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

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

Manny's biggest fight

ARLINGTON – Now that Joshua Clottey is history, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will begin his campaign for the congressional seat in Saranggani province as soon as he returns home this Monday.

There’s one more foreign commitment tying Pacquiao down before he hits the campaign trail. He’s performing in a concert at the Waikiki Shell in Hawaii on Sunday. His fee is $100,000 for an appearance of at least 35 minutes – a paltry sum compared to the $12 million guarantee that Top Rank chairman Bob Arum reportedly promised for the Clottey fight.

After the elections, Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said the plan is to bring the concert tour to Winnipeg, Toronto and Vancouver sometime in June.

It will be Pacquiao’s second attempt to land a seat in Congress. In 2007, he battled incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio for the right to represent the first district of South Cotabato and General Santos City. Pacquiao lost by a knockout of about 30,000 votes. There is no question that the Filipino people worship Pacquiao as a fighter and ring icon but as a politician, it appears that he has a long way to go.

Custodio has served her third and last term but Pacquiao decided to run in Sarangani where his sole opponent is Roy Chiongbian. In the one-on-one fight, Pacquiao is the underdog but that’s a role he’s familiar with. Nobody gave Pacquiao a chance to beat Marco Antonio Barrera in their first meeting or Lehlo Ledwaba or Oscar de la Hoya but he wiped them all out. Chiongbian’s brother Edwin was congressman for the last three terms. Chiongbian’s late father James was a congressman and mother Priscilla a governor. Reelectionist Gov. Miguel Dominguez is supporting Chiongbian.


Six candidates are bidding to replace Custodio and one of them, Franklin (Jeng) Gacal, is Pacquiao’s legal counsel. Another is former General Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon.

Pacquiao was advised by close allies, including former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, to run for Congress as a party list candidate instead. He wouldn’t spend as much and a vote of about 300,000 should be enough to clinch a seat. Pacquiao could lead a party list of well-known athletes whose cause would be sports-oriented. As a party list representative, Pacquiao would enjoy the same privileges as a regularly elected congressman. But in the end, he decided to go for the Sarangani seat, presumably because his plan is to focus on the specific district he hopes to champion.

It will be an uphill struggle for Pacquiao because the Chiongbians, Dominguezes and Alcantaras are the clans that engineered the move to recognize Sarangani as a separate province. The three families built the province into what it is today and still control its politics.

Pacquiao, however, is unfazed. Koncz said he has learned his lessons from the 2007 defeat and won’t make the same mistakes. Surely, Pacquiao is now more widely known as a man who sincerely hopes to uplift the living standards of the people in the province he has chosen to represent.

Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times quoted Pacquiao as saying “he wants to assist his countrymen as they struggle with weak education, health care and poverty as he did in his youth (and) that political office is his best chance to do so.”

If not elected, Pacquiao said, “In the eyes of God, I’m at peace – I know I’ve tried to help.”

Koncz said Pacquiao will be back on home soil on Monday, ready to barnstorm Sarangani. Someone once said Pacquiao dreams of being introduced for a fight by Michael Buffer as not only “the pride of the Philippines” but also “the fighting congressman from Sarangani.”

Koncz said if Pacquiao beats Chiongbian, it won’t mean an end to his boxing career. “It will only probably cut back his fight schedule from three fights a year to one or two,” he noted.

* * * *

Make no mistake about it, Clottey attempted to employ foul tactics during his fight against Pacquiao last weekend. But referee Rafael Ramos, warned by media to watch for Clottey’s tricks, made sure nothing untoward happened.

Clottey deliberately tried to step on Pacquiao’s foot in the early rounds as a way to stop the Filipino from moving. When Pacquiao’s corner howled in protest, Clottey backed off. If the stepping was accidental, Clottey wouldn’t have probed with his foot where Pacquiao’s foot was before pinning it down. The intent was clearly malicious.

Clottey also threw some low blows, one of which infuriated Pacquiao into retaliating and getting a warning in the process from Ramos. The Ghanaian elbowed Pacquiao in the back, locked his head with an arm then hit with his free hand and occasionally pawed to lace him. Clottey butted twice but luckily, Pacquiao was too shifty to get hit squarely. Writer Gareth Davies said, “Clottey has a record for landing low blows, holding and notably, head-butting. Pacquiao did struggle with unorthodox, awkward fighters earlier in his career. Last year, the Ghanaian left Miguel Cotto with a cut, which required 20 stitches to close as the result of a head-butt. There are theories that the most dangerous weapon in Clottey’s arsenal is his head and while Freddie Roach has already been vocal against it, Pacquiao must remain conscious of it when they are working on the inside.”

Ramos wasn’t the only man who clipped Clottey’s dirty wings. Pacquiao did more than his share by avoiding what could’ve been sticky situations.

Source: Joaquin Henson  | Philstar.com

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

Pacquiao: “I just wanted to make the audience laugh”

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao grew frustrated over Joshua Clottey’s reluctance to fight that he allowed his Ghanaian foe to pummel him a few times in their title fight Saturday night, confident that he’d shake them all off.

“I can take his punches,” said Pacquiao upon his arrival from Dallas on Sunday afternoon when asked why he let the African inflict some damage.

Not only that.

Pacquiao told a couple of reporters from the Philippines the reason why he took a detour from the gameplan which was to catch Clottey off-guard.

“He didn’t want to throw punches so I allowed him to punch me so he could somehow open up his defenses,” said Pacquiao.

Clottey did throw some hard shots but soon after he unleashes, he immediately covers his face with his gloves and arms, thus preventing Pacquiao from hitting him.

In one instance, Pacquiao thumped Clottey with simultaneous strikes to the side of the head, like the one that the late famous actor Fernando Poe Jr. did in his movies.

The infraction merited a warning from Puerto Rican referee Rafael Ramos.

“I just wanted to make the audience laugh,” said Pacquiao, who had told trainer Freddie Roach about coming up with such a comical move during the break in-between rounds.

“But coach Freddie told me not to do it twice because the referee might deduct a point.”

So, Pacquiao did it just once then continued to conduct a punching exhibition en route to winning on all the three scorecards.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, will concentrate on politics as soon as he arrives in the Philippines early next week.

Pacquiao, 31, is running for congressman in the lone district of Sarangani province in May.

This weekend, Pacquiao will visit Hawaii for a concert and from Honolulu, he will fly to Manila.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Pacquiao parties, hears Mass after win over Clottey

Seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao partied the night away after defeating Ghana’s Joshua Clottey by unanimous decision on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Pacquiao and his entourage proceeded to the Dallas Rangers Ballpark for his victory concert-party.

The reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion belted tunes with Lito Camo, Madonna Decena and the MP Band. Journey frontman Arnel Pineda, who sang the Philippine National Anthem, also joined in the fun.



The pound-for-pound king returned to his hotel at almost 3 a.m. He took a nap before going down to the Convention Center for the Thanksgiving Mass.

His supporters joined him once again in thanking God for another victory. Pacquiao also thanked his countrymen for inspiring him to win.

Pacquiao’s face was a little bit swollen but he still signed autographs and granted photo opportunities with fans.

After the mass, Pacquiao, his entourage and 170 people set off for Los Angeles, California.

They rode 3 huge buses on their way to the Dallas Airport before boarding the Air Pacquiao. Pacquiao was joined by his wife, Jinkee, her siblings, members of Team Pacquiao and friends from Los Angeles and the Philippines.

Their flight was delayed by 3 hours due to a technical problem. But the Team Pacquiao members were cool with it because they were still not over Pacquiao’s victory over Clottey.

Pacquiao’s chartered plane landed at a private airport in Los Angeles after a 3-hour flight.

Source: Author Unknown  | abs-cbnnew.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

Pacquiao marches on as true star of boxing

ARLINGTON, Texas — The fight was long over and most of the biggest crowd to see a fight in the US in 17 years had found their way out of massive Cowboys Stadium.

Manny Pacquiao had easily disposed of a timid Joshua Clottey, and now he had a concert to perform.

There was only a few minutes to talk about Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his run for congress in the Philippines in May. The postfight party awaited, and once more the star was ready to perform.

"The first song I'm going to sing is 'La Bamba,'" Pacquiao said.

It's a good time to be Manny Pacquiao, and Texas proved to be a good host to the hottest fighter around. Nearly 51,000 made their way into the edifice built by Jerry Jones to watch him fight Saturday night and few seemed to leave disappointed, even if Clottey's reluctance to mix it up deprived them of a spectacular fight.

Pacquiao won every round on one judge's scorecard and all but one on the other two. By the time they count all the pay-per-view receipts he'll probably head home at least $15 million richer, and he didn't have to put up with Mayweather's antics to make another huge payday.

The fight that never was may still happen, perhaps in November, perhaps at Cowboys Stadium. Pacquiao made it clear he still wants it, and both his trainer and promoter seem to want it even more badly than the fighter himself.

"We will crush him," trainer Freddie Roach said.

It wasn't an idle boast, and it wasn't a way to hype the fight because it doesn't need hyping. Before it fell apart over Mayweather's insistence on blood testing, the bout was supposed to have taken place Saturday night and likely would have been the richest ever in boxing.

But Mayweather must first now get past a fight of his own, a May 1 bout against Shane Mosley that may be his toughest yet. And promoter Bob Arum made it clear that there will be no negotiations this time around about any sort of blood testing no matter how much Mayweather might try to raise the point.

There clearly isn't any need for Pacquiao's camp to bend on the issue. Any thought that Mayweather diminished his popularity when he insinuated Pacquiao must be juiced to have won titles from 112 to 147 pounds evaporated when they opened the doors at Cowboys Stadium and throngs of people poured in hours early for the party.

Pacquiao did the best he could to force the issue, throwing punch after punch after punch — more than 1,200 in all.

Someone who managed to get a microphone at the postfight news conference congratulated Clottey for making it through 12 rounds, and asked him what his secret for success was.

"Manny Pacquiao is beating everybody," Clottey said. "He's knocking them out. I have to do what I can and I think I did my best."

Arum didn't seem to mind that he had just paid someone $2 million to go into a shell.

"What was he supposed to do?" Arum said. "If he played offense he'd get knocked out."

This was a freebie for Pacquiao, and one he had probably earned. It's hard to blame him for having an opponent just trying to stay upright, not after what he did to Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto in his previous three fights.

This, apparently, is what it has come to with Pacman. No longer just content to beat fighters he's now a 145 3/4 pounds of sheer intimidation, kind of a junior Mike Tyson who takes on his business with a smile instead of a scowl.

He's so good that a very good and veteran practicer of the sweet science decided that it was better to survive intact than go down in a blaze of glory. So good that there wouldn't be any question about his place on boxing's hierarchy if there wasn't this annoyance named Floyd Mayweather.

So good that the only worry in his camp is that he will actually win a seat in congress back home and not fight anymore.

The glow of his latest win had even his tough guy trainer speaking fondly about the fighter he has helped transform a tough sport.

"I'm just happy to be a part of Manny Pacquiao's life," Roach said.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

No KO, no problem for Pacquiao trainer Roach

Even when Manny Pacquiao was in total control of the fight, trainer Freddie Roach said the seven division world champion still went for a knockout opposite Joshua Clottey.

Pacquiao scored a unanimous decision victory over Clottey in “The Event" on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas failing to score a knockout win for the first time in two years.

"I always go for the kill all the time," said Roach when asked if ever the reigning pound-for-pound king held back his punches in the late rounds. "We want to finish Clottey off in great fashion, but it just didn’t work out."

It was lopsided right from the start after the Ghanaian challenger opted to keep his face covered clearly avoiding one of Pacquiao’s powerful combinations that could have delivered the KO and put a blot in Clottey’s unblemished record.

Clottey has won 35 times in his last 38 fights, prior to facing Pacquiao. He dropped three of those bouts either via disqualification, split or unanimous decision and has yet to suffer a loss by way of KO.

Pacquiao hasn’t gone the full 12 rounds since earning a split decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez in March of 2008 and Clottey is the first fighter to go the distance with the Pacman.

Still, Roach has no problem with that, generously giving his prized ward a grade of A+ for his effort of retaining his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title with a lopsided decision over Clottey.

"Manny fought a good fight," said Roach in assessing the latest performance of his prized boxer.

Roach predicted a late round stoppage by the hard-punching Filipino southpaw in the days leading to the bout. Instead, Clottey managed to weather the all-out assault launched by the champion for the full 12 rounds.

"He pitched a shutout against a middleweight. But that middleweight should’ve used his power," added Roach, obviously amused that the 32-year old Clottey never used his size advantage against the smaller Pacquiao and instead, opted to be on the defensive end for the entire bout.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Master of disaster

ARLINGTON – Seven-time world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao ran into a brick wall at the Cowboys Stadium here last weekend and couldn’t bring it down even with a sledgehammer.

The wall stood like the Chinese wonder of the world – however, not as proudly – and didn’t crumble like the Berlin version. For 12 rounds, Pacquiao threw everything he had at that wall. A wall made of less sturdy stuff would’ve collapsed way before the halfway mark. Pacquiao drilled the corners, dug into the sides and banged away. Still, the wall wouldn’t fall.

A lot of fans felt short-changed by Ghana’s Joshua Clottey, the reluctant challenger who appeared more frightened than frightening in defending himself assiduously against the rampaging Pacquiao. Clottey showed little offense because Pacquiao didn’t give him room to open up. Clottey held his arms up, chin tucked down and elbows protecting the middle. Pacquiao tried to bring down the guard by blasting Clottey’s arms and shoulders. But the Ghanaian wouldn’t budge. He knew that if he did, Pacquiao would be all over him in a flash.

Trainer Freddie Roach was disappointed because he expected Clottey to at least be competitive. He wanted Pacquiao to prove himself against a bigger and stronger opponent. Roach and Pacquiao worked long hours in the gym to prepare for Clottey but in the end, they seemed more frustrated than even the Ghanaian who hardly got untracked.

Occasionally, Clottey sneaked in a left uppercut, a left hook and a right straight. Whenever Clottey landed, Pacquiao winced. If Clottey threw more punches, would it have made a difference? Pacquiao actually waited for Clottey to unload because that would’ve created opening for his own shots.


Because Pacquiao found a standing target in Clottey, he sometimes forgot to protect himself. Clottey’s right hand was particularly pesky and Roach later commented some tweaking will be done in the gym to tighten up Pacquiao’s southpaw defense.

* * * *

As it turned out, Clottey proved to be gun-shy. Not known as a volume puncher, Clottey kept his reputation intact. He threw only 399 punches to Pacquiao 1,231. Believe it or not, Pacquiao unloaded over 100 punches a round during the entire fight – amounting to more than 30 a minute, an incredible workrate. What Pacquiao unleashed in four rounds, Clottey threw in 12. The exchange was 3-to-1.

Was Clottey scared? Without a doubt, he was – he was scared of getting hurt. At the end of the bout, he claimed Pacquiao’s power was not a cause for concern. So if he could take Pacquiao’s shots, why didn’t he take chances when his trainer Lenny de Jesus begged him to? Why did he run for cover in the 11th after Pacquiao penetrated his defense with scorching combinations?

Unfortunately, Clottey is a poor excuse for a fighter. If heart was a factor of consequence in the fight, Clottey failed the test badly. He probably figured to tire out Pacquiao but the Filipino’s lungs were fully loaded up to the final bell.

De Jesus said before the fight, the battleplan was for Clottey to go for broke in the first six rounds. He obviously meant to throw off the media, hoping to also throw off Pacquiao. Clottey was hardly aggressive in the early going although two of the three judges gave him the third round as a gesture of mercy. Clottey apparently planned to step up his attack in the late, not early, going – after Pacquiao will have punched himself out.

The crowd of 50,944 fans cheered Pacquiao lustily like the global icon that he is. Pacquiao has given the sport of boxing a shot in the arm. No fighter today is as explosive, exciting and charismatic. Pacquiao is the modern-day Pied Piper. Wherever he goes, the fans follow. Wherever he fights, the crowd swells and the turnstiles go crazy.

Pacquiao admitted when he found out what the Cowboys Stadium capacity was, he got worried that not enough fans may fill up the cavernous facility. Initially, 45,000 tickets were placed in the market. About 20,000 were gobbled up within the first few days and a week before the fight, the report was 41,000 had been sold. Remarkably, on fight night, even more fans showed up.

In the event Pacquiao fights Floyd Mayweather Jr. next and it is held at the Cowboys Stadium, the attendance will go over 100,000 for sure and eclipse the indoor record of 63,315 for boxing by Ali-Spinks at the Louisiana Superdome in 1978.

* * * *

The high estimate for pay-per-view sales was 600,000 to 700,000. Because Clottey was considered a lowly substitute for Mayweather as Pacquiao’s opponent, it was difficult to perk up interest in the subscription market. If the figure breaches the one million mark, it will be a phenomenal achievement for Pacquiao as a marquee attraction and money draw.

Because of Clottey’s turtle-shell defense, Pacquiao virtually did away with the jab (he landed only 14 for the fight) and concentrated on throwing power shots, connecting on 232 to the Ghanaian’s 82.

Source: Joaquin Henson  | Philstar.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

Manny Pacquiao's lopsided win fuels talk about Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Reporting from Arlington, Texas
What Manny Pacquiao most effectively accomplished in his one-sided punching-bag treatment of Joshua Clottey is that he has kept the intrigue of a future showdown with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. as topic No. 1 in the boxing world.

There remain troubling signals fired by important people around that possible mega-event, however, that cast uncertainties about whether the bout will happen.

Mayweather isn't taking questions about Pacquiao, making that clear at a recent Los Angeles news conference in which his people even veered him from Filipino reporters. Questions about why Mayweather's call to exceed Nevada State Athletic Commission drug-testing standards needed to be intensified for this fight went mostly unanswered beyond Mayweather's dubious stance that he is the face of the sport and that boxing needs to be cleaned up.

Valid point, suspect timing.

Saturday, Pacquiao out-punched Clottey by better than a 3-1 advantage and won every round but one on two judges' scorecards to defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title in front of 50,994 at Cowboys Stadium.

His promoter, Bob Arum, then turned to what's next for his boxer and told reporters he was still kicking himself for agreeing to make an alternate, Olympic-style drug-testing plan part of negotiations with Mayweather.

A compromise — even through mediation — was never reached, and the super-fight planned for Saturday was scrapped.

"The only way a fight can be made with Mayweather is if he signs the contract, terms are already agreed upon, and lets extraneous issues be handled by the boxing commission who has the authority to handle those issues," Arum said. "Stupid Bob Arum made like [former British prime minister] Neville Chamberlain did with Hitler and negotiated something I never should have."

Pacquiao made it clear in the ring and at the post-fight news conference that, ‘I want to fight Floyd Mayweather. The people want to see that fight. It's up to him. For me, there's no problem, but I don't think he's ready to fight me."

Asked what compromise could help resolve the stalemate, Pacquiao told HBO that if Pomona's Shane Mosley upsets Mayweather (40-0) on May 1 in Las Vegas, then it would remove Mayweather from his perch as one of the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

"And then I'll fight Mosley," Pacquiao.

It's not that easy, of course. Mayweather negotiated a rematch clause that would force Mosley to fight him again if he's victorious.

Pacquiao's cut-to-the-chase trainer Freddie Roach added, "Floyd, let the commission do its job and get in the ring and fight us."

To which Mayweather promoter Richard Schaefer said, "There we go again. All this is disrespectful to Sugar Shane Mosley, who has an incredible fight with Mayweather coming up.

‘The best course of action is to stop talking about Mayweather. [Team Pacquiao] says it wants the fight, but then they say there's this, then and that for it to happen. Maybe there'll be a time a fight with Mayweather … and Pacquiao will be discussed, but that time is not now."

Roach said he's confident of a victory in a would-be match, of course, and Clottey said he'd like stablemate Pacquiao over Mayweather too.

"I'm very strong, but this guy [Pacquiao] is so very, very fast," Clottey said. "Manny Pacquiao will give anyone he fights a lot of problems, a lot."

The possibility of landing Mayweather is viewed as so remote within some at Arum's Top Rank promotional company, though, they say the 2010 plan for Pacquiao goes like this:

Let him get through the process of running for a congressional seat in the Philippines (elections are May 20), inspect the Mayweather-Mosley outcome, and see whether Mayweather's team initiates any contact or shows an interest in softening its drug-testing demands.

Another wild card in this process could be the involvement of HBO, which stands to benefit in a lucrative way if network powers can play a role in resolving the conflict.

For now, Pacquiao is said to have three options for a fight in November: a third match against Juan Manuel Marquez (they had a 2003 draw and 2008 narrow decision won by Pacquiao), Tijuana's former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito or the unbeaten lightweight champion from Mexico, Edwin Valero.

"It's up to my promoter," Pacquiao said.

Arum said he was "blown away by the presentation" of Jerry Jones' mammoth stadium, and wouldn't hesitate to bring Pacquiao back in November.

"Boxing should never be the same again after [Saturday] night, we took this sport to a new level," Arum said.

Margarito will return May 8 from his license revocation caused by nearly boxing last year with hand wraps containing plaster. Arum said he'd like Margarito to then headline a June card at Cowboys Stadium that will be heavy on Latino fighters.

Mayweather?

"You think Floyd wants to fight Manny after all that happened in this last negotiation?" Top Rank's veteran matchmaker Bruce Trampler said. "The past is prologue. We just tried to make that match, and what happened? Insurmountable complications. Manny can't fight Mayweather because Mayweather won't fight. The fight was there."

There are attempts being made by those around Pacquiao to help finesse Mayweather's path to a date.

"I don't think Floyd's scared," Roach said. "I think maybe he just needed more time after his [21-month-long] layoff and just having one fight since. He's taking on a tough fight now. We'll see how he does."

Top Rank President Todd duBoef said "the disconnect" revolves around the principle Mayweather says he's applying to his drug-testing call: what's best for the sport.

"The sport is the most important thing," duBoef said. "Fighters aren't promoters, because promoters work to maximize the product to the audience for the future, not just one fight. Let us, who want to help the brand, do that. There's an incredible opportunity here if we just take a step back and think about what's best for the brand. The framework of the [Mayweather-Pacquiao] deal is done. Let's get it done. What else is there to discuss?"

Source: Lance Pugmire  | Los Angeles Times

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

Bedlam in Pacquiao's dressing room

ARLINGTON – Manny Pacquiao walked into his dressing room swinging like he could go another 12 rounds as well-wishers gathered to toast his win over Joshua Clottey by a unanimous decision at the Cowboys Stadium here last Saturday night (Sunday morning, Manila).

Pacquiao whooped it up and threw punches in the air, looking like he didn’t just endure a gruelling grind in the ring before over 51,000 fans. Wearing his new Nike signature “Pacman Knows” blue T-shirt, Pacquiao bussed wife Jinkee on the lips and was mobbed by a selected few with credentials to join the dressing room celebration.

Pacquiao shook hands with everyone, including referee Rafael Ramos who stayed to pose for a picture and WBO officials. Then, he was taken into a private room for the mandatory urinalysis and examination by doctors accredited by the Texas state athletic commission.

When Pacquiao reemerged from the room, he had already showered and wore an argyle sweater.

There was a huge welt under Pacquiao’s right eye and his cheeks were reddened by Clottey’s blows. In contrast, Clottey’s face was hardly marked although blood trickled from his nose. His body, however, was severely battered and the speculation was he would’ve urinated blood from the banging his kidneys took.


Cowboys Stadium owner Jerry Jones was in the dressing room and told Pacquiao how proud he was that the Filipino icon made history by performing in the facility’s first boxing event.

“This was the first and people will always remember the first,” said Jones. “You make us all very proud.”

Pacquiao told Jones the experience of performing before more than 51,000 fans was “amazing” and “unbelievable.”

Pacquiao later admitted he felt a little pressure fighting in front of such a large audience. But he shrugged off the jitters, knowing if he just did what he set out to do, things would fall into place and they did.

Others in the dressing room included trainer Freddie Roach, assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, conditioning coach Alex Ariza, cutman Miguel Diaz, wife Jinkee and sister Janet, his brothers Rogel and Bobby, RPN-9 chairman Tonypet Albano, Solar chief operating officer Peter Chanliong, lawyer Jeng Gacal, business manager Eric Pineda, Joe Ramos, Winchell Campos, Gov. Chavit Singson, Solar vice president for production Erick Tam, Chino Trinidad, Dyan Castillejo, two-time world lightflyweight champion Brian Viloria and his fiancée Erika Navarro, Michael Koncz, writer Thomas Hauser and Roger Fernandez.

Buboy Fernandez carried the metal case that contained Pacquiao’s WBO title belt and showed it off proudly.

“It wasn’t an easy fight,” said Fernandez. “I’ve known Manny since we were kids so during the fight, I knew what he would do. I told him to be careful about Clottey stepping on his foot. And before the 11th round, I reminded him about his defense because I expected Clottey to fight like he would commit suicide. I knew Manny would go to Clottey’s left to avoid the right. I knew he wouldn’t stand in front of him too long and he would move side to side. I kept telling Manny to hold up his left hand because Clottey was throwing a lot of rights.”

Fernandez said he couldn’t imagine Clottey absorbing Pacquiao’s hardest blows without going down.

“He’s really durable,” said Fernandez. “He’s never been knocked out. But Manny’s too good. He’s the best in the world.”

Source: Joaquin Henson  | Philstar.com

Roach gives Manny A+

DALLAS – Despite Manny Pacquiao’s failure to knock out Joshua Clottey, trainer-coach Freddie Roach said he was pretty much satisfied with the way his ward fought.

“I give him an A+,” said Roach.

The three-time trainer of the year awardee, however, expressed his disappointment over Clottey’s style.

Since Clottey was aiming for a world title against the world’s best fighter, Roach said he expected the Ghanaian challenger to be aggressive and not defensive-minded.

“He fought a very defensive fight. I thought he would be more offensive,” said Roach. “He was more in survival mode and when a guy is trying to survive, it’s hard to knock him out.”


Roach actually instructed the Filipino icon to go in for the KO after it appeared the fight would go the distance.

Clottey, however, stuck to his game plan and kept his hands high to survive the Pacquiao onslaught.

“I was looking for a knockout in the last round but he just did not open up,” said Roach.

This was the first time since March 2008 that Pacquiao heard the final bell, having gone the whole nine yards the last time against Juan Manuel Marquez for the world super-feather crown.

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Politics up next for RP champ

DALLAS – It’s on to the May elections before Manny Pacquiao even thinks about his next fight.

During the post-fight press conference, staged at the VIP service entrance of the Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao said he doesn’t have any idea yet when he’d return to the ring.

But it could be just a few months from now, maybe in October or November.

“I will decide after the elections,” said the boxing icon who is seeking a congressional seat in his hometown in Sarangani when the Philippines holds its national elections in May.

Pacquiao lost his bid for Congress in 2007 and has sought a return bout. This time he’s hoping to be successful the way he is on the ring where he hasn’t lost in his last 12 fights.


His promoter, Bob Arum, is almost certain of a political victory for his boxer.

“So, the next time I will introduce Manny, whether it’s in a press conference, he will be introduced properly, as Congressman and the Honorable Manny Pacquiao,” said Arum.

“He will win the elections and he will still fight.”

The Top Rank president was in the Philippines when Manny ran for public office in 2007, and said it was a pity that under its laws, a foreigner is not allowed to dip his hands in the game.

“As an American, I’m forbidden to participate in Philippine politics,” said Arum, a Harvard-educated lawyer who once served under the Kennedy administration.

“So, when last time he asked me to come over and support him they did allow me to join campaign rallies but they forbade me to speak. And you know how hard that is,” said the ageless boxing promoter.

“I wasn’t allowed to speak and I wasn’t allowed to do interviews,” he said.

“The only good thing was that I wasn’t allowed to contribute to his campaign fund as well.”

That brought the house down.

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Billionaire Pacquiao banks $12M more

DALLAS – Manny Pacquiao is now a certified billionaire, based on his earnings on the ring.

Counting his guaranteed purse $12 million for his fight with Joshua Clottey at the Cowboys Stadium, the 31-year-old icon has reached the $53 million mark in his last four fights in the United States.

And while it doesn’t mean that he has taken home as much, since there are huge deductions to be computed, what’s certain is that Pacquiao is now rated as one of the world’s highest-paid athletes.

Pacquiao, who said he earned the equivalent of $20 in his first professional fight in 1995, got $15 million for facing Oscar dela Hoya in 2008, and $13 million for each fight against Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto last year.

With these four fights alone, he has earned, on paper, a grand total of P2.438 billion, which is enough to fund a presidential campaign in the Philippines.

Aside from his guaranteed purse, Pacquiao also stands to earn through the pay-per-view sales, ticket sales, gate receipts, merchandise and television rights. For the Dela Hoya fight, he earned close to $20 million in all.

And this won’t stop as long as he continues winning.

Before the Clottey fight was sealed, Pacquiao faced the possibility of earning as much as $30 million to $40 million for a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. But the negotiations fell apart and the fight did not push through.

Now that Clottey is out of the picture, the question is “Will the Mayweather fight now happen?”

Pacquiao said it might.

“Yes, I want the fight. The people want that fight. So, it’s up to him,” said Pacquiao of the ex-pound-for-pound champion who puts his undefeated record at stake against WBA welterweight king Shane Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas.

“I have no problem fighting him. Anytime. But I don’t think he’s ready now. Or he should win against Mosley. If not, maybe Mosley and I will fight,” said Pacquiao.

The Pacquiao-Mayweather fell apart after the flamboyant American demanded an Olympic-style drug-testing that would require blood tests on days very close to the fight.

Pacquiao said he’d have none of it, saying drawing of blood close to the fight makes him weak, and offered a compromise that blood be taken 24 days before the fight and right after the fight.

And the fight that should break all previous records in boxing went up in smoke.

Pacquiao earnings through the years

1. Lehlo Ledwaba	2001	$40,000
2. Agapito Sanchez	2001	$120,000
3. Fabbrakob Rakkiatgym	2002	P1 million
4. Serikzhan Yeshmangbetov	2003	P1 million
5. Jorge Julio	2002	$70,000
6. Marco Antonio Barrera	2003	$500,000
7. Juan Manuel Marquez	2004	$750,000
8. Fashan 3K Battery	2004	P3 million
9. Erik Morales	2005	$1.75 million
10. Hector Velasquez	2005	$750,000
11. Erik Morales	2006	$2 million
12. Oscar Larios	2006	$1 million
13. Erik Morales	2006	$2.5 million
14. Jorge Solis	2007	$2 million
15. Marco Antonio Barrera	2007	$3 million
16. Juan Manuel Marquez	2008	$3 million
17. David Diaz	2008	$3 million
18. Oscar dela Hoya	2008	$15 million
19. Ricky Hatton	2009	$13 million
20. Miguel Cotto	2009	$13 million
21. Joshua Clottey	2010	$12 million

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Pacquiao's upper limit

Manny Pacquiao once again showed another facet of his repertoire, dominating an opponent reluctant to throw punches and retaining his WBO welterweight title. It was a masterful performance, revealing both great courage and impending limits on the world’s greatest boxer.

Covering the fight for The Filipino Channel, this writer got a close look at the new challenges facing the Pacman as he moves up into more dangerous territory.

Despite the fact that Arlington is the largest city in the world without a mass transit system, spectators flooded Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Accounts vary from 51,000 to 65,000 viewers (with thousands buying standing-room tickets). Of course, many football players, coaches and fans from the Cowboys organization were present, cheering madly.

Pacquiao started the fight very active, circling counterclockwise against Joshua Clottey to stay away from his dangerous right hand. The Filipino champ used his right jab very effectively, simultaneously attacking the body as the Ghanaian closed up like an armor-clad clam.

Pacquiao looked like a lumberjack attacking a sequoia, grunting mightily each time he fired a back-breaking hook into Clottey’s ribcage.


After round two, Buboy Fernandez warned Pacquiao against Clottey’s left foot, which constantly stepped on Pacquiao’s right to keep him from circling away. Freddie Roach echoed the sentiment, reminding Pacquiao to stay away from the right straight of the challenger. In the third round, Clottey became a little more active offensively, but would be inconsistent about it throughout the fight. By the fourth, his substitute trainer Lenny de Jesus would warn him that he was losing every round, but didn’t present any clear solutions to the problem. This was where Clottey’s weakness was truly exposed: he had no clear back-up plan in response to Pacquiao’s shifty movement.

Pacquiao, who had won his last 11 fights going into the bout, kept moving, occasionally goading his opponent into opening up and throwing leather. After the middle rounds, the area under the champion’s right eye started to swell, a minor cause for concern. Clottey was hardly able to touch Pacquiao’s but his few punches were also telling. The main advantage Pacquiao had was his tremendous speed, which was not at its optimum, but still vastly superior. Soon, it was Clottey who was starting to show some wear and tear under his right eye.

Before the 10th round, de Jesus threatened to stop the fight if Clottey didn’t throw more punches. Clottey obliged momentarily, then settled back into his peekaboo defense. Pacquiao was breathing hard, having thrown more jabs than any of his fights in recent history. The fight ended with a flurry by both fighters, trying to give the fans a great show.

Obviously, the postfight discussion centered around a possible fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Roach said bluntly “If he gets into the ring, we will crush him.” Pacquiao was a little more diplomatic. “We want to fight him because that will be a good fight. That’s the fight the fans want to see and I want to give the fans a good show.”

Clottey, loser by a wide unanimous decision, claimed he had more problems with Pacquiao’s speed, but not his power. “I didn’t feel his power at all,” the former world champion declared. “But he has speed. I wanted to whip him, but he has speed, so I was taking my time.”

Needless to say, Clottey never caught Pacquiao.

However, even in the face of Clottey’s unwillingness to engage, Pacquiao did most of the punching, but wasn’t able to knock him out, or even down. The question now, with Pacquiao beyond what his trainers consider his optimum weight (140 lbs.), has he reached his upper limit? Against Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao pulled off a last-round TKO, but was marked with a blackened eye, a swollen ear, and a hurt wrist.

Against Clottey, he was also marked on the face, despite the small volume thrown by the Ghanaian. Freddie Roach has said that one of their concerns is keeping the Pacman healthy. When Pacquiao fought Oscar dela Hoya, Golden Boy went down in weight. Cotto agreed to a catchweight. Clottey was the first welterweight Pacquiao fought on even terms, and prevailed in a long and difficult battle.

Looking back, Clottey could be considered a perfect tune-up for a Mayweather fight. Clottey’s defense was difficult to penetrate, he was big and strong, and he chose to counterpunch. Mayweather is the next step up, a fighter similar to Clottey, with an attitude. Pretty Boy Floyd, ranged against a dangerous Sugar Shane Mosley, will probably be a little more aggressive, and will trash talk Pacquiao. Clottey is a neat simulation.

Let’s see what happens to both Pacquiao and Mayweather after May.

Source: Bill Velasco  | Philstar.com