Pacquiao pay-per-view way below target

MANILA, Philippines - It seems very unlikely that the pay-per-view sales for the recent Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas will come close to the average PPV numbers the Filipino icon has posted in his last three fights.

Top Rank chief Bob Arum has come up with numbers to expect from the recent fight, and they’re way below the 1.25 million PPV buys for Pacquiao’s battle with Oscar dela Hoya and Miguel Cotto, and the 850,000 hits with Ricky Hatton.

“All we have is the satellite numbers and they are very strong,” Arum told ESPN’s Dan Rafael, five days after Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound champion, turned Clottey’s body into a punching bag and ran away with a unanimous decision.

Arum said while nothing is definite yet, the numbers for the March 13 fight should exceed 650,000.

“We’re not giving out any numbers yet because we have very little (information) from the cable systems, which you need. The cable numbers are very fragmented, so it could be a few days. But the number that you can’t go any lower than is 650,000 for the fight.


“That is the worst it would do, but it should be a lot higher,” said Arum.

Pacquiao was guaranteed $12 million for the fight, and should get a couple millions more from his PPV shares. If the numbers get stuck at 650,000, it will translate to around $32.5 million from which the boxers get a share.

Clottey was given $1.2 million for taking on the sport’s hottest figure, and he seemed so content that he gave up his chances of pulling off a victory. For 12 rounds, he was so busy defending and just trying to stay on his feet.

A crowd of 50,994 came to watch the fight at the $1.2 billion stadium.

Pacquiao has averaged a little over a million PPV buys in his fights with Dela Hoya, Hatton and Cotto when a few years ago he was so happy doing around 350,000 for his bouts with Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera or Juan Manuel Marquez.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s business adviser, Eric Pineda, yesterday said the 31-year-old Pinoy champion is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Monday, a day ahead of the original plan.

Pacquiao was scheduled to hold a concert in Hawaii this Sunday, but it was called off due to poor ticket sales. Instead, Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, will push their departure date to Saturday (LA time).

Pineda said from the airport he will be taken straight to his hotel for a brief rest. Then he attends his traditional Thanksgiving Mass at the Quiapo Church and will probably proceed to the GMA-7 headquarters.

Pacquiao has skipped his routine visit to the DENR headquarters in Quezon City, and according to Pineda, the boxer has yet to receive any word or any invitation for him to drop by at Malacañang for an audience with the President.

Pacquiao flies to his hometown in Sarangani on Tuesday to get ready for his campaign for the May 10 elections.

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Clottey chickened out

Joshua Clottey got cold feet when he stepped into the ring to face Manny Pacquiao before 50,944 fans at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, last Saturday night.

When it dawned on him that he could end up flat on his back in front of all those fans with his image magnified on a 60 foot by 170 foot video board, Clottey decided it was better to be safe than sorry.

Curiously, Clottey was a picture of confidence walking from his dressing room to the ring, dancing to an African beat on the blaring loud speakers. It didn’t seem like he lacked the confidence to put up a decent fight.

But when the first bell rang, Clottey curled into his turtle shell-defense and virtually forgot about fighting back. His goal was to survive 12 rounds on his feet, never mind if it meant sacrificing his ego.

The fans who trooped to the stadium were clearly disappointed. They wanted a competitive fight. They wanted Clottey to make good on his promise of pushing Pacquiao to the limit.


Stadium owner Jerry Jones blanketed about 60,000 seats in the upper section and put 45,000 tickets in the market for his initial venture into boxing. The price range for tickets was $50 to $700 but ringside patron seats went for over $2,500. To accommodate even more fans, standing-room-only tickets were issued at $30 apiece. In the end, the paying attendance was beyond expectations.

Jones is confident that if Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. face off in his building, he’ll bring in over 100,000 fans to set a new indoor record for a boxing match.

Clottey was never known as a lily-livered coward in compiling a record of 35-3, with 20 KOs, since 1995 - before a yellow streak appeared on his back last Saturday. He earned a dubious reputation as a gangster in the ring, a rule-breaker with no scruples. But the Ghanaian was a different fighter against Pacquiao.

* * * *

Before the fight, Clottey predicted he would wrest the WBO welterweight crown and bring it back to this nine-year-old daughter Zeenat in Ghana. “I will beat Pacquiao,” he vowed. “You watch me win this fight. I have to win this fight. Look, I’m from far away Africa. I’m not from around here (in the US). If you’re from Africa, there is always a lot of proving to do before they accept me. I’m always trying to prove a point and make everyone happy. I just want to prove I’m the best.”

Clottey probably meant he’s the best in defense because that’s almost all he showed in losing a lopsided decision to Pacquiao.

When Clottey entered the ring, he might have recalled the horrible beating he took from a bully as a six-year-old kid in his Bukom hometown.

“There was this guy beating everyone up and I thought, ‘I’ve got to fight this guy,’” he related to Matt Christie in Boxing News. “He beat me so bad and he made me vomit. I just wanted it to stop because it hurt so bad. I hated it. I didn’t understand why anybody would want to do this (boxing).”

The prospect of lying flat on his back, a victim of Pacquiao’s relentless two-fisted attack, must have evoked nightmarish memories of that incident with the bully.

Clottey, however, rebounded from the bully’s bashing and eventually, got his revenge.

Football, not boxing, was Clottey’s first sport.

“Boxing didn’t matter to me when I was young, it was all about soccer - I was mad about it and I was always kicking a ball,” revealed Clottey in the same Christie interview. “If you were to see me play, you wouldn’t believe that I was a boxer and not a soccer player. I hope to make some money from playing that in the near future. I can play good. I play in midfield. My father used to play soccer so he didn’t like it straight away when I switched to boxing but he had no choice (but to accept it). He encouraged me to get better and he could see I was good, so he cheered me on.”

Clottey, 32, left Ghana to seek greener pastures in England when he was 18 then relocated to New York in 2003.

With his unimpressive performance last weekend, Clottey now faces a bleak future as a world contender. Fans aren’t paying good money to watch a fighter defend himself without hitting back. Fans want a war in the ring, not a survival contest. Maybe, Clottey should give football a try - he could be more skillful with his feet than his hands.

* * * *

There is hope for justice in the fight game.

Last March 9, Filipino challenger Rocky Fuentes claimed the Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) flyweight title on a majority 12-round decision over Masafumi Okubo of Japan at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

It was a major upset as not too many Filipinos win on points over a hometowner in Japan. Scoring referee Brad Vocale of Australia had it 114-all but in a vote of objectivity, Japanese judge Kazunobu Asao scored it 116-114 for Fuentes. Filipino judge Ben Necessario saw it 115-113, also for Fuentes who raised his record to 25-6-2, with 15 KOs. It took a lot of guts for Asao to give his nod to Fuentes - he’s a fine example of a boxing judge who calls it the right way, not the patriotic way.

Fuentes, 24, has now won five in a row since losing a split decision to Richie Mempranum in 2007. It was Fuentes’ 12th win in his last 13 outings. Two of his six losses were to Thailand’s Kaichon Sor Vorapin. He turned pro in 2003 and joins bantamweight Malcolm Tunacao as the only Filipino OPBF titleholders today.

Of the 17 weight divisions in the OPBF, Japanese rule nine and Australia, four. The featherweight and superlightweight thrones are vacant.

Source: Joaquin Henson  | Philstar.com

Serious damage on Clottey's body?

Manny Pacquiao wasn’t able to bring down the “Wall of Ghana” but did enough to weaken the foundations to the point where it will probably never be the same again. Don’t expect Joshua Clottey to go far in his boxing career even as he challenged anybody and everybody out there after losing a lopsided unanimous 12-round decision to the Filipino icon before 50,994 fans at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, last Saturday night.

Clottey, 32, took a heckuva punishment from Pacquiao and it wouldn’t be surprising if his ribs were fractured or his kidneys malfunctioned. Forget a CT-Scan on Clottey’s brain. There were hardly enough power blows that Pacquiao landed in the head because of Clottey’s stubborn, turtle-shell defense. The Ghanaian might want to consider an MRI to check for serious damage on his body.

Not a few ringsiders felt Puerto Rican referee Rafael Ramos should’ve been more assertive in prodding Clottey to put up a decent fight. Clottey’s trainer Lenny de Jesus did his best in trying to light up a fire under the fighter’s butt and once, in between rounds, bluffed that Ramos might stop the bout unless the challenger did more than play turtle. Clottey obviously ignored De Jesus’ goading. Ramos should’ve at least threatened Clottey in the face by issuing a stern warning that he’ll wave it off if the Ghanaian persisted in making a mockery of the duel.

But can anyone blame Clottey for hiding behind his arms? Pacquiao looked devastatingly strong from start to finish. He never waned, a testament to his excellent gym work and conditioning coach Alex Ariza’s brilliance. Pacquiao banged away at Clottey’s arms. In his corner, assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez screamed for the defending WBO welterweight champion to pummel Clottey’s exposed shoulders – the idea being to lower his guard.

If Clottey engaged a little bit more, Pacquiao would’ve found the openings to shoot his lethal combinations. Clottey knew it. That’s why his stonewall defense was uncompromising. The downside was Clottey sacrificed his offense to stay alive.

* * * *


Is Clottey a coward? Perhaps. But he didn’t let his ego betray his senses. Clottey accomplished what he set out to do – survive 12 rounds with Pacquiao on his feet. Let’s face it. The man can take a punch. He’s been down only once in his career – falling off-balance from a jab by Miguel Cotto in the first round of their battle last June. And nobody can question his survival instincts. Unfortunately, the fight did little to enhance Clottey’s marketability. Fans couldn’t care less about a fighter who doesn’t fight. Pacquiao became a global phenomenon because he’s an exciting warrior – he lets it all hang out in the ring, never mind the odds, never mind if he’s outsized, never mind if his opponent is as tough as nails. Clottey should learn from Pacquiao’s example.

Clottey picked up a $1.2 million purse for taking on Pacquiao as a replacement for Floyd Mayweather Jr. Did he earn it? I don’t think so. Clottey did his best impersonation of a human shield. Occasionally, he lashed out with nifty uppercuts that caught Pacquiao by surprise. Pacquiao got a bit complacent in some stretches and was tagged. But Clottey had no intention to light up the fireworks.

Before the fight, Clottey boasted he would block nine out of every 10 punches that Pacquiao would throw. “I will make Pacquiao think a lot in the ring because of my defense,” he said. “I believe in my defense. He’s going to throw a lot of punches. I’ll block nine out of 10.” Too bad Clottey had no strategy for offense.

* * * *

The other day, Clottey came out with a poor excuse to explain his lethargic performance. He claimed a bum stomach drained his energy for offense. Clottey should’ve kept his mouth shut. Now, fans are convinced he’s just a palooka out for a paycheck at their expense. It’ll be difficult to sell another Clottey fight for sure.

As for Pacquiao, he reestablished himself as a highly marketable event attraction – no matter who’s in the opposite corner of the ring. Despite Clottey’s reluctance to throw, Pacquiao went about his business to give the fans what they want, what they paid good money for. He battled, baited and provoked. Pacquiao was masterful in the squared circle and when it was all over, he dedicated the win to boxing fans all over the world.

The Filipino nation now realizes Pacquiao is not just a hero in his homeland. He’s a treasure to be shared with everyone – no matter the race, creed or gender – who is inspired by his remarkable climb from poverty to the top of the world.

Source: Joaquin Henson  | Philstar.com

Clottey forecast, 'Manny will crush Floyd'

HOLLYWOOD – Joshua Clottey thinks that Manny Pacquiao has the tools to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“To be frank with you, the fight will be very, very tough for Mayweather,” said Clottey, who lost a unanimous decision to Pacquiao last Saturday at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

By this time, the 33-year-old Clottey must be home in Ghana, probably looking for a bank where he would keep his earnings from the Pacquiao fight. He was guaranteed $1.2 million for the fight.

It was the biggest paycheck ever in the ring, and even if he retires today, he and his family, including his 10-year-old daughter, can live a good life in Ghana or if he’d like to remain in his tiny New York apartment.

Clottey took all the punches Pacquiao threw at him but never went down. Because he covered up so well that Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times wrote that he fought like a turtle on the ring.


He believes that Pacquiao has the skills, speed, the power to beat Mayweather.

“Pacquiao is very fast and he keeps on throwing punches. Mayweather doesn’t throw too much. So, Manny will give him problems. Lots of problems,” said Clottey.

The former welterweight champion of the world said he has no regrets on losing to Pacquiao, and the way he fought the fight, spending more time covering up that he almost forgot to throw his punches.

“I think I did my best. But Manny Pacquiao has defeated almost everybody and he knocked them out,” said Clottey, seemingly content that he was up on his feet when the final bell sounded before 51,000 fans.

“Unfortunately, I lost. I did what I can. I did my best. Maybe next time I can improve,” said Clottey.

But there will be no next time. Not against Pacquiao, said the Filipino’s trainer, Freddie Roach.

“He was satisfied with going the distance with Manny Pacquiao. And he did. But HBO will never use him again. They told me. If you fight for a world title, you don’t go on a survival mode. You try to win the title cause you know one it’s a once in a lifetime.”

“He’ll never get another title shot in his life,” Roach said after the fight.

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Pacquiao thinks Clottey is tougher than ‘Money’

King of the ring Manny Pacquiao thinks he would have an easier fight against former pound-for-pound titlist Floyd Mayweather Jr. after giving tough former welterweight champion Joshua Clottey his worst beating ever.

“Mayweather’s style is not as difficult as Clottey’s,” Pacquiao told Filipino journalists. “It’s easy to study.”

Pacquiao was trying to compare the defensive styles of Clottey and Mayweather, an unbeaten champion in five different weight divisions, who could be his next opponent in what could be the biggest boxing fight in history.

“But he [Mayweather] has to take care of business [against Shane Mosley] first,” said Pacquiao as he reiterated his readiness to fight the trash-talking Mayweather. “Otherwise, I will be fighting Mosley.”

Pacquiao earlier said that Mayweather has a very tough fight against 38-year-old Mosley, who stopped former welterweight titlists Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito in his last two fights.

Pacquiao thinks Mosley would beat Mayweather because of Mosley’s speed and power.

But the brash Mayweather belittled Pacquiao’s shutout win over the thoroughly outclassed Clottey Saturday night at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium before almost 51,000 people, the biggest boxing attendance in the United States in 17 years.

The self-absorbed Mayweather, who claims to be the best fighter in the world, branded Pacquiao as a “one dimensional” despite the Filipino superstar’s virtuoso handling of a bigger fighter Mayweather probably would not even fight.

“Personally, I think Pacquiao got exposed in that fight for being one-dimensional,” Mayweather told Tom Jenkins of The Cage Report. “You can have all [the offensive] ability in the world but with no defense you’re not going to last long against a good counter puncher such as myself.

“Look at the way Clottey was getting through. Each time he threw something it landed. Then at the end Pacquiao’s was all busted up, when’s the last time you’ve seen my face all messed up like that? That’s the difference between an amateur and a true pound-for-pound boxer.”

Mayweather, 33, who remains unbeaten in 45 fights, described Pacquiao-Clottey as “boring” and promised an action-packed encounter when he challenges Mosley for his World Boxing Association version of the welter crown.

“I think Pacquiao gave the fans a boring fight, he was punching [Clottey’s] arms for all 12 rounds. At least when you watch Floyd Mayweather you know you’ll be seeing non-stop action for 30 minutes straight and that’s what you’ll see on May 1st,” he said.

Pacquiao and Mayweather were close to wrapping up a mega fight just before Christmas until the negotiations fell through on Mayweather’s demand for random Olympic-style blood testing, which has never been required in professional boxing.

Both fighters were guaranteed $25 million each for what could have been the biggest fight in the history of the sport.

Mayweather, who has been sued for defamation by Pacquiao for insinuating that he might be on performance enhancing drugs, took yet another potshot at the seven-time champion in different weight classes on the issue of drug testing.

“The thing is I am just looking out for the good of the sport, everyone should compete on a fair level but [Pacquiao] doesn’t want that,” Mayweather said. “I’m not going to say what he is or isn’t on, but let’s just say that HGH is one hell of a drug. All roads lead to Floyd Mayweather, we all know that. If he wants to fight me, he doesn’t have to look far. Just look for the biggest mansion in Vegas and that’s me.”

Source: Jun Medina  | The Manila Times

Clottey: Inactive in fight of his life

It was as one-sided as can be with Manny Pacquiao winning over Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey by a mile, 120-108 (which meant Pacquiao won all 12 rounds) and 119-109 (score of two judges). I had Pacquiao ahead in my own scorecard by a wide margin, 120-109. Pacquiao improved his record to 51 wins (38 by knockout), three losses and two draws. The victory marked the Filipino boxing icon’s first win of 2010 and his 12th consecutive since 2005.

The bout, held Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) was seen by a live audience of 50,994 at the newlyrefurbished, ultra modern Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. One report stated that the Pacquiao-Clottey crowd was the third largest in boxing history. Tim Dahlberg of the Associated Press points out that Saturday night’s crowd was “the biggest crowd in the US for a fight since Mexican idol Julio Cesar Chavez fought Pernell Whitaker at the Alamodome (also in Texas) in 1993”. The biggest turnout to date however for a boxing event was the 120,000 crowd that came to see Greg Haugen try to capture Chavez’s world title in Mexico on Feb. 20, 1993.

Although there was unanimous praise for Pacquiao’s performance, the same could not be said for Clottey. The challenger to Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title disappointed not only the 400 other fans at the BMW Autohaus showroom (which was converted again by board chairman Tony Aquino into a mini-theatre where invited guests could view the fight in full comfort) but also to millions of fans all over the world who expected Clottey to live up to his pre-fight hype of bringing the fight to Pacquiao.

Despite the “exhortations” of trainer Lenny de Jesus (others said de Jesus sounded like a teacher publicly upbraiding a stubborn pupil who refused to follow instructions), Clottey stuck to his extremely defensive style and did not exploit his size advantage. Noted boxing writer Jake Donovan said that with four rounds to go, de Jesus was blunt in his assessment of his client’s performance: “You’re losing every damn round”. The statement seemed to matter little to Clottey who refused to let his hands go even as he was well past the point of no return, according to Donovan.

In the few times that Clottey did let his hands go, he scored with right uppercuts and straight rights that snapped Pacquiao’s head back and created that mouse under Pacquiao’s right eye. That welt was perhaps the only indication that Pacquiao was in a real fight and not a sparring session with spar- mates employed to do nothing else but test Pacquiao’s stamina and punching power.


Evidence of the one-sided nature of the fight is provided by Compubox: Pacquiao connected on 246 of 1,231 punches (103 punches per round) compared with Clottey’s 108 out of 399 (33 punches per round). Pacquiao therefore outpunched Clottey, three to one, on the average: pretty strange for a hungry fighter like Clottey who was supposed to be in the fight of his life.

In losing so lopsidedly, Clottey served to highlight the absence of chemistry between him and his trainer-coach de Jesus who used to work Pacquiao’s corner. De Jesus had urged Clottey to take his chances since, as de Jesus so rightly pointed out, “You’re in a fight and you gotta start taking chances.”

In sharp contrast is the perfect teamwork between Pacquiao and Freddie Roach, a relationship developed over the last nine years or so. The same chemistry between Pacquiao and his Filipino crew led by Buboy Fernandez, is also crystal clear, although there is talk of occasional disagreements right in the middle of a fight between Roach and Fernandez.

The chemistry between the student-younger brother (Pacquiao) and Roach (mentor-older brother) is very instructive. It is clear that Pacquiao trusts Roach and respects Roach’s professional advice. Such trust and respect can only be developed over a number of years and is fuelled by repeated successes of the team from day one.

The late Rod Nazario, former manager of Pacquiao, claims credit for discovering Roach at a time when Pacquiao was on the lookout for his breakout fight in the US. Nazario brought Pacquiao to Roach and, in no time, Pacquiao wanted to train under Roach. The rest is of course history.

At this point, all roads lead to a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr fight, assuming the latter wins against Shane Mosley on May 1. A Mosley victory should lead to a match up with Pacquaio. A dream match-up with the undefeated knockout specialist Edwin Valerio of Venezuela, is possible only if Valerio agrees to fight between 140 and 147 pounds and if the Venezuelan sorts out his US visa problems.

Source: Philip Juico  | Philstar.com

Analyst: Clottey came for the money

A Filipino sports analyst lamented Ghanaian Joshua Clottey’s turtle-shell defense during his “The Event” bout against 7-division world champion Manny Pacquiao on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) in the massive Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“Si Joshua Clottey ay dumating hindi para lumaban kundi para kumolekta ng kaniyang bayad sa pakikipagsabayan kay Manny Pacquiao,” Al Mendoza said in an interview with radio DZMM on Monday.

“Ang boksing kasi, dapat magsusuntukan kayo,” the sports analyst stated.

He went on to say that he did not expect the fight to last 12 rounds since he thought the pound-for-pound king would knock out Clottey before Round 6.

Boxing experts dismayed over Pacquiao-Clottey fight


“Kaya lang nakalimutan ko ang isang anggulo na kung di siya lalaban, di nga siya mapapatulog ni Pacquiao… ‘Pag lumalaban ka kay Pacquiao, malamang tulog ka.”

He cited Pacquiao’s 4 knockout wins over his most recent opponents prior to Clottey: David Diaz, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

Because of Clottey’s lack of punches during the fight, Mendoza said the Ghanaian did not do boxing good.

“Masamang ehemplo sa boksing si Clottey,” he declared.

Clottey was set to receive $1.5 million, his highest pay check to date in his career. According to Mendoza, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doubled Clottey’s pay to $3 million because he was overjoyed by the number of spectators at the stadium.

Around 51,000 thousand people trooped to the Cowboys Stadium, higher than the expected attendance of 45,000 fight fans.

“Talo siya pero panalo pa rin sa bandang huli,” Mendoza added.

According to The Philippine Star, Pacquiao has a guaranteed purse of $12 million for the Clottey fight.

Disappointing Clottey

Even Pacquiao’s American trainer, Freddie Roach, said that Clottey’s showing at the Cowboys Stadium was disappointing because the Ghanaian was afraid to open up.

“I’m a little disappointed with Clottey,” Roach told Joaquin Henson of The Philippine Star.

“This was a championship fight. This was his chance to win a title and beat Manny. But I think all he wanted to do was to go the distance.”

He also said that Pacquiao had an excellent offense while Clottey was able to sneak in some punches in his ward’s defense.

“Other than that, it was a perfect fight,” commented the 4-time Trainer of the Year recipient.

The smaller fighter shines

Mendoza, meantime, mentioned that Clottey could have wanted to protect his “never been knocked out” record.

“Sinong natakot? ‘Yung malaki, yung higante,” he said of the bigger Clottey. “‘Di buo ang loob niyang makipagsuntukan kay Manny Pacquiao.”

The smaller and lighter Pacquiao, on the other hand, seemed to be tireless as he fired 1,231 punches.

The Filipino boxing icon even had to let himself be hit by Clottey just so the Ghanian fighter’s defense would open up.

Mendoza went on to comment that he would not blame referee Rafael Ramos if he declared the fight as a no contest because Clottey was not fighting a real bout: “‘Di lumalaban ng tunay na laban.”

Source: Author Unknown  | abs-cbnnew.com

Roach: Clottey blew his chance

HOLLYWOOD – On the road to Dallas, Joshua Clottey described his date with Manny Pacquiao as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He got it but blew it.

“I would rather get knocked out trying to win than going the distance,” said Freddie Roach Sunday, the day after the fight, the day after Clottey played hard to get and unanimously lost to Pacquiao.

Clottey kept his gloves glued to his face all night to avoid getting hurt. But by doing so, he also threw away any chance to win the fight and be first fighter to beat Manny Pacquiao in nearly five years.

Roach, who flew with Pacquiao on a chartered plane from Dallas to Los Angeles Sunday, said Clottey will pay the price.


“He was satisfied with going the distance with Manny Pacquiao. And he did. But HBO will never use him again. They told me,” said the American trainer, who was more frustrated than disappointed that Clottey chose to cover up the whole time.

“Manny fought a very good fight and it’s hard to knock somebody who doesn’t want to win a fight, just trying to survive and that’s what the guy was doing,” said Roach, who would have thrown the stool at Clottey, in front of nearly 51,000 fans, if he were his trainer.

“If I was his trainer, I would have told him to engage a lot more because that’s the only way to win fights. He had some success because he hit Manny with more right hands that I anticipated,” he said.

But Roach was on the other side of the fence, and in there with the 33-year-old Ghanaian was Lenny de Jesus, a former Pacquiao cutman, who after the fight admitted that Clottey would have done better if he threw more punches.

De Jesus said he felt they lost every round even if two of the three judges gave him the third round.

Roach can’t tell what really went through the mind of Clottey inside the ring that he decided against engaging Pacquiao head-on when he said in the days leading to the fight he would be there “all the time” and make Pacquiao “fight.”

“He is a nice man but if you fight for a world title, it comes once in a lifetime and I expected him to try to win the fight but he was happy with just surviving. Overall, I am very happy with our win. He won overall,” said Roach.

Clottey did get away with some good punches, and throughout the fight, The STAR, almost an arm’s length away from Roach in the corner, noticed that he looked a little worried, hand on chin.

He said he wasn’t.

“I was never worried. I was frustrated trying to figure out how to open this guy up. It could have been a more dangerous fight trying to open him up. But he just wouldn’t do it. The only time that we could hurt him was when he was punching,” he said.

“That’s the only time he was available to get hit. But he wouldn’t fall for the traps we set.

Roach felt that in the seventh round Pacquiao’s punches, most of them to the body, were taking their toll on Clottey.

“If you fight for a world title, you don’t go on a survival mode. You try to win the title because you know one it’s a once in a lifetime. He’ll never get another title shot in his life,” Roach said.

He was asked if there was any time during the fight where he thought they would knock Clottey out.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Or (there were times) he could have knocked us out, too.”

Too bad for Clottey, he never wanted to.

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Roach disappointed with Clottey

ARLINGTON – Trainer Freddie Roach said he expected more from Joshua Clottey than just surviving the distance with Manny Pacquiao in their 12-round bout for the WBO welterweight title at the Cowboys Stadium here last Saturday night (yesterday morning, Manila time).

“I’m a little disappointed with Clottey,” said Roach. “This was a championship fight. This was his chance to win a title and beat Manny. But I think all he wanted to do was to go the distance.” Roach said he couldn’t ask more from Pacquiao’s offense.

“Manny’s offense was excellent,” he continued. “He did exactly what we prepared for in the gym. He threw everything he had. If there was something that I found lacking, it was probably his defense. I thought he got hit with Clottey’s right hand once too many. Other than that, it was a perfect fight.”

Roach said if only Clottey threw more punches, Pacquiao would’ve broken through the Ghanaian’s turtle-shell defense.

“Clottey was afraid to open up because he knew Manny would hit him,” said Roach. “That’s why he didn’t throw as many punches as he should have. If he did, Manny would’ve located the openings to land his hooks and straights.”


Roach said it was a case of too much speed and skill for Clottey to handle.

“Manny was too fast for Clottey,” he said. “We wanted Manny to throw combinations then move away before Clottey could counter. We wanted Manny to bang the body so Clottey could bring down his defense. Clottey was just as we expected, a tough guy. He took a lot of Manny’s shots. But let’s face it, if Clottey engaged Manny, it probably wouldn’t have gone 12 rounds.”

Roach said Pacquiao was prepared to deal with foul tactics in case Clottey resorted to dirty tricks.

“Manny didn’t give Clottey a chance to do anything crazy,” said Roach. “He kept stepping on Manny’s foot at the start but I’d like to think that was because Manny’s a southpaw and Clottey’s right-handed. Manny took care of business and controlled the fight.”

The punchstats showed a wide disparity in punches thrown by both fighters. Pacquiao landed 246 of 1,231 punches compared to Clottey’s 108 of 399. While the figures indicated that Clottey had a higher rate of connection, Pacquiao was clearly the dominant fighter.

The judges’ scorecards reflected the lopsided nature of the bout. Duane Ford, 72, scored it a shutout, 120-108. It was Ford’s fourth assignment in a Pacquiao fight after Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez (rematch) and Erik Morales (rubber match). Levi Martinez and Nelson Vasquez both saw it 119-109, awarding only the third round to Clottey.

Referee Rafael Ramos, a retired US Army sergeant first class, said he had no difficulty working the fight.

“It was definitely more exciting than the Juan Manuel Marquez-Julio Diaz fight I did last year,” said Ramos. “I couldn’t believe the crowd. It was an amazing experience. Manny’s the best in the world. It was an honor to do the fight.”

Ramos, 53, is a Puerto Rican who lives in San Antonio. He has worked over 300 fights, including at least 50 world title bouts.

“I wanted to make sure the fight would be fair and square,” said Ramos. “There are a few instances where Clottey butted, hit below the belt, elbowed and stepped on Manny’s foot. But I immediately gave him a warning. I don’t think it was deliberate on his part. Anyway, the infractions weren’t major and Manny was in total control of the fight.”

Ramos was in Pacquiao’s dressing room after the fight and congratulated the champion.

Source: Joaquin Henson  | Philstar.com

Pacman, Clottey make weight limit

DALLAS – Until the day of the official weigh-in Manny Pacquiao
had food on his table.

“Yes, he had eggs for breakfast and fish for lunch,” said trainer Freddie Roach, adding that it was a joy to watch his boxer, whom they needed to feed five times a day during the training camp, making it way inside the weight limit.

“I’m happy when he eats and when he doesn’t need to starve himself,” he told scribes moments after Pacquiao tipped the scales at 145 and 3/4 lb and looked all set to climb the ring against Joshua Clottey at the Cowboys Stadium Saturday.

Pacquiao got up from bed at 144 lb Friday and found no need to really hold back on his food intake. Just before he left his suite at the Gaylord Texan Hotel for the 5 p.m. weigh-in, he still managed to take a few bites of steamed asparagus.

Then he tipped the scales, only in his gray boxers and white socks. He could have finished a quarter-pounder inside the vehicle that took him to the stadium and still make the welterweight limit of 147 lb.

“He’s really happy where he is. He didn’t starve himself,” said Roach.

Now he said he has to make sure Pacquiao doesn’t eat too much of everything because they don’t intend to go heavier than 150 for fight night.

“We’ll come in at 49-ish because that’s the way it’s been in the last few fights. And that’s his perfect fighting weight. Now, we’re right where we want him to be,” said Roach.

Clottey, according to the four-time Trainer of the Year, did have problems making 147 because the other day he was seen working out so hard inside the gym, running along the hall in his sweat suit.

“I knew it when I saw him working out yesterday in two layers of suits,” said Roach.

Thirty minutes before the official weigh-in, Clottey went up the stage for what Bob Arum said was an “unofficial” weigh-in because the 33-year-old just wanted to make sure with his weight.

Clottey was surrounded by his team members and as he tipped the scales there were thumbs-up signs from a few of those who were around him, meaning he had made the weight.

He came in at exactly 147 lb and said days ago he plans to climb the ring at 155 lb and be the bigger guy during the fight.

Roach said he doesn’t mind at all.

“The heavier he gets, the happier I will be,” he said.

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Clottey OKs rematch if he wins

DALLAS -- Joshua Clottey’s trainer, Lenny de Jesus, is already thinking of a rematch with Manny Pacquiao.

But the only way they will get there is if Clottey gets past the pound-for-pound champion.

He said they can get it done.

“I’m going to impose on him (Clottey) to throw more punches in order to win,” said De Jesus, not a stranger to Pacquiao, having worked as cutman in the Filipino’s corner five times.

And while he’s hoping for a knockout win, De Jesus said he’d be happy if they beat Pacquiao on points.

“Even if we win by decision I know we can get a rematch,” he said.

Bob Arum of Top Rank, who promotes both Pacquiao and Clottey, said a rematch should happen if Clottey comes out successful Saturday.

Clottey said there are a few other things going for him

“Pacquiao has three things in his mind right now. Three things,” he said.

“He has me fighting him on Saturday. He has (Floyd) Mayweather whom he wants to fight. Then he has an election that he wants to win.”

“He has so many things in his mind. He’s got to think only about one thing,” said Clottey.

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Pacquiao and Clottey meet on the star

ARLINGTON, Texas – The phenomenon that is Manny Pacquiao grew with a series of wins against some of the biggest names around. Now he has a fight to win against a guy who has nothing to lose.

It wasn't supposed to be that way, but things rarely turn out as planned in boxing. Instead of fighting in one of the biggest bouts ever against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao will have to settle for fighting in one of the biggest stadiums ever.

The opponent is Joshua Clottey, and he's what the wise guys in Las Vegas would call a live dog. A talented boxer who has never been stopped and briefly held a piece of the welterweight title, he brings some credentials of his own into Saturday night's 147-pound fight at Cowboy Stadium.

But while he may be fighting on the star, there's only one star in this show. Little guys aren't supposed to fill big stadiums, yet some 45,000 fans are expected to be on hand to watch Pacquiao up close and personal — and on the huge overhead video screens that will show every drop of sweat and blood.

"The best fighter I've ever seen," said promoter Bob Arum, who includes Muhammad Ali in that group. "No one has ever punched with equal power from both hands like Manny."

Arum has a financial interest in saying that, of course, but there are few in boxing who would argue that Pacquiao is a talent unlike any the sport has seen in recent years. He's coming off a stoppage of Miguel Cotto that cemented his credentials at 147 pounds, and he has created a buzz about boxing the sport desperately needed.

Twelve years ago he won his first title at 112 pounds. Now he's a champion in seven weight classes who will make at least $12 million in a gleaming new stadium far from the bright lights of Las Vegas.

Just as importantly, Pacquiao's doing it without Mayweather, now a bitter rival after talks for their megafight collapsed over Mayweather's insistence on blood testing — and what Pacquiao believes was the inference he bulked up on performance-enhancing drugs.

"Some fighters like me, we can be the greatest fighters without fast words and trash talk," Pacquiao said. "His (Mayweather's) style is talking a lot of trash and it is not a good example for everybody."

Pacquiao is a 5-1 favorite in the scheduled 12-round fight (HBO pay-per-view beginning at 9 p.m. EST) which is expected to sell out a stadium scaled down for boxing.

Pacquiao weighed in at 145 3/4 pounds for the fight while Clottey weighed in at 147 pounds on Friday.

The odds are probably more lopsided than the talent differential between the two fighters, but it takes long odds to get anyone to bet against Pacquiao these days.

He was already a well-respected fighter when he began his current streak by stopping Oscar De La Hoya and forcing him into retirement. He followed that with a knockout of Ricky Hatton before stopping Cotto in November.

Now he plans to add Clottey to his list of victims, and then take some time out to run for congress in his native Philippines. Mayweather could await in September, assuming Pacquiao wins and Mayweather beats Shane Mosley on May 1, but Pacquiao has also hinted it may be time to hang the gloves up after fighting as a pro for 15 years.

"This is my last fight before the election," he said. "I am not saying I'm going to retire. It is hard to say right now when I'm going to retire, but this is my last fight before the election and I'm very excited about that."

Clottey, a native of Ghana who lives in New York City, was picked as an opponent largely on the basis of his fight last June against Cotto. Most believe he was winning that bout before inexplicably backing off in the last few rounds. He throws a lot of punches and has a strong chin, but his style of standing in front of an opponent seems perfectly suited to Pacquiao's frenetic pace of punching.

"He is what he is. Let's face it. He fights the same way in every tape I watch," said Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach. "Whether he fights southpaws or right-handers, he is predictable. He's good at what he does, but he does the same thing over and over again and he is very predictable. He's going to try to change for this fight, but once he gets in he will revert back to it."

Clottey (35-3) faces the additional challenge of fighting without his usual trainer, whose visa issues kept him out of the country. But he's quietly confident he can rise to the occasion, hoping to use his excellent defense to thwart Pacquiao.

"It's the key to the fight because he throws a thousand punches," Clottey said. "Everybody that he's fought, when he throws a thousand punches, they've all landed. When I'm blocking mine, I'm going to see how he's going to think."

If Pacquiao wasn't enough to sell this promotion, Arum and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones have combined to promote the $1.2 billion stadium as an attraction of its own. Boxing has been done in stadiums over the years, of course, but this may be the first time even those in the cheap ($50) seats will have a good view of the action.

Jones wanted to host a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, and was bitterly disappointed when it couldn't be made. But his investment in this fight could have a big payoff for future fights.

"It didn't take me long to make my mind up that somehow, some way, we wanted to have Manny fighting here," Jones said. "I made my mind up in building this stadium I was not going to be associated with anything but the best."

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Pacquiao-Clottey bout to push through; challenger makes weight limit

It's all systems go for the slugfest between Filipino boxing icon Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao and challenger Joshua Clottey, after the latter made the weight limit for the bout.

GMA News’ Chino Trinidad reported over dzBB that Clottey came in right on the welterweight limit of 147 pounds, while Paquiao was slightly over 145 pounds.

"I feel so good. I'm determined and I'm ready. I have my gameplan. I know Manny is a good fighter but I'm ready for him. I'm ready to show the world who Joshua Clottey is," Clottey was quoted as saying in an article on SportingLife.com.

The Filipino champ had no trouble meeting the welterweight limit, coming in at 145 and ¾ pounds as Clottey checked in at exactly 147 pounds during Friday’s official weigh in at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas (Saturday in Manila).

"I'm not going to promise a knockout but I'll do my best to make people happy. I don't want them to be disappointed on Saturday night. People are going to be surprised by our strategy," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Clottey before a sellout crowd in the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

While Pacquiao, boxing's pound-for-pound king, sports a 50-3-2 record, Clottey will have a record of 35-3 entering the fight on Sunday morning (Manila time).

Pacquiao had shown devastating form in pummeling Miguel Cotto last November.

Earlier, Clottey appeared to be struggling to make the weight limit, taking measures from using thermal suit all the way to skipping ropes.

He ran around the Gaylord Texan Hotel wearing a thermal suit.

“Ang lalim ng mata, tapos humpak dito sa pisngi. Pagtapos, nung nag-hubad, ang lalim din ng katawan. Tuyung-tuyo na (When he stripped, he appeared dehydrated)," said Roger Fernandez, the Filipino assistant trainer of Pacquiao.

Fernandez had quietly slipped inside the gym at a time when Clottey’s team was still working out.

But Lenny De Jesus, Clottey's trainer, said upon arrival in Dallas that Clottey was already down to 148 pounds and would have no problem making the 147 pound weight.

None among Clottey’s corner men would admit his last-minute struggle with the weight.

In contrast, Pacquiao weighed 146 pounds on his final working day, when he even had a full meal of pakbet and nilagang baka for lunch.

Clottey has declared that on fight night, he’ll be coming in at around 160 pounds, a statement that didn’t escape the attention of Roach.

“Obviously, if a guy comes in the ring like 160, 165 pounds, he has trouble making weight," Pacquiao’s trainer said, adding that would be to their advantage.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Weighs From Texas

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










The following are the weights:

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

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

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

Pacquiao-Clottey strategy talk

Manny Pacquiao is a ridiculously prohibitive favorite to retain his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey tomorrow. The odds are so heavily stacked in the Filipino champ’s favor that it isn’t practical to bet big money on him. It’s akin to betting just to win interest on your investment.

It will be Clottey’s second attempt to annex the WBO welterweight title. On December 2, 2006, Clottey lost his first-ever world title bout via unanimous decision to Antonio Margarito, having trouble with his taller opponent’s reach and power. Margarito also gave the same fits to Miguel Cotto, changing the scenario planned by Oscar dela Hoya at the time. Against Pacquiao, he will be facing a smaller but quicker and vastly more skilled opponent, who has stopped a veritable Hall of Fame list over the last five years.

“Manny is the heavy favorite because of his skills, and the names of those he has beaten,” says Dennis Principe, producer and host of the daily program “Sports Chat” over DZSR. And in all of those fights, they all said he was going to lose. He proved himself not just once or twice, but several times, convincingly.”

More and more, it is starting to come out that Clottey is not a dirty fighter, just an awkward one. He doesn’t consciously have a black bag of tricks, but probably doesn’t know any better, having come from a desperate, dirt-poor family headed by a father who works on street construction in a lower-class community in Ghana.

“The perception is that Clottey is a defense-first fighter,” says Ed Tolentino, who will be covering the Pacquiao-Clottey fight with this writer for The Filipino Channel’s global audience. “That’s because of his posture, he throws less punches, has an awkward defensive stance, and has a limited offensive repertoire.”


“Clottey is not a dirty fighter, he just has an awkward style,” Principe explains. “Even against Cotto, Cotto was the one who threw him, and the head butt happened only once. It’s an exaggeration to say he’s a dirty fighter.”

Against a fighter of Pacquiao’s stature, Clottey will be befuddled by the variety and speed of the WBO champ’s punches. He will not really take the initiative, except perhaps out of desperation.

“Clottey has many problems coming into this fight,” Tolentino elaborates. “He’s showing up with a new trainer, because his real trainer couldn’t get a US visa. His new trainer, Lenny de Jesus, was just a cutman of Pacquiao. That’s like Tiger Woods showing up at the Masters with a set of kiddie golf clubs. And Clottey will not chase fighters. He will put his hands up, and wait for you to get close.

When you do get close, that is when he gets very dangerous. And if he does chase a fighter, he will lead with his head, to cover up his defensive weaknesses. But Pacquiao can find the angles against him.”

Much prognostication has been done about which round Pacquiao will fell the challenger, as it seems to be a given that Pacquiao will win by knockout. Principe, who is in constant contact will the trainers of both boxers, has a contrary opinion.

“Pacquiao doesn’t need to knock him out,” Principe believes. “Why would he make it hard for himself, when he can outbox him? He’s exciting to watch, anyway. He can do what he did to Hatton and dela Hoya, and keep going until the corner of Clottey or the referee steps in to stop the fight. He doesn’t need to purposely go for the knockout.”

“I think he will go in eight rounds,” Tolentino predicts. “Against a Manny Pacquiao, you cannot be a defensive fighter; you have to throw a lot of punches. I think Pacquiao will start slow, and his combinations will gradually wear down Clottey. Manny just has too many combinations and so much speed that Clottey will not be able to match him.” Since everything seems to be going for Pacquiao, what does he have to look out for?

“This is Manny’s first fight against a legitimate welterweight,” Ed points out. “He fought dela Hoya at 147, but Oscar was no longer fighting at that weight. Against Cotto, they fought at a catchweight of 145. So the upper body strength and endurance was affected. Now, he is fighting someone who is a natural welterweight. And if you’re looking for something to Clottey’s advantage, perhaps hunger would be a great motivator, because he really came from nothing.”

“The concern actually is how to keep Manny heavy enough for a welterweight,” Principe reveals. “The statements of his trainer Alex Ariza reveal that, even when he can’t really eat anymore, they feed him to keep the weight up. Remember, he came up from 106 when he started.”

But there seems to be very little Joshua Clottey can do to keep Manny Pacquiao from using him as a human stepping stone to a possible megabuck fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., assuming Mayweather gets past Shane Mosley.

Source: Bill Velasco  | Philstar.com

Clottey having weight problems?

DALLAS – Joshua Clottey showed signs of trouble making weight.

And Freddie Roach, the trainer of Manny Pacquiao, liked it.

“You see how small he looks right now? He’s frail. Did you see him with Manny together yesterday? He’s not that big,” said Roach on the eve of the official weigh-in at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

While Pacquiao had a good time at the gym Thursday, the challenger from Ghana worked harder, like he had to lose a couple more pounds just to make sure he gets near the 147 lb welterweight limit.

Clottey, according to witnesses, trained inside the Convention Hall of the Gaylord Texan Hotel wearing a sweat suit, and was seen by Filipino scribes jogging along the carpeted hall just outside the training venue.


Roger Fernandez, one of Pacquiao’s assistants, was able to sneak in and catch Clottey in training. He said the 33-year-old fighter spent a long time skipping ropes, and did look frail as Roach noticed the other day.

A local female photographer said it wasn’t quite a good day for Clottey because she saw the boxer slip on a wet portion outside the ring, and fell hard to the ground but “picked himself up and was able to continue.”

“Did he really need to work out that hard?” Pacquiao asked Fernandez as the Filipino champion was taping his hands and getting ready for his own time at the gym at around four in the afternoon.

Pacquiao must have sensed that Clottey may be having problems with his weight, even if he tips the scales Friday inside the limit.

Roach said fighters who encounter problems making weight would normally swell themselves up in the next 24 hours.

“Obviously if a guy comes in the ring like 160, 165, he has trouble making weight. By fight time he will grow, but definitely I feel it will be in our favor. Gaining too much weight is not good for a fighter,” said Roach.

“It makes him sluggish,” he said, talking from experience when Pacquiao had trouble making 130 lb against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008. He barely made weight, and climbed the ring at 146 lb, making him sluggish.

Pacquiao is well inside the limit, and enjoyed his favorite “bulalo” and “pinakbet” for lunch. He tipped the scales after his workout at 145 lb, and his conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, said this gives them so much leeway.

“He can still eat tonight. Then he can have light breakfast and light lunch tomorrow and still make 147 during the weigh-in. His metabolism is so high that even if he doesn’t do anything tomorrow he’ll be safe at 147,” said Ariza.

Still, Roach said it’s no reason to take Clottey lightly, because the challenger has nothing to lose and everything to gain in this fight, expected to be fought before a sellout crowd at the $1.2 billion stadium.

“But I don’t see that happening because his focus is so good and his mindset is perfect right now,” said Roach.

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Pacquiao in trouble, if Clottey’s chin holds

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.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Pacquiao primed for title clash

DALLAS, Texas (AFP) - Manny Pacquiao, who is making his first defense of his WBO title, says he is confident he can maintain his speed and power as he moves up in class to fight bigger and stronger opponents.

This will be the second consecutive true welterweight fight for the Filipino superstar who goes into Saturday’s bout as the heavy favorite despite giving away a height and an eight centimeters (three inches) reach advantage to Ghana’s Joshua Clottey.

Speaking at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday at the new $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao insists he is not taking Clottey lightly.

“Clottey is a good fighter,” said Pacquiao, who has won 11 consecutive fights. “He is so strong and he is bigger and taller than me.

“I don't want to underestimate this opponent. I am going to do my best and give it a shot.”

A crowd of 45,000 is expected for Saturday’s fight which will showcase Pacquiao’s blazing hand speed and quick footwork against Clottey’s strength and ring savvy. It is the first time that a boxing card has been held in the new home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

Pacquiao showed up Wednesday with a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader on each arm before taking the podium to pose for pictures with Clottey.

There was none of the trash talking that is usually associated with fights of this magnitude as both boxers expressed a liking for each other.

“I have trained hard for this fight,” said Pacquiao, who captured the welterweight title with a 12-round TKO of Miguel Cotto in November. “I will try my best to put on a good show. I want people to be satisfied with my performance on Saturday.”

The 32-year-old Clottey is a native of Ghana. He has 35 victories and just three losses, including a controversial disqualification against Carlos Baldomir in 1999 and a close decision against Antonio Margarito four years ago.

Pacquiao, 50-3-2 with 38 knockouts, is defending his welterweight title on the same date he was expected to face unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr. before negotiations broke off over a drug-testing dispute.

Many see Clottey as a fill-in for Mayweather but Clottey insists that he is more than just cannon fodder for Pacquiao.

“I have done everything to train for this fight,” Clottey said. “He (Pacquiao) is the best fighter in the world, but I want to see what he can do.”

Pacquiao has looked unstoppable in his last three fights and his trainer Freddie Roach predicted Saturday’s main event won’t go the distance.

“We can stop him in the late rounds,” Roach said. “I didn’t say a knockout but we can stop him with an accumulation of punches. He (Clottey) has never seen a guy like Manny Pacquiao before and I don’t think he will be able to handle it.”

Roach said this fight has its own unique characteristics because they are fighting in a gridiron stadium as opposed to the smaller casino venues in Las Vegas that they are accustomed to.

“This will be the biggest crowd we have fought in front of,” Roach said. “We have a good game plan. Manny Pacquiao is at the top of his game right now.

Source: Author Unknown  | Manila Bulletin

It’s offense vs defense in "The Event"

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Manny Pacquiao arrived at Cowboys Stadium on Wednesday in a bus covered with his likeness, the seats filled with members of his entourage.

He walked into the formal part of his appearance wearing a straw hat and a dark blazer. He quickly swapped the sports coat for a red jacket featuring his MP logo in golden thread.

He talked about his upcoming election for Congress in his homeland, the Philippines.

He talked about singing - rehearsing with his band the night before, with another session later Wednesday night, all in preparation for a performance at the after-party following his fight Saturday night.

Oh, yeah. The fight. Billed as “The Event,” Pacquiao is facing Joshua Clottey on Saturday night in boxing’s debut at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium.

It’s an intriguing matchup perfect for a football stadium – Pacquiao’s furious offense against Clottey’s dedication to defense - and it’ll look amazing on giant video boards towering over the ring.

A sellout crowd of 45,000 is expected, with the attendance possibly soaring if Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decides to sell standing-room-only tickets. And, of course, there’s the pay-per-view audience that promoter Bob Arum said is likely to top the hoped-for total of 700,000.

Put the pieces together, and it all makes perfect sense: The WBO welterweight champion - already considered the best fighter in the world, pound for pound - is treating this entire week as one big performance, especially if he wins that election and decides to devote more time to politics than pugilism.

“I’m inspired to give a good show, to do my best,” Pacquiao said, smiling. “To impress the people, you have to make your best (effort).”

Then trainer Freddie Roach jumped in, cranking up the hype.

“There’s no stage big enough for Manny Pacquiao,” Roach said. “He loves it, and I love it. He’s going to perform for the crowd. He’ll entertain all 45,000. He’ll entertain everybody.”

Roach said the adrenaline surge that’s going to come from walking into the ring in these surroundings already has been factored into the game plan. That likely means even more punches from Pacquiao (50-3-2), who is already known for throwing plenty.

Then again, Clottey (35-3) is known for blocking punches. The 32-year-old Ghana native also has never been knocked out – he’s been knocked down only once.

“Blocking punches doesn't win fights,” Roach said. “I think we can stop him in the late rounds. The accumulation of punches he’ll be taking in this fight he’s never seen before... I don't think he’ll be able to handle it.”

Clottey is taller and with a longer reach. He’s never been stopped cold, with his few losses including a disqualification in 1999 and a split decision to Miguel Cotto in his last bout, in June.

Clottey was given this opportunity against Pacquiao when the proposed megafight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. fell through. He’s very appreciative for this opportunity and has nothing but nice things to say about Pacquiao.

It’s Roach who rankles him, from the predicted result to talk of a head butt being one of Clottey’s best punches. Clottey's prediction?

“I’m predicting a win,” he said.

Clottey’s trainer is Lenny De Jesus, who spent a few years as Pacquiao’s cutman. Clottey went with him after his preferred trainer was denied a visa.

Something else missing from his preparation: film sessions, at least not any featuring Pacquiao.

“I don’t like doing that,” Clottey said. “I know his style, I know the way he moves, the way he throws punches, so it doesn't matter.

“I study myself,” he added. “I watch my own fights. I know what I have to do.”

As for Pacquiao’s future, Arum laughed off any chance that his ace would walk away at the top of his career. He said he keeps hearing about it from Roach, but never from Pacquiao.

All Pacquiao said about it Wednesday was, “I don't know.”

Source: Author Unknown  | Manila Bulletin

Pacquiao calm, confident in fight vs Clottey

ARLINGTON, Texas — Manny Pacquaio arrived at Cowboys Stadium on Wednesday in a bus covered with his likeness, the seats filled with members of his entourage.

He walked into the formal part of his appearance wearing a straw hat and a dark blazer. He quickly swapped the sports coat for a red jacket featuring his MP logo in golden thread.

He talked about his upcoming election for Congress in his homeland, the Philippines.

He talked about singing — rehearsing with his band the night before, with another session later Wednesday night, all in preparation for a performance at the after-party following his fight Saturday night.

Oh, yeah. The fight.

Billed as "The Event," Pacquiao is facing Joshua Clottey on Saturday night in boxing's debut at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium.

It's an intriguing matchup perfect for a football stadium — Pacquiao's furious offense against Clottey's dedication to defense — and it'll look amazing on giant video boards towering over the ring.

A sellout crowd of 45,000 is expected, with the attendance possibly soaring if Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decides to sell standing-room-only tickets. And, of course, there's the pay-per-view audience that promoter Bob Arum said is likely to top the hoped-for total of 700,000.

Put the pieces together, and it all makes perfect sense: The WBO welterweight champion — already considered the best fighter in the world, pound for pound — is treating this entire week as one big performance, especially if he wins that election and decides to devote more time to politics than pugilism.

"I'm inspired to give a good show, to do my best," Pacquiao said, smiling. "To impress the people, you have to make your best (effort)."

Then trainer Freddie Roach jumped in, cranking up the hype.

"There's no stage big enough for Manny Pacquiao," Roach said. "He loves it, and I love it. He's going to perform for the crowd. He'll entertain all 45,000. He'll entertain everybody."

Roach said the adrenaline surge that's going to come from walking into the ring in these surroundings already has been factored into the game plan. That likely means even more punches from Pacquiao (50-3-2), who is already known for throwing plenty.

Then again, Clottey (35-3) is known for blocking punches. The 32-year-old Ghana native also has never been knocked out — he's been knocked down only once.

"Blocking punches doesn't win fights," Roach said. "I think we can stop him in the late rounds. The accumulation of punches he'll be taking in this fight he's never seen before. ... I don't think he'll be able to handle it."

Clottey is taller and with a longer reach. He's never been stopped cold, with his few losses including a disqualification in 1999 and a split decision to Miguel Cotto in his last bout, in June.

Clottey was given this opportunity against Pacquiao when the proposed megafight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. fell through. He's very appreciative for this opportunity and has nothing but nice things to say about Pacquiao.

It's Roach who rankles him, from the predicted result to talk of a head butt being one of Clottey's best punches.

Clottey's prediction?

"I'm predicting a win," he said.

Clottey's trainer is Lenny De Jesus, who spent a few years as Pacquiao's cutman. Clottey went with him after his preferred trainer was denied a visa.

Something else missing from his preparation: film sessions, at least not any featuring Pacquiao.

"I don't like doing that," Clottey said. "I know his style, I know the way he moves, the way he throws punches, so it doesn't matter.

"I study myself," he added. "I watch my own fights. I know what I have to do."

As for Pacquiao's future, Arum laughed off any chance that his ace would walk away at the top of his career. He said he keeps hearing about it from Roach, but never from Pacquiao.

All Pacquiao said about it Wednesday was, "I don't know."

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV