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
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Clottey's lethal weapons - uppercut, headbutt
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
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
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
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
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
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Clottey to come forward
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
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
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, 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
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, 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
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Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao