stadium.

Roach’s sobering speculation about boxing’s biggest star is based on a chain of events that could occur. Pacquiao, 31, is running for a congressional seat in his native Philippines. If elected in May, he’ll represent a community of about 400,000 people in need of improved healthcare, education and employment that the boxer himself was deprived of while growing up in poverty.

Pacquiao (left) doesn’t appear to be afraid of the end.

“Is this my last fight? We’ll see,” he said after a recent workout. “One never knows. It’s still so early to be talking about this, but I do like the thought of going out on top. We did a lot in boxing, achieved a lot — more than what we set out to do.”

Source: kansascity.com

Defence the key for Joshua Clottey against Pacquiao

2010-03-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

Joshua Clottey believes he has the tools to end the winning streak of Manny Pacquiao in Dallas on March 13.

The tough Ghanaian lost a controversial decision to Miguel Angel Cotto in his last fight in June, with Pacquiao handing out a 12-round beating to the same opponent later in the year.

Clottey is something of an afterthought for Pacquiao after the much-hyped match with Floyd Mayweather fell through, but the 32-year-old says he is ready to cause a shock.

"I wasn't really thinking about this fight at all," he told boxingtalk.com. "But I know I can fight anybody and I know I can beat any boxer.

"It looked like somebody didn't want to fight. All the guys were talking about Pacquiao v Mayweather and it looks like he didn't want to do it, and it's good for me.

"I feel like it was a blessing from God."

Defence

While Clottey, whose record stands at 35-3 with 20 kos, will have a natural size advantage over Pacquiao, he insists it is not his superior strength that will be the key, but his defence.

"When he beats guys, like in the Cotto fight, he beats guys that don't have a good defence. I have a defence," he said. "I will never say anything bad about the guy because he is the best now.

"When I walk in the ring with Manny Pacquiao and I lost, I will tell everybody I lost the fight. But I keep telling people I didn't lose the Cotto fight because I don't feel that I did. When I walk into the ring, I do what I want to do to win the fight, to do my best."

He also said that while naturally lighter boxers like Pacquiao can throw a higher volume of punches, his more accurate blows will eventually tell.

"You know, I'm not a flyweight. I am not a bantamweight. I am a welterweight and welterweights only throw punches that connect.

"I can throw shots which connect and land and cause damage. Not throw a lot of punches that he is deflecting and blocking. If you look at the last fight, I won the last round.

Damage
"He threw punches and I blocked them and I threw punches and they connected. I will throw punches that cause damage."

While Clottey respects Pacquiao's star quality he knows that beating him would be a life-changing experience.

"He is the man now and he's giving me a chance to fight him and if I beat him, I'm going to be on top of the world," he added. "It will be very important to the people in my country and that is very important in life.

"When I walk into the ring I will know what I need to do to win the fight."

Source: skysports.com

Pacquiao-Clottey: How can 45,000 be a sellout when the stadium holds 80,000?

2010-03-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

By Dave Lahr: What I don’t understand is how the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight be called almost a sellout at 45,000 when the Dallas Cowboy stadium holds 80,000? What is it that? I know the stadium was retrofitted to fit 45,000 fans, but they keep saying that they can easily adjust it to fit even more fans at a moment’s notice, so how does that make it a sell out if it reaches 45,000? Is it me or does that just seem like some gimmick that they’re using to brag about and make it seem like the stadium is sold out when in fact it’s not.

If the stadium is sold out, then it means that 80,000 fans purchased tickets for the fight, not 45,000. I’m not even all that impressed with the 45,000 figure. I keep hearing that it’s near that total, but they don’t give the exact totals for the tickets that are currently sold. Why not?
That just makes me not trust any of the numbers. Whatever the amount of tickets that do eventually get sold for the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight, I don’t expect it to be anywhere close to 80,000 fans, and I’m now thinking that it won’t even get to 45,000 either. My guess is that it will be lucky to bring in 30,000 fans, which will seem kind of ridiculous in a huge stadium like the Dallas Cowboy Stadium.

This is just hype for a fight that doesn’t have two stars. I think they wasted the stadium on this fight. They could have easily fit the same amount of people that will be attending the fight in the MGM Grand by putting in outside seats. This is like way overboard for a fight that isn’t that big of a deal.

You got to have to an opposing big star if you want to fight in a huge stadium like that. In this case, it’s just Pacquiao versus some guy that nobody has heard of except for hardcore boxing fans. And what makes this even worse is that Clottey lost his last fight. How does that look? Pacquiao just finished fighting Miguel Cotto, who was had recently been torn apart by Antonio Margarito.

Pacquiao also fought Ricky Hatton, who also was beaten up and taken out not long before he faced Pacquiao. Oscar De La Hoya, another Pacquiao victim, had lost three out of his last six fights going into his bout with Pacquiao. What is up with that? Is boxing so bad off that those guys have to be selected as Pacquiao’s opponents? Why not Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Shane Mosley? Don’t tell me. I already know.

But as far the Pacquiao-Clottey fight being called a sell out if 45,000 tickets being sold, I think that’s the silliest thing I’ve heard before, because the stadium holds twice that total. If you have a stadium that you can retrofit at a moment’s notice to fit any number up to 80,000, it’s ludicrous to call it a sell out when they’ll keep selling tickets up until 80,000 tickets are sold. I mean they’re not going stop selling tickets when 45,000 tickets have been sold, are they? Of course not, which is why it’s crazy to say the fight is nearly a sellout.

Source: boxingnews24.com

I cannot underestimate Clottey, says champion Pacquiao

2010-02-28T06:39:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - WBO welterweight title holder Manny Pacquiao, who has won world championships in eight divisions, said he would tread carefully when he faces Ghanaian Joshua Clottey in Dallas on March 13.

"Joshua Clottey is taller and bigger than me," Pacquiao told reporters in a conference call on Friday. "He is a former (IBF) champion. I cannot underestimate him."

Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr, widely regarded as the two best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, had been scheduled to fight on March 13.

However, negotiations collapsed when the Filipino refused Mayweather's demands for Olympic-style dope testing procedures.

Pacquiao filed a lawsuit against Mayweather, the American's father Floyd Sr, his uncle Roger and Golden Boy Promotions for falsely accusing him of using performance-enhancing drugs.

"I believe Floyd Mayweather was not ready to fight me," said Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs). "That's why he makes some reasons to cancel the fight.

"I feel bad that he is accusing me of doing drugs, that he tries to ruin my name in boxing. I'm disappointed for what he's accusing me of but I'm not angry at him. That's his style."

After the collapse of the Mayweather fight, Pacquiao turned to Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs).

It is a fight Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach is confident his man will win.

"Clottey's a very strong guy, he's a good puncher," Roach said. "I think his best punch is the uppercut.

"But I have a lot of confidence in my fighter. He's sparring with guys who fight quite a bit like Clottey.

"We have big, strong guys and Manny's handling them with ease. I think we will overwhelm him and I think the fight will end before 12 rounds are over," added Roach.

"I think Manny will be the first to knock him out."

Source: reuters.com

Pacquiao vs. Clottey: Keys to victory

2010-02-28T06:38:00.000-08:00

Lot of things happened in the world of boxing in the past few months. And in barely three weeks' time, on 13th of March, we shall witness another action packed boxing action between the WBO welterweight champion and the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world Manny Pacquiao against the formidable worthy opponent from Ghana, former IBF welterweight world champion, Joshua "The Grand Master" Clottey.

Now, the whole world knows about Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao’s ring exploits were well documented against many legends. Outside of the avid boxing fans, Joshua Clottey's name does not ring a bell like, say, Floyd Mayweather Jr. but that doesn't mean this tough guy from Ghana is a push-over.

If you look at Joshua Clottey's record, won 35 (KO 20) + lost 3 (KO 0) + drawn 0 = 39, those 3 of his losses can be negligible. Let's take a look at them one by one shall we?

First loss: Against Carlos Baldomir, former WBC welterweight champion, Joshua Clottey lost via controversial disqualification when Clottey seems to be winning the rounds in the score cards.

Second loss: Against Antonio Margarito, former WBO and WBA welterweight champion. Joshua Clottey lost via controversial decision when Joshua seems to be winning the first half of the fight then broke his hand, giving Antonio " Loaded Gloves" Margarito a gift decision.

Third loss: Against Miguel Angel Cotto, former WBO and WBA welterweight champion. Joshua Clottey lost via controversial split decision when some fight fans saw Clottey winning this fight. But then again, its Cotto's home turf and Cotto was then the champion, so Clottey was expected to do more than that to win via decision against Cotto.

So, Joshua "The Grand Master" Clottey is a very worthy opponent. He is a BIG and strong welterweight! It's amazing how Clottey can weigh 147lbs on the weight-in and then after 1 day at fight night climb up to the ring looking like a hulking super-middleweight!

On the other hand, the whole world knows about Manny Pacquiao by now. He's already transcended the sport and attracted the attention of many Hollywood actors. Here is Manny again, this time defending his WBO belt at 147lbs, facing another bigger, stronger, and taller opponent as usual.

Training

Manny Pacquiao is said to look phenomenal in his training camp. When Pacquiao trains, he gives it his all. He is a machine who goes non-stop!

There have been reports about Manny hurting his sparring partners very bad that some of them were sent home. Numerous posts and articles were published saying that Manny Pacquiao is still very much fit from his fight with Miguel Cotto and had adjusted well in the welterweight division. This is again, a classic blending of Freddie Roach's brilliant work and Manny dedication to the sport.

Recently, there have been reports that Manny could've over-trained and hurt his left leg in training. Thus, was given few days rest. But Manny Pacquiao still opt to train. Freddie Roach has toned his training down a few notches to help Manny recover from his injury. Now, it seems like Manny Pacquiao is back in full gear after passing the medical examinations with flying colors. Statements from Conditioning trainer Alex Ariza saying Manny is recovering very well, and getting close to being 100% or its just that Manny has extremely high tolerance with pain.

We can all hope Manny Pacquiao comes to the ring in the best condition.

Let's look at Joshua Clottey's training camp. Lenny De Jesus, Pacquiao's former cut-man is now Joshua Clottey's lead trainer when Clottey's preferred trainer, Godwin Kotay, also from Ghana, had troubles in getting a visa to the USA. This is such a very important matter because victories are won in the training camp and only manifest themselves in the ring!

Although reports say that Joshua Clottey looked great in training, we shall see how his team handles the pressure come fight night.

We also hope that Joshua Clottey comes in the ring in 100% best condition to give us the best fight they can give.

With regards to training, Manny Pacquiao definitely has the advantage here. He's training with his long time trusted coach Freddie Roach at their home turf at the Wild Card gym doing what they do best. While Joshua Clottey is still in the feeling stages with his new trainer, Lenny De Jesus, a part-time lock smith and more well known as a cut-man than a trainer.

Style

Clottey presents Pacquiao a style he has never encountered before. If there's a style that proves to be troublesome to Manny, it’s the defensive counter-punching style, like that of Juan Manuel Marquez. Manny seems to get caught with some clean punches when his opponents are on the defensive and back-pedaling. We saw that at times when Cotto was on his bicycle throwing sporadic jabs to keep Pacquiao off of him. But unlike Manny's other defensive minded foes, Joshua Clottey doesn't move backward, but rather he stays put or moves forward, with his arms right in front of him as a defensive shield that blocks punches. He uses that style very well in the past. The elongated Antonio "Loaded Gloves" Margarito had a very difficult time penetrating Clottey's defenses. Given that Antonio's style is to overwhelm his opponents with the volume of his punches and use his height and reach advantage. But even so, in the early stages of that fight, most of Margarito's
punches were blocked by Clottey's defenses.

Joshua Clottey fought and beaten Zab Judah, the former undisputed welterweight champion. Take note that Zab Judah, like Manny Pacquiao is a speedy southpaw. What Joshua Clottey did very effectively against Judah was his "peek-a-boo" counter-punching style using the high guard defense. He allowed Zab to come to him and hit him, while Clottey blocks those punches with his arms. Then when he sees an opening, he would time Zab Judah with a straight right hand in the middle and wicked left hook to the body. This strategy nullified Zab Judah's speed and was able to launch his attack the way he wanted it.

Joshua Clottey is not a volume puncher who throws plenty of combinations. He is very conservative with his offenses. This is because he uses his arms as a defensive guard to lure his opponents to attack at him most of the time. You can't throw a punch while your forearms are covering high up in front. A fighter utilizing this kind of defense would find it hard to be the first one to mount an offense simply because, from a high guard position, a fighter needed to pull back his arms or twist his torso to throw an effective punch. Sure, one can throw a punch from an elbows-close-together and forearms parallel in front position, but generally, it would lack power, as it does not have the leverage and momentum to deliver an effective punch. From a high guard position, if a fighter pulls back his arms or twists his torso to punch, he effectively telegraphs his intentions to his opponents. This shall give his opponents time to adjust, evade, block or
counter-punch the coming offensive.

For the high-guard defense to be effective, you must lure your opponent to come at you and then counter-punch him as he attacks. Impeccable timing is the key for this style to be successful. You can observe the same style being employed by former middle weight champion Arthur Abraham, and he uses it brilliantly. That's exactly what Joshua Clottey is also doing. Then again, a fighter using this style of defense must pack some power to make the counter-punches effective. Or else, a good blocking defense plus minimum offensive activity mixed with ineffective counter-punches, equals losing on the score cards. Joshua Clottey has decent power to make this style work for him as we have witnessed during his fight against Zab Judah.

I'm just not sure if Clottey can block all of Manny Pacquiao's punches when Pacquiao fires up 15-punch-combinations in less than two seconds from all sorts of weird angles. We saw Miguel Cotto, who is not too slow himself, able to block two or three of them, but 11 or 12 of those punches still landed by Pacquiao. And those punches packs a lot of hurting power.

Notice also how Clottey often remains stationary with his footwork and depends more on his blocking defense during a fight. I believe this will not work very well with Manny Pacquiao because with Pacquiao's nimble feet, he'll be everywhere in that ring. So Clottey needed to keep up with Manny's speed with regards to footwork in he wants to remain standing in this fight. He needs to keep moving, side to side, around in circles, feint forward then dash backwards then attack, etc.

Back when Pacquiao was about to fight David Diaz, I thought, for him to beat Pacquiao, he must impose his size and strength on the little guy. He must do some rough-housing, a bit of wrestling here and there, just like what Nadel Hussein and Agapito Sanchez did back when Pacquiao was still a bantamweight, which gave Pacquiao some troubles. I also thought of the same when Manny was about to fight Oscar Dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. I realized that the Manny Pacquiao at bantamweight is a totally different version of Manny Pacquiao at welterweight. So, yes, Joshua Clottey is bigger and stronger than Manny Pacquiao, but I believe imposing one's strength against Manny Pacquiao by using his size to try to bully the little guy is NOT the way to beat Manny. Manny Pacquiao is too quick and elusive for Clottey to catch him brawl it from the inside. And though Pacquiao is smaller, he packs a lot of power! So matching power for power against Pacquiao is
not a wise thing to do. Right now, Joshua Clottey's size and strength once again could mean nothing against Manny Pacquiao.

What Joshua Clottey needs to do to beat Pacquiao is to do his own version of Marquez. He needs to time Manny and counter-punch him at the right moment when the little guy attacks. Clottey needs to keep his legs in perpetual motion, employ his superior defensive skills to block Pacquiao's combinations and use his reach advantage to keep him at bay. And he needs to keep at it for 36mins in that fight.

The question is, "Does Joshua Clottey has enough in his tank to do that?" because Pacquiao will definitely be in his face for the full 3 minutes of every round. Clottey cannot afford to fade even just for a minute, like what he did against Cotto, when he faces Manny Pacquiao.

To be concluded...

Source: 8countnews.com

Pacquiao in final preparations for Cowboys Stadium

2010-02-28T06:37:00.002-08:00

Manny Pacquiao ran roughshod through four different sparring partners earlier this week, and boxing's pound-for-pound king plans to churn through just as many on Saturday.

He's been peppering the speed bag, pounding the heavy bag and doing enough running to make Usain Bolt fall over in a heap. Under the watchful eye of trainer Freddie Roach, Pacquiao is putting himself in position to knock out Joshua Clottey when they fight March 13 in Dallas.

"Manny is getting better all the time," Roach marveled after a training session Friday at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. "I know Clottey is a big, strong guy. I respect him, he's a great fighter. But Manny I feel is going to overwhelm him with his speed and combinations, and I do believe we will be the first one to stop him in 12 rounds."

If it sounds simple, that's because Pacquiao has little trouble when fights are decided in the ring. Things aren't so easy when the fight is contested with words.

That continues to be the case with Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., after their proposed blockbuster fell through because of drug testing protocol. Mayweather and his relatives have accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs, either directly or by innuendo, while the Filipino champion has balked at taking a blood test within 14 days of a fight.

Pacquiao will instead fight Clottey at Cowboys Stadium, while Mayweather is headed for a showdown May 1 against welterweight champion Shane Mosley. Along with the verbal jabs, Pacquiao and Mayweather can also fight over who generates bigger pay-per-view numbers.

"We're not happy with his remarks and Manny really wants to fight him in the future because of the remarks he made," Roach said. "Manny, sometimes when he's shadowboxing, he shows me how Mayweather fights and how he'll take care of the problem, and I've never seen that before.

"He's trying to ruin our reputations and so forth," Roach added, "but we want to fight him and we'll knock him out."

Promoter Bob Arum still believes that Mayweather never wanted to fight Pacquiao, and his strict adherence to blood testing — which is far more extensive than urine analysis required by the Nevada Athletic Commission — was his way of getting out of it.

"We don't have to be geniuses to know what they were trying to do. They were trying to get into Manny's head so he'd be discombobulated," Arum said. "Mayweather against Manny is a no-contest, no contest. Manny would wipe the ring with Floyd Mayweather."

If that's ever to happen, he'll first have to wipe the ring with Clottey.

The fight appears to be a mismatch on paper, especially considering the rugged fighter from Ghana lost to Miguel Cotto — the same guy Pacquiao dominated last fall. But just like fights aren't decided with words, they aren't decided on paper, either.

"Joshua Clottey I know is taller and bigger than me, and you cannot underestimate him," Pacquiao said, "because he's a former world champion also."

Clottey has been training in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the first seven-figure payday of his career. It would go a long way toward helping his family back home in the dusty city of Accra, where Clottey acknowledges that poverty is a way of life.

"I'm coming to do my best," he said by phone earlier this week. "He is a good fighter. He is the best now. This is the test and I am going for the WBO title. I'm going all out. I have my game plan and I always come to fight."

It's a difficult fight to market because it's not the fight demanded by the public, but that doesn't mean there isn't significant interest. Pacquiao is making an encore appearance on Jimmy Kimmel next week and will soon have a profile in Time Magazine, while Clottey was the subject of a lengthy expose in ESPN The Magazine.

And of course, Pacquiao is running for Congress in the Philippines.

More than 30,000 tickets have already been sold for the fight, and Arum expects the $1.2 billion football stadium just outside Dallas to be filled with about 45,000 fans on March 13.

It may not be Mayweather, but it's something to tide fans over.

"People were looking forward to a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, that's clear. But Manny has a huge, huge fan base," Arum said. "Every sports fan knows Manny Pacquiao. Our job is to present Joshua Clottey as he is, a bigger guy, a stronger guy probably, a guy who has never been off his feet — a real test for Manny Pacquiao. That's what will sell this fight.

"I think the public gets it, and I think the pay-per-view is going to do extremely well."

Source: google.com

Pacman all set and rarin' to KO Clottey

2010-02-28T06:37:00.001-08:00

MANILA, Philippines - Barely six weeks into training and Freddie Roach believes that Manny Pacquiao is ready to fight.

And ready to knock Joshua Clottey out.

“Manny Pacquiao is in great shape. We boxed 11 rounds yesterday with four different sparring partners. With all four of them, he’s looking really good. He’s got the gameplan in place,” Roach told fighthype.com.

Roach said Pacquiao will spar 12 rounds today (Saturday in Los Angeles) and will start tapering off with two weeks left for the fight at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

For this fight, Roach has reduced the number of sparring rounds from close to 150 as in the previous fights to just a little over a hundred. He said they’re not underestimating Clottey but Pacquiao is just as sharp as when he defeated Miguel Cotto last November.

It took Pacquiao just a couple of weeks of training for Roach to feel that both the power and speed were there. And it was just a matter of days for Pacquiao to work on his timing and his strength and conditioning.

“He did such a good job yesterday I almost wanted to give him a day off. But Manny won’t take a day off. We’ll box 12 rounds on Saturday. That will be our peak day then we’ll start tapering off from that point,” said Roach.

The four-time Trainer of the Year recognizes the ability of Clottey but is getting even more confident that Pacquiao will be the first one to knock out the 33-year-old former champion from Ghana.

“I do believe he will be the first person to stop him (Clottey) before the 12th round,” said Roach.

Pacquiao, who fielded questions Friday during a media conference, will head to Dallas on March 8 after a morning session at the Wild Card Gym.

Yet, Clottey remained unfazed. To him, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be up against the greatest fighter of this era, and he’s not going to waste it.

“I have more confidence this time around because I’m taking this fight like if I win, I have bigger things ahead. I have so much respect for Manny, so that gives me more confidence because I respect the guy,” he said.

“I respect the guy because, if he has the chance, he can stop me. So I respect him because of that, and because of that, I’m more confident,” he said.

Source: philstar.com

Joshua Clottey: "God Gave Manny Pacquiao His Power"

2010-02-28T06:36:00.001-08:00

Challenger Joshua Clottey says he knows where Manny Pacquiao got all of his power.

"Manny is a good man. He prays a lot. God gave him his power," Clottey said. "He is a great champion and this is going to be a difficult fight. However, I have a plan - hard punching, back him up, don't let him take charge. I will pressure him."

Clottey, training in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., plans to break camp this weekend and go to New York City. He will have his Media Day at the Kingsway Gym, 1 West 28th St., 1 pm in New York on Thursday, March 4.

Pacquiao vs. Clottey is scheduled for March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Pacquiao vs. Clottey will be available on HBO Pay Per View.

Top Rank Live! Kendall Holt at Bally's Atlantic City

Former world champion Kendall Holt of Paterson, N.J. is in an IBF eliminator bout when he takes on Kaizer 'The Hammer' Mabuza of Johannesburg on Saturday night in a sold-out ballroom at Bally's Atlantic City.

Holt, now handled by Brandon Jacobs of the NY Giants, is a former junior welterweight world champion. This is Holt's first bout since he cracked and knocked down Timothy Bradley twice - the first knockdown was on a left hook which sent Bradley flat onto his back in the first round. Holt knocked down Bradley again in the 12th, although Bradley battled and won the world title on points.

Mabuza has won seven straight bouts and is coming off a points win over 23-0 Sergey Fedchenko in the Ukraine.

The Holt vs. Mabuzza bout is being taped by FSN and highlights are expected to be on Top Rank Live!

The Top Rank Live! telecast on FSN will be on the air Saturday night 10 pm eastern/7 pm pacific.

Source: boxingscene.com

Joshua Clottey confident Pacquiao plays by the rules

2010-02-28T06:33:00.000-08:00

As the year began, the attention of the boxing world was on the negotiations between Top Rank and Golden Boy, rival promoters who were attempting to finalize the biggest fight in the sport -- a showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

We all know by now what happened -- how the fight fell apart over a single issue when the sides wouldn't compromise on drug-testing protocol.

Pacquiao and Mayweather went their separate ways after weeks of one of the more rancor-filled negotiations in recent history.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) quickly came to terms with former welterweight titlist Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), who is also promoted by Top Rank, making their deal a snap to finalize. They'll meet for Pacquiao's welterweight title on March 13 (HBO PPV) at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mayweather ultimately came to terms to challenge welterweight titleholder Shane Mosley for his belt on May 1 (also HBO PPV) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The replacement fights certainly have merit. Both shape up as competitive bouts in which all four fighters have reasonable chances to win, even if Pacquiao and Mayweather are the favorites in their respective bouts.

But even with two strong bouts taking the place of Pacquiao-Mayweather, there is still the feeling that the new bouts are merely a consolation. Even Top Rank's Bob Arum can't escape that feeling, although he tried to put a happy face on it.

"Are they consolation prizes? Maybe," Arum said on a media conference call with Clottey to promote the fight with Pacquiao on Thursday. "[Pacquiao-Mayweather] didn't happen for one reason or another. I am not here to cast blame. But it didn't happen and now we have this fight that could go either way that I believe is Manny's toughest fight."

As for the possibility of putting Pacquiao-Mayweather together in the future if each wins, Arum was unsure.

"Life goes on," he said. "That's what these boys fight for. If Joshua beats Manny and Mosley beats Mayweather, maybe we do a Mosley-Clottey fight. That's what makes boxing interesting. If I did a walkover fight like Pacquiao-[Paulie] Malignaggi, which was talked about, then people would say I'm just keeping Pacquiao busy and there is no danger in him losing the fight.

"But there is danger in him losing the fight. Joshua Clottey is a very dangerous fighter. Similarly, maybe Mosley goes back to the fountain of youth that he had for the [Antonio] Margarito fight [13 months ago]. That Mosley could very well beat Mayweather. That's what makes boxing interesting. If these would be walkover fights nobody would give a damn. You'll see fireworks [in Pacquiao-Clottey] and if there is an upset, that's what boxing is all about."

For his part, Clottey sounded happy to be in the position of having the biggest fight -- and first seven-figure payday -- of his career, especially because he is coming off a split-decision loss last summer to Miguel Cotto, who was later battered by Pacquiao in a 12th-round knockout in November.

"I'm coming to do my best," Clottey, a native of Ghana living in New York, said from his training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "Like I always said, he is a good fighter. He is the best now. This is the test and I am going for the WBO title. I'm going all out. I have my game plan and I always come to fight.

"I am so happy about this opportunity. He's the man now and he is giving me a chance. If I win, I will be on top of the world."

Unlike Mayweather did in the talks for the fight with Pacquiao, Clottey and manager Vinny Scolpino didn't ask for any special drug testing.

"I don't want to do that because I respect him so much," Clottey said. "He's a very nice guy. I feel comfortable around him. He's a nice, classy guy, he respects everybody."

Mayweather and his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs, even though they had no proof.

Clottey said he didn't think Pacquiao was doing anything against the rules.

"I don't think Manny Pacquiao does that," he said. "But if he does, then he is cheating the sport. I don't think he did that steroid thing. I believe that."

Scolpino said additional drug testing never came up in the negotiations with Arum. Of course, Clottey had zero leverage in the talks to demand more testing even if he wanted it.

"If the [Texas] commission wants to implement other drug-testing rules, let them and we will follow it," Scolpino said. "We abide by the rules set forth. Manny is a super champion and we all hope he is doing the right thing. If they find something in the drug testing, that's the way it is.

"We were going to abide by the rules set forth in the state. We're not getting into extra testing. We're professionals in the sport. Joshua is a professional, Manny is a pro. If the commission says do it, we do it."

Arum, who was against additional testing during the Pacquiao-Mayweather talks, agreed with Scolpino.

"My view is that [drug testing] is not a topic for negotiations," Arum said. "That is something for the commission to decide. Any participant in a boxing match who wants more stringent testing than is applicable in that state can go before the commission and ask for it. It's not for amateurs to make a bunch of demands. That is called chaos. Every fighter has the right to go before the commission and say I want such and such done on the testing and you let the commissioners decide. That is what they are getting paid for."

Although HBO isn't producing a "24/7" series ahead of the March 13 HBO PPV fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey, the network will debut "Road to Dallas: Pacquiao vs. Clottey" on March 6. The 30-minute preview show will take an in-depth look at the fight, which will be the first fight to be held at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The special, which features fighter profiles and expert analysis, begins at approximately 11 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following live coverage of the Devon Alexander-Juan Urango junior welterweight unification bout on "Boxing After Dark," with numerous replays leading up to the bout.

On Showtime, the fourth episode of "Fight Camp 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic" debuts Saturday night (7:30 ET/PT). The series has delivered compelling behind-the-scenes footage during the buildup and the aftermath of the bouts in the six-man super middleweight tournament.

The new installment features what Showtime is billing as an "an emotional interview with Jermain Taylor as he discusses his withdrawal from the tournament."

Also on tap for the episode is footage of the Super Six promoters candidly discussing Allan Green, Taylor's replacement, and of Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell preparing for their March 27 fight, which opens Group Stage 2.

Source: espn.go.com

Arum: Seating capacity could expand

2010-02-26T06:30:00.001-08:00

Boxing promoter Bob Arum said Thursday the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey WBO welterweight title fight scheduled for March 13 at Cowboys Stadium is nearly a sellout.

Arum said the seating capacity for the first boxing match at the new $1.2 billion facility will be 45,000. However, it could expand if the demand for tickets increases.

"Right now we're on target to sell the 45,000 seats and we'll be happy when we do that," Arum said on a conference call with reporters. "We sold 350 tickets [Wednesday] and are on target of doing that [again] today."

Cowboys officials said over 30,000 seats have been purchased.

Arum said if 3,000 to 4,000 tickets are unsold leading into the final week before the fight, promoters would have no problem selling those.

Source: espn.go.com

Joshua Clottey 'respects' Manny Pacquiao

2010-02-26T06:28:00.000-08:00

Joshua Clottey didn't ask for additional drug testing for his upcoming fight with Manny Pacquiao, believing Pacquiao is a "nice guy" and can be relied upon to be honest in his preparation for their March 13 bout at Cowboys Stadium.

Perhaps Clottey didn't ask for further drug testing because the Lone Star State has lax drug testing rules for boxers. The Texas Dept. of Licensing and Regulation won't be drug testing the boxers before and after their bout, a spokesman told the Daily News. Since the bout is for Pacquaio's WBO welterweight title, however, the WBO will require both fighters to undergo urine testing after the bout, promoter Bob Arum said.

Pacquiao's potential super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. was torpedoed when Mayweather Jr. demanded Olympic-style drug testing and Pacquiao balked. The Clottey matchup was made after that.

Clottey's unusual reasoning for not asking for harsher drug testing came during a pre-fight conference call Thursday involving Clottey, Arum and Clottey's manager, Vinny Scolpino. "I respect him so much because he is a sportsman and I respect him, and he is nice and I feel comfortable around him," said Clottey, who resides in the Bronx but is originally from Ghana. "I don't think Manny did that thing. If he did, then he is cheating the sport, and I don't believe he is doing that."

Most state commissions have boxers submit to only urine tests before and after a fight. The Texas agency doesn't even do that. Its executive director, William Kuntz, can order a drug screen for boxers if there is "good cause." But Susan Stanford, a public information officer for the department, doesn't envision that happening for this fight, even though Pacquiao has come under increased scrutiny of late over the issue of performance-enhancing drugs. "At the present time, no drug testing will be required of the boxers," she told The News Thursday. "We don't see rumors as good cause. There is a medical examination before the fight, but that doesn't include drug testing."

Arum said he chose to stage the fight in Texas for the amenities, not the lack of drug testing. "I always assumed (that Texas) did drug testing, but I know for sure that the WBO insists on that," Arum said in a phone interview. "The reason the fight is in Texas is because it's in Cowboys Stadium, not because of the (lack of) drug testing."

Pacquiao turned pro at 106 pounds, rose through the ranks quickly and is now knocking out 147-pound fighters at an age (31) when boxers tend to slow down. Pacquiao, who has reportedly never failed a drug test, has been accused by the Mayweather camp and recently by former junior welterweight champ Paulie Malignaggi of doping.

Since Clottey didn't make drug testing an issue in the negotiations and because both fighters are promoted by Arum, the fight was made in little more than 24 hours.

Source: nydailynews.com

Clottey believes Pacquiao is no drug cheat

2010-02-26T06:27:00.001-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Challenger Joshua Clottey of Ghana said he didn’t even think of requiring pound-for-pound champ Manny Pacquiao to undergo blood tests when talks leading to “The Event” started months ago.

Clottey, who will clash with the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king on March 13, said he has too much respect for Pacquiao.

"I don't want to do that (seek blood test) because I respect him so much," Clottey said in a report posted on LasVegasSun.com.

The drug testing demand was the reason the negotiations between the camps of Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. collapsed.

The American fighter insisted that they both undergo Olympic-style drug testing, insinuating that the Filipino fighter may have been using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).

"I don't think Manny Pacquiao would do that. If he is, he's cheating the sport, but I believe he's not," said Clottey.

The Ghanaian even described the change to fight Pacquiao as "a blessing".

Life goes on even without Floyd
Meanwhile, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who handles both Clottey and Pacquiao, said fight fans will still see a great fight between the two boxers even as their effort with Mayweather didn’t go quite well.

"Life goes on. If Joshua beats Manny, who knows? Maybe Mosley beats Mayweather and we do a Mosley vs. Clottey fight. Who the hell knows?” Arum said.

"If these were walkover fights, nobody would give a damn. Are they consolation prizes? Well, in a way. The one fight everybody wanted to see didn't happen for one reason or another but now we've got, on March 13, a really good, competitive fight that I believe is Manny Pacquiao's toughest fight yet."

"The Event" will take place on March 13 (14 in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas Texas.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey Profiled in 'Road To Dallas'

2010-02-25T06:12:00.000-08:00

The leadup to the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title defense of seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, against former welterweight king, Joshua Clottey (pictured above), on March 13 will be the focus of Road To Dallas: Pacquiao vs. Clottey, which will premiere on HBO's various channels on March 6.

The 30-minute special will analyze the upcoming bout, which will take place at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium in Arlington, Tex., as Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) looks to earn his 12th straight victory, and his ninth stoppage during time.

Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), who never has been stopped, will look to end the winning streak of Pacquiao, whom he will face in the Cowboys' $1.2 billion venue, owned by Jerry Jones.

The clash, to be televised on HBO pay-per-view, represent the first boxing match to be held at the stadium, whose domed facility seats 80,000, but is expandable enough so that it can hold up to 111,000.

The venue also has a retractable ceiling that protects against rain, and boasts over 3,000 Sony LCD displays throughout the luxury suites, concourses, concession areas and more.

The setup allows fans the ability to watch the action beyond just the field, as, all, if not most, of the displays will be operating on fight night, according to Jones.

By the time the fighters enter the ring, it will have been nearly five years -- in fact, only six days short of five years -- since the the 31-year-old Pacquiao's last suffered defeat.

For since falling in a unanimous decision to Mexico's Erik Morales in March of 2005, Pacquiao is 11-0, with eight knockouts.

That run includes stoppages of David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and, Miguel Cotto, respectively, in nine, eight, two, and, 12 rounds.

Pacquaio's streak includes having twice avenged the loss to Morales, whom he stopped in 10, and, three rounds, in January and November 2006.

It also includes 12-round triumphs over Mexican legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as an eighth-round knockout of Jorge Solis, who entered their matchup unbeaten at 33-0-2, with 24 knockouts.

Clottey's three losses have been against former world champs, Cotto, Carlos Baldomir, and, Antonio Margarito, all of which he disputes.

Clottey, a native of Ghana who lives in New York's Bronx, straight up felt that he was ripped off following his split-decision loss to Cotto in June.

Clottey was ahead against Baldomir when he was disqualified for head-butting, and was also in front against Margarito before having to fight the final eight rounds with injuries to both hands.

Thus, Clottey enters his bout with Pacquiao still believing that he is all-but undefeated.

"The Road To Dallas" is available to HBO On Demand 24 hours daily, begining Wednesday, March 10, through Monday, April 12.

Source: fanhouse.com

Manny Pacquiao Returns to Jimmy Kimmel Live on March 3

2010-02-25T06:11:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao began the show by punching pumpkins, and ended it by singing Sometimes When We Touch with the band.

In between, the seven-division champion was introduced by Jimmy Kimmel as "The Pride Of The Philippines," asked if he preferred being called, "The Pac-Man," or, "The Mexicutioner," and responded, "My Dog," when the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live asked him, "Do you play Pac-Man [the video game] at all," and, "Do you know what Pac-Man is?"

Throughout Pacquiao's November 3 appearance on that late-night show, nearly every move or comment made by the 31-year-old, cross-over star was cheered or laughed at by a largely Filipino audience -- a testament to his international appeal.

Considered boxing's premiere fighter, pound-for-pound, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) will return to Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday, March 3 -- this to promote his first defense of the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title he won by dethroning Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto via 12th-round knockout on November 14.

A Philippines' congressional candidate who has been named Fighter Of The Year in 2008, 2009, and, for 2010, Pacquiao will put his belt on the line against Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) on March 13 at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium in Arlington, Tex.

And just as he did on the eve of his bout with Cotto, Pacquiao is headed for late-night television, where the crowd chanted his first name, "Manny!" rather than his preferred nickname, "Pac-Man," throughout his time on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Source: philboxing.com

Outpointing Manny Pacquiao will be difficult for Joshua Clottey

2010-02-25T06:06:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion Joshua Clottey of Ghana will have to change his strategy if he wants to beat pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on March 13, a boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) trainer said.

“He will have to open up his offensive game if he plans on beating a guy like Pacquiao and I just don't know if he has that in him at this late stage of his career,” Ron Frazier told Percy Crawford of FightHype.com.

Frazier is a trainer at Xtreme Couture, which is owned by former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Randy Couture.

The trainer holds private lessons and boxing lessons (beginner, intermediate and advanced sparring). He is also the head coach of Xtreme Couture’s professional and amateur MMA teams.

Frazier said the Ghanian will find it difficult to upend Pacquiao given the Filipino’s immense speed and power.

“Clottey is just not busy enough. He's a tough guy, a big guy and very durable and he's a tough task for anybody, but just because he doesn't open up offensively, it's very difficult for him to outpoint a guy like Manny Pacquiao, a guy that has perpetual motion and constantly changing angles,” he noted.

The 7-division world champion Pacquiao (50-3-2, with 38 knockouts) will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt against Clottey (35-3, with 20 KOs) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Clottey to attack early!!!

2010-02-25T06:05:00.001-08:00

Joshua Clottey is going to fight Manny Pacquiao on March 13 as though a cab would be waiting outside Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

Speaking from his training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Thursday, Clottey said he will wage a war right away in the hope of catching the Filipino boxing icon flat-footed.

“I plan to go right at him. There’s no way he’s chasing me around,” said Clottey, the heavy underdog going into the 12-round World Boxing Organization welterweight title fight.

Guided by New York-based Puerto Rican Lenny De Jesus, who served as Pacquiao’s cutman from 2003 until 2005, the Ghanaian slugger bragged that he has the Filipino all figured out.

“I already know what he’s all about. He’s a great champion. This is a difficult fight. But I am going for the win right away as soon as the bell rings,” added Clottey.

According to Lee Samuels, the award-winning publicist for Top Rank, Clottey is breaking camp in Florida and returning to New York early next week in time for an open media workout at Kingsway Gym on March 4.

“After a couple of days, Team Clottey will depart for Dallas on March 7,” said Samuels.

Clottey has entered the fourth week of training in Florida and is said to be in tremendous shape.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao went 10 rounds during Tuesday’s sparring session at the Wild Card in Hollywood, shrugging off earlier complains of pain in his leg.

Pacquiao will wind up his preparation at the Wild Card on March 8, the day he and his team travel to Dallas on a private plane that Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum will send to Los Angeles to pick up the pound-for-pound king.

Before leaving for Texas, Pacquiao will once again appear on the popular late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live on March 3.

Source: mb.com.ph

Pacquiao vs. Clottey is a Waste of Time

2010-02-25T06:03:00.000-08:00

By Kirk Jackson: The fight between Pacquiao and Clottey on the 13th of march is a waste of time. The fight shouldn’t even be happening. To start off, no one really cares about this fight. The only real fight everyone wants to see is Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, which arguably would be one of the biggest fights in the history of boxing. Pacquiao goes for making at least 40 million dollars if fighting Floyd Mayweather to now making maybe around 12 million. Nice money to make even still, but you’d probably be better off maximizing your financial opportunities in such a deadly sport.

We already know the likely outcome of this fight. Anything can happen when it comes to boxing, but everything is set up for Pacquiao to win. This can be a real easy fight for Pacquiao. Although Clottey is a solid defensive fighter who does a good job of shielding himself from harm with his Winky Wright like defense, he is flat footed and like recent Pacquiao opponents, or actually like most of the opponents Pacquiao has faced. Clottey also likes to press forward which suits perfectly with Pacquiao’s plans. The Ghanaian warrior simply does not have the style to beat Pacquiao, and he also lacks the speed and power to seriously leave an imprint on Pacquiao. I can visualize Manny bouncing around the ring moving in and out, while Clottey slowly drags his feet forward and will end up getting tagged by the much quicker Pacquiao all night long. Clottey is far from weak, but he does not possess devastating knock out power so there is no threat there. Although Clottey is the bigger fighter coming into this match up, he may not even get the chance to impose his size on Manny. And I have a suspicion even if Clottey makes it a close fight and it goes the full 12 rounds, the judges will award Pacquiao with the automatic decision because of the politics of the sport.
Another strike against Joshua is his level of opposition. The only marquee names on his resume include Cotto, Judah, Baldomir, and Margarito. Clottey has not really stood out against the few good opponents he has faced. He basically stopped fighting against Margarito after he broke his hands mid way through the fight, he lost composure and could not control his emotions and got disqualified against Baldomir. He had a decent showing against a faded Zab Judah, who by the way was coming off a knock out loss to Miguel Cotto, a sound defeat by the hands of Floyd Mayweather, and some inner turmoil and inactivity. Then we have the late great Diego Corrales. The problem with the Corrales victory is the proud warrior was only a shell of his former self and was moving up from his natural light weight class up to welterweight.

This isn’t to knock Joshua Clottey because he is a tough fighter and possess qualities that make him a solid contender. But you can surely question his status as an elite fighter, and seeing as he is coming off a loss, he probably shouldn’t be stepping in the ring with the likes of Manny Pacquiao. If you’re Manny, why fight a guy who recently lost to the guy you just beat?

Why even put this on ppv? Why waste the time of boxing fans putting this together? Especially in wake of the elections going on in the Philippines, and with the recent leg injury to Pacquiao suffered in camp, wouldn’t it be best to put a halt to everything and wait for things to play out? Ok you couldn’t secure a fight with Mayweather, so maybe you can find another fight right? Like maybe against the likes of Shane Mosley, or Paul Williams, or even Yuri Foreman. The Foreman fight would work out because he is a Top Rank fighter so Arum can make more money off that and keep the cash in-house just like he would with Clottey. Also in fighting Foreman, Pacquiao would also being chasing history with the 8th title. Or you could just let Pacquiao rest and handle the elections and try to make a fight with Mayweather later in the year.

Apparently, Mr. Arum had other plans. And lets say the impossible happens and Pacquiao loses to Joshua Clottey March 13th what happens then? Clottey vs. the winner of Mayweather/Mosley? Do you know how much money Arum would lose out on? The dream match everyone had hoped for between Mayweather and Pacquiao probably wouldn’t even happen and boxing would suffer another huge blow.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Don’t write me off, says Clottey

2010-02-23T07:18:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines—Manny Pacquiao may be the overwhelming favorite in their upcoming fight, but Joshua Clottey believes he’s got the tools to beat the pound-for-pound king.

Fact is, the New York-based Ghanaian insists it’s no upset if he emerges triumphant in their showdown for the Filipino icon’s World Boxing Organization welterweight crown on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“I’m in shape,” Clottey told FanHouse.com editor Lem Satterfield. “I want to prove to the whole world that this is a fight that I can win, and that they should be careful not to write me off.”

Though he’ll be the biggest fighter Pacquiao has ever faced, bettors and boxing pundits have listed the 33-year-old Clottey a 3-1 underdog in their pay-per-view duel dubbed “The Event.”

This glaring lack of appreciation for his skills, has spurred Clottey to prepare and train even harder at his base camp at the Contender’s Gym in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“My training is going very well for this one. I work out in the morning, running from here to the beach. I run on the beach. I go to the gym. I spar,” said Clottey.

“Today, I sparred 10 rounds with four-minute rounds and a 30-second rest in between. I’m not really even tired after I’m finished.”

With all his three losses against former world champions coming by way of disputable scores, if not circumstances, Clottey feels he still owns an unblemished record.

And thus, people shouldn’t consider it as a big upset if he ends Pacquiao’s win-streak at 11, the last four coming by way of knockouts.

“Manny Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He’s just a really good fighter who is out there now, who is No. 1 now,” said Clottey.

Admitting that he’s going to be out-punched by Pacquiao, the 33-year-old Clottey reasoned out that it’s not the volume of punches, but the number of connections that would sway the balance in his favor.

Source: inquirer.net

Pacquiao Spars With Tough Fighters

2010-02-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

Fighter of the decade and the world's best pound-for-pound boxer Manny Pacman Pacquiao has intensified his preparations for the March 13 fight against Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas, USA.

According to reports monitored by DAILY GUIDE SPORTS, the classic boxer is sparring with two tough fighters in order to be ready for the Ghanaian hard hitting pugilist.

The report indicates that Pacman is sparring with Steve Fobres who once fought Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and went the distance with him; and Raymund Beltran, a regular spar-mate.

Conditioning expert, Alex Ariza said, “Pacquiao showed amazing speed and power and was ready to go anytime.

“It was obvious that he was relaxed and happy and looking forward to the clash with Clottey (35-3, 21KOs)”, he noted.

He added that there is no welterweight in the world now who could beat Pacquiao and that includes Floyd Mayweathr Jnr and Shane Mosley.

Meanwhile, the city of Dallas is readying itself for the biggest boxing showpiece of the year.

By all indications, the Dallas area and its fans are ready to host another grand event and all-set to watch Pacquiao deliver another knockout show.

“I can't wait to see Pacquiao in action here in Dallas," exclaimed Ronald “Popeye" Jones, former 11-year veteran for the Mavericks turned Mavericks Player Development Coach.

“You see that burning fire in Pacquiao to win, to be successful. It's the same fire that Michael Jordan had." Tickets for the fight had already been sold, selling from US$50 to US$700.

Source: modernghana.com

Pacquiao's Left Leg Pain is Not a Big Problem, Says Koncz

2010-02-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

The reported pain in Manny Pacquiao’s left leg is no cause for concern according to adviser Michael Koncz.

Koncz said “its nothing serious. Just cramps” even as he asked us as well as Pacquiao’s fans to “relax, don’t worry. He’ll be ready for the fight.”

He said Pacquiao’s sparring was “great as always” and emphasized that the “Fighter of the Decade” and the reigning pound-for-pound king was “ready and I have no concerns.”

Among those who went nine rounds with Pacquiao were longtime sparring partner, super lightweight Raymund Beltran and undefeated light welterweight Mike Dallas Jr, an undefeated 23 year old with a record of 11-0-1 with 2 knockouts.

Pacquiao initially didn’t tell anybody about his discomfort while jogging but when he began to go through his shadow boxing routine at La Brea park he said his leg ached.

In an interview with Chino Trinidad of GMA 7 at the Wild Card Gym after he was attended to by conditioning expert Alex Ariza, Pacquiao said it was the same ailment he suffered in his fight against Juan Manuel Marquez and that “we are doing what we did before so it won’t ache.”

However, trainer Freddie Roach asked Pacquiao to ease off a little in training where he tends to push himself extra hard.

Roach himself had expressed concern in the past over the possibility that Pacquiao could aggravate an old leg injury caused by playing basketball regularly which Roach has tried to stop, unsuccessfully.

Pacquiao’s opponent. Former world champion Joshua Clottey continued his training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida under Pacquiao’s former cutman Lenny De Jesus who worked his corner in the first Erik Morales fight and also trains fighters in New Jersey.

Clottey said he was in top condition for the March 13 showdown with Pacquiao at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium adding, “I’ve worked hard for weeks in Florida” and claimed that “we have a game plan which will give Pacquiao a lot of problems. “

The Ghanian fighter who dropped a controversial decision to Miguel Cotto prior to Pacquiao stopping the Puerto Rican in the twelfth round said “no one is unbeatable including Manny and I personally know he’s worried about me, how big and strong I will be in the ring that night.”

Pacquiao’s speed and power are key factors in his recent remarkable run of victories where his ability to move in and out in rapid fire movements may be hampered if his leg doesn’t heal and although Pacquiao's team plays down the problem, there appears to be a tinge of concern over it.

Source: boxingscene.com

Roach on Pacquiao's preparation

2010-02-23T06:51:00.002-08:00

Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, will talk with FOXSports.com each week leading up to Pacquiao's March 13 welterweight title fight with Joshua Clottey.

This is the first in a four-part series.

FOXSports.com: How tough is it to get up for this fight when you were so close to the mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

Roach: There is no problem getting up for this fight. It's a good challenge. It's a little disappointing. I was looking for the challenge of getting ready for Mayweather's difficult style. But you know Clottey is a suitable opponent. He's a dangerous guy. And so we have been pretty set. And it wasn't a huge challenge getting up for him.

FOXSports.com: How furious are you guys about the steroid allegations thrown out by Team Mayweather and that you can't fight Floyd Jr. in the ring?

Roach: Pretty much the allegations are unproven and there's a lawsuit pending and I think he'll lose that lawsuit. You can't go around saying stuff like that without evidence. You know, I hope we can fight him someday to shut him up. If that ever happens, so be it.

FOXSports.com: How have the allegations affected Manny?

Roach: He's got a reputation, of course, and it's the first time I've seen Manny angry at another fighter. It's the first time I've ever seen him like that.

FOXSports.com: How tough is it to switch from preparing for Mayweather to preparing for Clottey, who's a totally different fighter?

Roach: Well, we've given a chance to Clottey, and we stand by that. It's really not that bad. He's in the same condition as us. We know how tough the guy is, and he fights a certain style.

FOXSports.com: How do you keep Manny focused despite the increasing number of distractions?

Roach: We fight our fight. We try our best, but we have distractions. We've been able to step it in our training. But we've been able to say that's it.

FOXSports.com: How do you feel about fighting in a building that's as palatial as Cowboys Stadium?

Roach: We're really excited to fight in Cowboys Stadium. It's a beautiful, beautiful place. Manny's said it's an honor to fight there. He loves it.

Source: foxnews.com

Pacman to win by KO – Donaire

2010-02-23T06:51:00.001-08:00

Nonito Donaire is putting his money on a late-rounds stoppage by Manny Pacquiao on March 13.

Donaire, regarded as the heir apparent of Pacquiao, told the weekly PSA Forum last Tuesday that the Filipino’s speed and power will be too much for Ghanaian Joshua Clottey to handle when the two tangle at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

“Clottey is a tough fighter and has a very good defense,” Donaire noted.

Pacquiao will inflict damage early in the fight and he will catch him (Clottey) later on,” the Bohol-born, US-raised fighter said.

Donaire, meanwhile, revealed that he will likely return to the ring on May 8 in Mexico against an opponent soon-to-be-named and that he will plunge into training by the middle of March since he has to have “eight weeks of good training.”

On Donaire’s radar screen are Fernando Montiel of Mexico and Hozumi Hasagewa of Japan.

“I want that fight (on May 8) to be a world title fight at 118 lbs,” said the 27-year-old Donaire, who reigns as the World Boxing Association (WBA) interim super-fly titleholder.

While there is still plenty of free time, Donaire is concentrating on some showbiz commitments, including a stint in Pacquiao’s comedy show "Show Me D Manny".

“I have to be in training soon,” answered Donaire when asked about his appearance on the show, adding that he will possibly pinch-hit a maximum of four episodes.

Source: mb.com.ph

Donaire on Pacquiao-Clottey: Pacman by stoppage

2010-02-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

Nonito Donaire, Jr. agreed with trainer Freddie Roach that Filipino ring superstar Manny Pacquiao will hand Joshua Clottey the first knockout loss of his career when they lock mitts on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

Pacquiao
The reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) interim super-flyweight king conceded that Clottey is one tough customer but expressed belief Pacquiao will eventually wear the Ghanaian challenger down and blast him away.

“I hope Manny is not thinking that this is an easy fight. Clottey is big and has nothing to lose in this fight. But I really believe Manny will score a late-round stoppage since Clottey will feel the punches thrown by Manny late in the fight," Donaire said during Tuesday’s PSA Forum in Manila.

His observation echoed that of the outspoken Roach who has said that good chin notwithstanding, Clottey won’t last 12 rounds with Pacquiao.

“The Filipino Flash" recently easily retained his 115-lb belt via a third-round dismantling of Manuel Vargas of Mexico in a Las Vegas fight card witnessed by Pacquiao himself two weeks ago.

The Pacman, who is in the thick of training in Los Angeles, took the time out to grace the card to support Donaire and other Filipino bets Gerry Penalosa, Ciso Morales, Bernabe Concepcion and Mark Jason Melligen while aiming to solicit funding for sick fighter Z Gorres, who was at ringside that night.

Donaire is back in the Philippines to share his victory with his countrymen. He’s set to go on a motorcade around Manila on Wednesday, visit the recuperating Gorres in the latter’s hometown in Cebu, accept a major award from the Philippine Sportswriters’ Association (PSA) and tape episodes for Pacquiao’s GMA 7 sitcom “Show me da Manny."

WBA interim super-flyweight champion Nonito Donaire, Jr. with wife Rachel during Tuesday’s PSA forum in Manila. Jeff Venancio

He plans to be in the US by March 7 or 8 to start a more intensive training camp for his scheduled May 8 fight in Mexico City against a still undetermined rival and of course, cheer for Pacquiao against Clottey.

“I want to be in top shape because my opponent in my next fight will surely have more advantage than me with the fight to be held in Mexico. But I will give my best and make the country proud again," Donaire said.

The 26-year-old fighter is eyeing fights at higher weight classes (118 and even 122 lbs) possibly against Mexico's Fernando Montiel at bantam or Israel Vasquez or Rafael Marquez at super bantam.

He’s also considering a major bout at his current division – super-flyweight – possibly against old nemesis Vic Darchinyan or Jorge Arce.

"I'd fight anybody if it's for the world title," said Donaire. – GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Pacquiao to join Villar’s campaign sorties after Clottey bout

2010-02-23T06:47:00.000-08:00

BOXING champion Manny Pacquiao has promised to join the campaign sorties of Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Manny Villar after his fight with Joshua Clottey in March.

“Soon after my return to the Philippines, I will join my beloved president Manny Villar so I can introduce him to our countrymen,” Pacquiao said on Sunday night in Pilipino in a video-taped message shown at a concert rally in Mandaue City that capped the NP’s two-day barnstorming of vote-rich Cebu province.

In endorsing Villar, Pacquiao said: “He’s the only person who can help the poor because he defied poverty to become a successful businessman.”

The video clip was shown by noontime host Willie Revillame as a surprise for Villar, who has then just finished delivering his speech to a crowd of over 80,000 in a reclamation area in Cebu.

“Let us support our beloved president, Manny Villar. Sa dami ng taon na lumipas, wala pa rin tayong pagbabago, lalo pa pong padami nang padami ang mga taong mahihirap at walang trabaho,” said Pacquiao, who referred to Villar as his “beloved president.”

The boxing champ said he is confident that propoor Villar, who, like him, overcame poverty, will solve poverty.

“The way I see it, we need people who have experienced how it is to be poor. I myself come from that sector, and I feel the hurt when the poor cry for help from the government, Pacquiao said in Tagalog.

He added: “This is Manny Villar, the answer to our problems because I know he came from poverty, we need a leader who can relate to the sentiments of the poor…I sincerely plead that we support Manny Villar. F. Marasigan

Source: businessmirror.com.ph

Pacquiao knows he’ll be a constant target

2010-02-22T04:29:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao knows that for as long as he keeps on winning, he will remain the target of very strong contenders.

Pacquiao said that this is the reason why he trains tirelessly each time he is scheduled to fight.

“Iyong mga lumalaban sa akin, nag-eensayo nang mabuti kasi gusto nila talunin ako... kaya kailangan practice talaga,” said the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champ.

The Filipino boxing icon is preparing against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey for their March 13 bout at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

In his latest sparring session, Pacquiao faced American Mike Dallas and Ghanaian Abdullai Amidu for 4 rounds each.

Dallas and Amidu admitted the Filipino champ is quite tough to handle.

“He's got the power, the speed… He never gets tired,” said Amidu.

After the sparring, Pacquiao hit the mitts with his coach Freddie Roach.

To the delight of the crowd who visited the Wild Card Gym that day, the Filipino champ displayed mastery of the boxing combinations, the lateral movements, and even the follow up punches they have chosen to beat Clottey.

Even after the session ended, Pacquiao asked for more rounds.

Next week, he will have former Oscar de la Hoya opponent Steve Forbes as his training partner.

It was in the Forbes-De la Hoya fight in 2008 when Roach discovered the possibility that Pacquiao could beat the boxing great.

Although Forbes lost by a unanimous decision to the taller De la Hoya, he was able to connect well-time punches despite the Mexican-American’s longer reach. With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Joshua Clottey: "I Will Wear Manny Pacquiao Down"

2010-02-22T04:24:00.000-08:00

Former champion Joshua Clottey has no idea what all the fuss is about. He had a few setbacks against fighters like Carlos Baldomir, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. He doesn't think about those defeats. He still views himself as an unbeaten fighter. Clottey tells Lem Satterfield of AOL FanHouse that he won't view a win over Pacquiao as an upset, but just another win in the bank. Clottey faces Pacquiao on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

"I've never left the ring feeling like I lost. I feel like I'm undefeated. If I win this fight against Manny Pacquiao, I will never feel like I beat the best fighter in the world," said Clottey. "I will feel like I had a fight with Manny Pacquiao, the best fighter out there, and I won," said Clottey. "So even if I beat Pacquaio, and people talk about it like it's a big upset, I'll say, 'It's not an upset, but a win.'"

Some people treat Manny Pacquiao like a super hero. Not Clottey. He sees him as just another fighter and plans to beat him as such.

"Manny Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He's just a really good fighter who is out there now who is No. 1 now," said Clottey. "I don't know how he's coming to fight me, but I can tell you that I'm a different fighter altogether than anyone else that he's faced. I'm a really difficult fighter, you see."

Clottey understands what he brings to the table, and what Pacquiao brings to the table. Pacquiao has the big advantage in speed. Clottey plans to stay in there and work Pacquiao over to wear him down. He wants to punish the Filipino fighter enough to slow him down.

"Pacquiao is coming from a smaller weight to welterweight, and he's going to have an advantage in speed already because he's a smaller guy. I can't throw a lot of punches like Pacquiao will do. But I will connect enough to make him slow down and wear down, and bring his speed down," said Clottey.

Source: boxingscene.com

Clottey aims to slow down speedy Pacquiao

2010-02-22T04:23:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Joshua Clottey of Ghana seems to be unthreatened by his match-up against the only 7-division world champion and pound-for-pound king, Manny Pacquiao, on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“Manny Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He's just a really good fighter who is out there now who is No. 1 now,” Clottey told Lem Satterfield of Fanhouse.com.

“If I win this fight against Manny Pacquiao, I will never feel like I beat the best fighter in the world,” he said. “I will feel like I had a fight with Manny Pacquiao, the best fighter out there, and I won.”

He also clarified that just in case he wins on March 13, people should not regard his victory as an upset.

“I'll say, ‘It's not an upset, but a win,’” the Ghanaian stated.

But before the 33-year-old Clottey talks about his possible triumph over Pacquiao, he knows that he first has to overcome the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.

He said he plans to beat Pacquiao by connecting his shots and wearing him down.

“I can't throw a lot of punches like Pacquiao will do. But I will connect enough to make him slow down and wear down, and bring his speed down,” he shared.

“I will also rely on my pressure. But I don't know what Pacquiao is coming to do, so I have to use my head. I don't know if he's planning to move around. But I'm not going to make him chase me. I will be right there.”

Happy with training

Clottey, meantime, was more positive about his ongoing training camp in Florida.

“I went to Ghana to try get a visa for my trainer, and it didn't work out for Godwin Kotey. I think that was three weeks ago, and I've moved on. I'm training with Lenny DeJesus, we're training hard, and we're very happy,” he said.

He added that his training has been going very well: “I'm in shape. I want to prove to the whole world that this [is] a fight that I can win, and that they should be careful not to write me off.”

The 31-year-old Pacquiao is said to be feeling great about his training camp in Los Angeles, California.

Conditioning coach Alex Ariza told Ronnie Nathanielsz of Philboxing.com that the Filipino boxing superstar was “feeling good and Freddie was obviously happy and had a smile on his face and when they are happy, I am happy.”

He noted that they cannot ask for anything more from Pacquiao as he showed “amazing speed and power and is ready to go anytime.”

Pacquiao has a record of 50-3-2, with 38 KOs while Clottey, a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight titleholder, has a record of 35-3, with 20 knockouts. – With reports from PhilBoxing.com and Fanhouse.com.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Fit Pacman: Pacquiao passes pre-fight exams

2010-02-22T04:22:00.000-08:00

Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao underwent the required pre-fight physical examinations over the weekend and was declared fit to duke it out with Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Texas.

Pacquiao trooped to the San Pedro Medical Center in San Pedro, California to have his reflexes and vital signs checked and according to sportscaster Chino Trinidad, easily passed the battery of tests that included a check on his blood pressure, eye-hand coordination and balance, as well as an eye exam.

The 31-year-old pride of the Philippines also went through blood tests over two weeks before his WBO welterweight title defense against the tough Clottey.

Pacquiao, according to Trinidad, was visibly shaken having his blood taken for tests against performance-enhancing substances.

“Mahirap kapag ikaw ay kinunan ng dugo, lalo na sa aming mga atleta. Ang kailangan namin ay lakas so pag kinunan ng dugo, manghihina ka. Makaka-recover ka lang mga three or four days pa (after)," the Pacman told Trinidad in his TV interview.

The blood testing issue was interestingly the main reason for the fallout of negotiations for his botched megafight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Pacquiao had frowned upon Mayweather’s demands for random blood testing and instead pitched a procedure no more than 24 days before fight night.

For the Clottey fight, Pacquiao believed he has more than enough time to “recover" his strength.

“OK naman yan (blood tests) 24 days before the fight. Makaka-recover pa tayo," he said.

Pacquiao and his team are extremely confident against Clottey, whom trainer Freddie Roach said will fall for the first time in his career.

“Well, the more I watch Clottey, the more mistakes I find in him and I’m very confident Manny is going to knock him out and be the first person to knock him out," Roach said in an interview with the show “On the Ropes" posted on The Mushroom Magazine.

"I know he (Clottey) has a good chin. He’s a tough guy and he’s a nice guy, but just studying the tapes of him, he won’t last 12 rounds with Manny Pacquiao in my opinion," he added.

Pacquiao, whom Roach said is doing great in training, will continue to hold camp at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles until March 8, the day they head to Dallas for fight week.

The Pacman, according to Fight News, is scheduled to hold an open workout on March 10 at the basement of the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine, Texas and join Clottey for a press conference at the Dallas Stadium on the same day. - GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

No HBO 24/7 could hurt Pacquiao vs. Clottey PPV numbers

2010-02-22T04:20:00.000-08:00

The Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey Pay-Per-View event is vast approaching, and the buzz for this fight is almost non-existent.

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather negotiations got significant media coverage and was a top search on Yahoo for quite sometime before the fight officially died over random Olympic steroid testing.

So, Bob Arum put together a last minute back up plan after the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight fell through. “The Event” on March 13, 2010 on HBO PPV against fellow Top Rank promotions stablemate, Joshua Clottey, was Bob Arum’s answer.

Some say this fight is not worthy of Pay-Per-View and should be on regular HBO World Championship Boxing instead, I agree with this notion.

This feels like when Manny fought David Diaz for the WBC lightweight title on HBO Pay-Per-View, fans wanted to see Pacquiao fight Nate Campbell and felt David Diaz was a paper champion as well as a meaningless fight for Pacquiao.

The PPV numbers spoke volumes, the fight with Diaz did something in the 200,000 buy range, numbers that were way below Bob Arum’s expectations of doing more than 400,000 buys.

The Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight doesn’t seem to be pushed all that much from a marketing stand point. Having no HBO boxing Pacquiao/Clottey 24/7, will hurt the number of buys, I believe.

What makes matters worse is having the fight in the giant 100,000 seat Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas, Bob Arum and Jerry Jones will adjust the seating for the event to accommodate a smaller audience of 40,000 fans.

Only a few weeks away, the fight still hasn’t sold out yet, and plenty of tickets are available at reasonable prices, the cheapest ticket being $50 and the most expensive at $700.

HBO 24/7 is the greatest marketing tool for boxing matches. The series has helped Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. turn into household names by increasing the viewing audiences interest through weekly episode build ups leading up to the fight.

Instead of 24/7, Pacquiao vs. Clottey will have a 30-minute countdown show to air on March 6 one week before the actual fight, and rerun will show several times after, but is this enough publicity to help build up the fight and guarantee good PPV numbers?

Maybe the build up for this fight will get stronger as the fight nears, but if the buzz is not there, the fight could do poorly at the box office and hurt Pacquiao’s chances at a 50-50 purse split with Mayweather, should Pacquiao get by Clottey.

Source: nowboxing.com

A Clottey Win Means Attack Pacquiao Early

2010-02-19T06:08:00.000-08:00

Joshua Clottey, former IBF world champion at the welterweight division and currently the face of Ghana’s boxing, will have his ultimate test come March 13th – stop Manny Pacquiao’s meteoric rise.
A herculean task to begin with, considering Pacquiao has been steamrolling his opponents and has not been stopped since that night when Erik Morales outboxed the then left-handed Filipino slugger five years ago.
Almost every aspect of the fight billed “The Event” lean heavily on the Filipino. Pacquiao is brimming with confidence if one has to acknowledge the fact that his he defeated every big guy placed in front of him, from David Diaz to Miguel Cotto. Almost with absolute certainty, Clottey will be perhaps another big guy Pacquiao will face.

Clottey’s last outing, a controversial loss to Cotto, would probably make a huge dent of his confidence. Can he really stop the Pacman and come with perhaps one of boxing’s monumental upset? He could. There is a faint yet distinct possibility that the banger from Accra, Ghana will manage to score a victory. Clottey is perhaps the sturdiest boxer Pacquiao will face. Oscar Larios is sturdy. David Diaz is sturdy. Miguel Cotto is sturdy. But Joshua Clottey is sturdier by any standards in contrast to Pacquiao previous opponents. But sturdy alone is not enough. And Diaz is a bloody testament to that. After nine rounds of absorbing almost everything the Pacman can dish, the Chicago native’s armor was pierced and the night was not his. For Clottey to win, he has to be more than an iron jaw.

Pacquiao’s strength is his speed and his ability to launch punches from angles unheard of. It would be unwise to try to match speed for speed, as Clottey never has that advantage and never will.

What Clottey needs to do is what Rustico Torrecampo and Medgoen Singsurat have done – hurt Pacquiao in the early rounds. This is not a comparison of Pacquiao then and Pacquiao today, but Clottey’s chances of scoring a win is good if, and only if, he can bring on the pain to Pacman as early as possible.

The logic of this reasoning being:

• It becomes increasingly hard to beat Pacquiao as time passes;
• Pacquiao can fight 15 rounds or more without gassing out;
• In contrast, Clottey slightly fades in the later rounds;
• Clottey is a straightforward fighter who is a bit polished and has tighter defense than Ricky Hatton, but still a straightforward fighter;
• If Clottey attacks early, he might achieve the element of surprise against the Pacman.

Of course, one can make a plausible argument that Hatton did press the attack early on and got knock down three times before getting blitzed in the second round. But as mentioned earlier, Clottey is perhaps the sturdiest fighter Pacquiao has ever faced. Coupled with a tight defense, an early attack is perhaps the most logical move for Clottey, who also happens to be the bigger guy.

In retrospect, let us look at the other bigger guys who fought Pacquiao and decided to feel him out and gauged him with jabs rather than bully him the way Hatton did. Oscar de la Hoya enjoyed a great advantage both in height and reach. However, instead of using his size to press Pacquiao, a much smaller man, to the ropes, peppered Pacquiao with flicking jabs that failed to keep the Filipino away. Miguel Cotto, another big guy, was able to press and put Pacquiao on the ropes and busted the Fiilipino southpaw’s right eardrum in the process. But after suffering two knockdowns, Cotto simply went on full retreat and never engaged Pacquiao again. Would the story have been different if Cotto pressed on despite tasting the canvas twice? The result could have been different.

Clottey may not have that punching power but he has some pop in his hands. He will definitely be able match Pacquiao’s speed. But sheer degree of impregnability and the ability to absorb hard punches are traits Clottey and his team must work on and the Pacquiao camp should worry about.

Source: 8countnews.com

Pacquiao not bothered by disqualification case

2010-02-19T06:07:00.000-08:00

Not even the disqualification case filed by a local political party in Sarangani can stop boxing icon Manny Pacquiao from concentrating on his fight with Joshua Clottey of Ghana scheduled next month in Texas.

“I don’t think about it because my lawyers in Manila are taking care of that matter,” said Pacquiao Friday from Los Angeles, where he has been training the last four weeks for the March 13 bout at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

“I am focused on my preparation for my next fight,” said Pacquiao, regarded as the world’s best boxer today.

Despite the case, Pacquiao said nothing can deter him from pushing through with his lofty political ambitions.

His wife Jinkee hails from Kiamba town in Sarangani where they also own a house.

“I believe that it is not me but my opponent who should be disqualified,” said Pacquiao, referring to businessman Roy Chiongbian, who will challenge the boxing star for the lone congressional seat in the province.

Last week, the Sarangani Reconciliation and Reformation Organization, which has strong ties with Chiongbian, filed a disqualification case against Pacquiao, who said he has complied with all the residency requirements in Sarangani that will allow him to run for public office.

Pacquiao said it is Chiongbian, whose family is the undisputed political kingpin of Sarangani, who has to be disqualified owing to residency woes, claiming that Chiongbian resides in Metro Manila and whose transfer of residency the boxer has put in question.

The Chiongbians have built an enormous fortune in shipping, agri-business and real estate.

The Comelec had junked Pacquiao’s earlier plea that Chiongbian be disqualified but the fighter’s lawyer, Sixto Brillantes, said his camp has filed a motion for reconsideration.

Brillantes is one of two topnotch lawyers Pacquiao tapped to represent him and handle him in legal matters. Also lending a hand to Pacquiao’s cause is Romulo Makalintal.

Brillantes admits that while the issues being raised by both camps are somewhat trivial, he can’t afford to take it nice and easy what with the spate of rulings by the Comelec disqualifying certain celebrity political aspirants on the issue of residency.

“Kailangan din nating bantayan ang Comelec (We have to keep an eye on the decisions of the Comelec),” said Brillantes.

Source: mb.com.ph

Red-Hot NBA player Anthony Morrow is big-time Pacquiao fan

2010-02-19T06:04:00.000-08:00

Chicago, IL – Lost in the frenzy of last-minute NBA trades are NBA players who are smoking-hot in February. If Anthony Morrow, a quiet participant during the Rookies-Sophomores game in Dallas, wasn’t a headliner during All-Star week, he’s making headlines in Golden State now.

After he missed 10 games because of a sprained knee, Morrow returned to the Warriors’ line-up last February 6 a changed man. He used to be an offensive threat. In his last four games, however, Morrow became an offensive dynamo. In his first game back, he scored five points and played just 14 minutes. As it turned out, it was the drizzle before the downpour.

All of a sudden, Morrow is playing like he’s Lebron James. After his 5-point output, the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, put on a four-game scoring exhibition. 33 points. 26 points. 23 points. 25 points. I mean we’re talking about Lebron, Kobe, Kevin Durant numbers here. Morrow is averaging 27 points in his last four games.

It’s hard to believe that Morrow was a late replacement for Derrick Rose on the NBA Sophomores team. It’s nice to know, however, that the league replaced Rose, a Floyd Mayweather, Jr. die-hard, with Morrow, a Manny Pacquiao devotee.

"I’ve seen Pacquiao fight. He has quick hands," Morrow, who often watches PPV boxing bouts with his teammates, said. "He’s really aggressive."

If Pacquiao blasted into the boxing scene like a left hook out of nowhere, Morrow barged into the NBA like a surprising three-point shot from the last guy on the bench. Each time Morrow scored, I can imagine opponents say, "Hey, who was that guy?" Undrafted in 2008, Morrow shocked the league when he fired 37 points against the Clippers in November 2008 to score the most points in a game by an undrafted rookie. Morrow startled the league even more by becoming the first-ever rookie to lead the NBA in 3-point accuracy (47%).

Morrow, after all, a classic NBA underdog, draws inspiration from little fighters with big punches. He believes Pacquiao, among little guys, is the biggest puncher of them all.

It amazes me how those guys are so little," the 6-foot5 Morrow exclaimed. "But they’re in great shape."

Morrow looked forward to the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout. Like many of us, he was disappointed to learn that the fight between Floyd and Morrow’s favorite "little" fighter was off.

"I would love to see that fight," Morrow said. "Those are two great boxers, two great fighters. Floyd and Pacquiao are two of the most electrifying fighters right now."

In the meantime, Morrow plans to watch Pacquiao-Clottey on March 13 with teammates while he tries to sustain a shooting spree beyond reason. Aside from scoring 27 points per game, he’s also tallying 44 minutes, four three-pointers, seven rebounds and four assists in his last four assignments. If he miraculously keeps this up, he might end up in the 2011 All-Star Game in Los Angeles and shock the world just like his favorite power-punching little man Manny Pacquiao. - GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Pacquiao’s training hits a high chord

2010-02-18T16:00:00.001-08:00

With folk music blaring on the background, Manny Pacquiao, the current king of boxing, spoke the language of confidence Thursday moments after another tough day at the Wild Card Boxing Club, his training headquarters for the March 13 clash with Joshua Clottey in Dallas.

“No problem, I feel very good,” Pacquiao told The Bulletin after having his favorite meal at a Thai food restaurant located a few steps from the gym. "Tell our people that there's nothing to worry as I am training hard."

Pacquiao stressed that having little time for a good vacation after beating Miguel Cotto late last year turned out to be a blessing since he is not having a hard time getting back in shape.

“After only two weeks in the gym, I already felt great and I think it was not only because I am coming off a tough fight but I had to immediately report back to training camp,” said Pacquiao, who asked his interviewer to hold the long distance call while he sings the final notes of a song on karaoke.

As soon as he belted out the last note, Pacquiao was on the line again, assuring the man on the other end that there’s nothing to worry about as far as his preparation is concerned.

Pacquiao’s assurance that everything is right on track was echoed by Alex Ariza, the Filipino fighter’s touted conditioning coach.

“Manny is ready to fight this Saturday,” said Ariza, who marveled at the way the 32-year-old pound-for-pound king handled himself with the punch mitts during Wednesday’s workout.

“He did 15 rounds in the mitts without even a sip of water,” narrated Ariza.

Over at Clottey’s training camp in Fort Lauderdale in Florida, the boxingscene website reported that the Ghana slugger is also right on the money.

Clottey has been working out at the Contender’s Gym the last three weeks under the guidance of a new set of trainers since Godwin Dzanie Kotey, his long-time trainer, has yet to be granted a renewal of his US visa.

Despite the drawback, Clottey said he has no other choice but to move on.

“I already know in my head what I am going to do and how I am going to win,” Clottey said.

Source: mb.com.ph

Roach: Opening rounds hard for Pacquiao, Clottey

2010-02-18T15:59:00.001-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Although boxing coach Freddie Roach is confident that Manny Pacquiao will demolish Joshua Clottey, he sees a very hard fight for both boxers.

The prized trainer said he thinks the March 13 bout between reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champ Pacquiao and challenger Clottey might even turn out just like the Miguel Cotto fight last November.

“Just like the Cotto fight... the first half of the fight will be really, really hard for both guys,” Roach said in an interview with FightFan.com.

Roach, who oversees Pacquiao’s training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California, acknowledges Clottey’s durability.

He, however, said the Ghanaian’s defense leaves much to be desired so he expects his Filipino ward to assert himself by the middle rounds.

“We will take over in the middle or late rounds,” said Roach.

Passive defense
Roach said he has patterned some of Pacquiao’s strategies against the Ghanaian’s “amateurish” defense.

“He's passive, he's way too passive,” he said while describing Clottey’s defensive stance. “That works in the amateurs. There's no counter punching in that defense. He waits for you to finish your combinations then he throws.”

Roach said the only way Clottey would be effective against Pacquiao is if the Ghanaian engages the Filipino into a full fight.

This means Clottey would have himself get hit before he can tag Pacquiao with power punches.

“For him to be effective, he has to hit while we're engaging also for him to land that power shot, but he seems like he doesn't do that a lot,” said the boxing coach.

Waiting for Pacquiao to get tired would only bring Clottey more trouble.

“[Because] Pacquiao… doesn't get tired,” said Roach.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Clottey unveils game plan to beat Pacquiao

2010-02-18T15:58:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON D.C.: Unfazed by the failure of his long-time trainer to come to the United States because of visa problems, Joshua Clottey still believes he has a “game plan” to dethrone Manny Pacquiao in their March 13 world welterweight title showdown.

“I am working hard and will be ready for the fight. I still have a good team around me and am confident I will come out victorious,” Clottey told Ryan Burton of BoxingScene.com in an exclusive interview.

Without delving into details, the iron-chinned Ghanaian slugger said he knows what he has to do to defeat the Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), the world’s reigning pound-for-pound best boxer.

“I have all my plans and that is what I am training for right now. I need to practice them so I can execute them when I step in the ring. I have all my plans in my head,” said Clottey (35-3, 21 knockouts), who also said he has fought effectively against southpaws before.

In fact, Clottey’s biggest win was his unanimous decision victory over former undisputed world welterweight champion Zab Judah, a lefty like Pacquiao, in August 2008 to win the International Boxing Federation welterweight title.

Clottey, 33, shrugged off Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach’s prediction that the Filipino ring superstar would break down Clottey’s game and knock him out in the late rounds.

“[Pacquiao’s] team is saying they are going to knock me out and really I don’t mind them saying that. They can say whatever they want to say. I already know in my head what I am going to do and how I am going to win,” Clottey said.

He said he is currently training with two undefeated sparring mates at training camp. The first one is very quick just like Pacquiao to get ready for the Filipino’s vaunted speed and explosiveness. And the bigger one is helping him hone his power for the biggest fight of his career.

Source: manilatimes.net

Fight Picks: Who Has The Better Defense In Pacquiao Vs. Clottey?

2010-02-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

Fight Picks Who Has The Better Defense in Pacquiao vs. Clottey? With the March 13th Superfight between Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey from Dallas Stadium closing in, our fight picks experts have decided to break down each man’s skill sets leading up to the bout. We are starting with defense because so often in fights at the world-class level it is the fighter with superior defense that provides gamblers with value on the boxing betting line. Over the years defensive wizards like Pernell Whitaker, Winky Wright, Bernard Hopkins and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have been gambling gold.

The Pacquiao vs. Clottey boxing betting odds have Pacquiao as a -450 boxing betting favorite at SBGGLOBAL.COM.

Fight Picks Analysis: As good as Manny Pacquiao’s dynamic offense has been, Pacquiao’s defense has developed nicely under the tutelage of trainer Freddie Roach. Pacquiao has learned how to make effective use of his excellent footwork by springing in an out of range. Pacquiao also showed in the Miguel Cotto fight that he can go into a tight shell defense and catch blows with a high guard on the ropes. Pacquiao’s darting style, along with improved head movement make him an elusive target. Pacquiao is elusive but he is hittable. Manny Pacquiao can sometimes forget about defense when unloading on offense and can leave himself to be an available target. The Pacquiao vs. Clottey boxing betting odds TOTAL is at 9.5 ROUNDS with the OVER at -170.

Joshua Clottey has perfected a Winky Wright-like shell defense that involves catching incoming blows on the gloves, arms and elbows. Clottey’s air-tight high guard is extremely tough to penetrate and he knows how to roll with punches out of the defensive posture. As with Winky Wright however there are some spots that can be available to hit on the mostly stationary Clottey. At times Clottey can also be too defensive and his counterpunching opportunities are somewhat limited. The Pacquiao vs. Clottey boxing betting odds gives Pacquiao an 82% chance of winning.

Defensive Edge 1-10: Joshua Clottey 9-8

Source: onlinesportshandicapping.com

Why should I purchase the Pacquiao-Clottey card?

2010-02-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

By Chris Williams: Besides the Mach 13th main even between World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey looking more and more like a gross mismatch of epic proportions, the undercard frankly stinks to the high heavens in my view. I’ve already seen four mismatches in a row involving Pacquiao being put in with old or pretty much shot fighters, but I don’t think I can stomach seeing him fight another hopelessly out classed fighter and having to pay $49.95 to see it.

Clottey’ a good fighter when put in with a nice 2nd tier opponent, but if you match him tough like against Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto, Clottey losses. So why should I want to see him face an even better fighter than those guys and end up losing again for the price of $49.95.
Let’s look at what we get on the undercard to see if it would be somehow worthwhile to ignore the mismatch in the main event:

Roberto Marroquin vs. TBA – This guy’s a prospect. I have no interest in paying to see him fight.

Salvador Sanchez vs. TBA – That’s five fights that I don’t want to see. I’ve heard of the great Salvador Sanchez, but the one that will be fighting on this card has a record of 18-3-2. Somehow, that’s a little short of the original great Salvador Sanchez. For that reason, I have no interest in seeing this dude fight.

Alfonso Gomez vs. Jose Luis Castillo – Gomez is ranked #10 in the IBF and WBO, while the 36-year-old Castillo is ranked #7 by the WBC. I have no idea why Castillo is ranked at all in the welterweight division. Castillo, a former lightweight champion, looks out of his league fighting at welterweight. He was totally dominated by welterweight contender Sebastian Andres Lujan in a 10 round decision loss two years ago. Since that time, Castillo has beaten four 2nd tier opponents. I have no interest in seeing him get beaten by Gomez. Besides that, I don’t see either of these guys as potential welterweight champions now or ever. Therefore, why should I want to see them fight?

John Duddy vs. Michael Medina – I’ve seen Duddy fight on numerous occasions, and have always wondered how he gets put on television. He got torn apart by a 2nd tier fighter Walid Smichet in 2008, and recently Duddy was beaten by Billy Lyell. So why is Duddy on the Pacquiao-Clottey fight? That seems like a total waste to me. I don’t want to see this dude fight when I don’t even agree with him being ranked in the top tier. He looks like a 2nd tier fighter to me.

Humberto Soto vs. David Diaz – This is probably going to be as bad a mismatch as the main event. Soto is a great fighter, but Diaz has done almost zero since being destroyed by Pacquiao in a one-sided 9th round stoppage in June 2008. Diaz has fought once since that time, beating an old Jesus Chavez by a 10 round majority decision last year in September. Even if Diaz had stayed active since being destroyed by Pacquiao, he would likely be way over his head in a fight against Soto.

Source: boxingnews24.com