Pacquiao’s next fight in November

If indeed Manny Pacquiao’s next fight will be held in November, it would be the longest time that the Filipino star will be away from his ring duties.

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum told the Bulletin Fruday from his Las Vegas home that the earliest Pacquiao will be seen by his fans wearing a pair of gloves and stripped from the waist up will be in November – not October – as what had been previously thought about.

“It won’t be in October because of the World Series (of Major League Ball) but November,” said Arum.

Pacquiao is coming off a lopsided win over Joshua Clottey in Dallas, Texas, and will be out of the ring for the next eight months.

Arum is willing to wait that long because Pacquiao has a tougher assignment in less than two months albeit outside the ring.

Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat in Sarangani province and Arum said he would only be able to say something concrete after the May 10 elections.

In the event Arum and Pacquiao both agree that the next fight to be made should be in November, that would leave Pacquiao inactive for eight months.

Ever since he turned professional in the mid-1990s, Pacquiao has made it a point to fight regularly.

In the last few years, Pacquiao has fought an average of three fights a year and the longest time he was inactive was in between the May 2004 split draw with Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico and the December 2004 knockout win over Fahsang 3k Battery of Thailand.

As to the name of the opponent that Pacquiao will face in November, Arum and another key member of Pacquiao’s party, trainer Freddie Roach, are both on the same page although they slightly differ when it comes to who should be prioritized.

"There’s (Antonio) Margarito, (Edwin) Valero, or (Juan Manuel) Marquez,” said Arum.

Roach also mentioned the same names but in different order.

“Valero, Marquez, or Margarito,” said the celebrated corner man.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Roach eyes Valero for Pacquiao

If a lucrative fight with Floyd Mayweather won’t push through, top trainer Freddie Roach is eyeing Venezuelan knockout king Edwin Valero or Mexican master counter-puncher Juan Manuel Marquez as Manny Pacquiao's next foe.

After steering Pacquiao to a lopsided win over Joshua Clottey of Ghana over the weekend in Dallas, Roach said the most logical fight to take in the event the Mayweather fight doesn't take place is to bring in Valero.

The Venezuelan fighter has a perfect 27-0 win-loss record with all wins by knockout, including 19 in the first round.

“If we do Valero there, we could sell out the whole place,” Roach told boxingscene.com.

Being a big puncher and a southpaw like Pacquiao, Valero, according to Roach, is “marketable.”

Roach also mentioned Marquez as another bright prospect.

Marquez drew with Pacquiao the first time in May 2004 but narrowly lost a 12-round split decision in the rematch in March 2008.

“Personally, that’s the fight that I want,” said Roach, who believes the third fight will eventually lead to a Pacquiao knockout victory.

As soon as Pacquiao emerged victorious against Clottey before some 51,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas, the name of Mayweather was immediately brought up but the American fighter’s insistence that an Olympic-style drug testing be done on Pacquiao will jeopardize the plan of pitting them against each other.

One thing that also prevents the camps of Pacquiao and Mayweather to revive talks is the fact that Mayweather has to hurdle past Shane Mosley in their May 1 clash.

Whoever wins that match is likely to be pitted against Pacquiao.

Meanwhile, Erik Morales, who is coming off a 2 1/2 year layoff, will return to the ring on March 27 against Jose Alfaro of Nicaragua.

The last fighter to beat Pacquiao, Morales believes he can beat Pacquiao again if they fight at a heavier weight class.

Even though Morales beat Pacquiao in their March 2005 encounter, that painful loss was avenged in brutal fashion in January 2006 and in November of that same year as the Gensan pride posted tenth-round and third-round stoppages, respectively.

Pacquiao’s concert cancelled
HONOLULU, Hawaii (AFP) — A lack of interest in ticket sales has forced a promoter to cancel a concert by Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao in Hawaii, said a spokesman for Island Fire Productions.

The concert was scrapped just days after Pacquiao beat Ghana’s Joshua Clottey in a welterweight world championship fight in front of a crowd of 50,994 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

Ryan Chang of Island Fire said Tuesday that just 603 tickets had been sold for the concert in Waikiki meaning he would have to absorb a loss of about $50,000 if the show went ahead.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

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 100% ready – Roach

DALLAS, Texas – Stay off the ropes, strike and avoid infighting. That, in a nutshell, will be Freddie Roach’s instructions when Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao faces Joshua Clottey on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium.

After capping seven weeks of training Thursday afternoon, Roach told reporters from Manila that Pacquiao is “100 percent ready” for the first defense of his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown.

Roach said Pacquiao has Clottey all figured out and that the African will likely follow the path that Oscar De La Hoya took in December 2008.

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

Reminded of what Pacquiao did against Miguel Cotto last year when he allowed the Puerto Rican to land some telling blows as he lay motionless on the ropes, Roach has cautioned his prized pupil not to commit the same mistakes again.

“No,” answered Roach vehemently when asked if Pacquiao could play abit and allow himself to get hit.

“No,” hollered Roach when told if the purpose is to gauge Clottey’s power.

“If Manny’s going to the ropes, we are setting him (Clottey) up (to fall into a trap). That’s the only reason why he’s going there. I told him let’s keep a secret. Let’s not find out how hard he hits.

“I told Manny not to do anything stupid (this time),” said Roach, who wasn’t pleased when Pacquiao veered away from the original game plan and allowed himself to get hit by the Puerto Rican’s best blows.

Conditioning coach Alex Ariza, meanwhile, doesn’t see a quick ending to the bout but is very optimistic that Pacquiao’s superior talent will be more than enough to either make Clottey quit or force the referee or Clottey’s corner to step in.

“I have a feeling that the referee will not allow a repetition of what happened to Cotto against Pacquiao,” said Ariza, who will be in Pacquiao’s corner for only the fifth time.

“If he sees that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, he will stop the fight. Clottey might not even get knocked down because he has a strong chin but if he is getting hit like Pacquiao did to Cotto, he will get stopped,” said Ariza.

The official weigh-in will be held at 5 p.m. Friday (7 a.m. of Saturday in Manila) and Ariza said Pacquiao will tip the scales at the limit of 147 lbs and would be 149 lbs by the time he answers the bell.

Clottey should also conquer the scales but he will be much heavier than Pacquiao by the time they slug it out.

“Clottey will be at least 160 lbs but I am not concerned,” said Roach. “The extra weight will only make him sluggish.”

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Pacman to face a 'new' Clottey, says trainer

DALLAS, Texas — Joshua Clottey has apparently gotten rid of his bad habits, his new trainer Lenny De Jesus said with two days remaining before the Ghana slugger faces Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium.

“This is going to be a different Joshua Clottey that Pacquiao will be facing,” De Jesus, noting that in a span of several weeks, he has altered the fighting style of the New York-based boxer.

Notorious for becoming complacent, De Jesus said Clottey is a changed man and that pressure will be applied to Pacquiao the moment the bell rings.

“We will pressure Manny Pacquiao and see how he handles pressure and he’s going to take pressure from a solid 147-pounder (welterweight),” said De Jesus, who assumed the role of chief trainer after the original pick to train Clottey was denied a US visa renewal and was forced to stay in Ghana.

De Jesus said the mistakes Clottey made against Miguel Cotto, one of which was allowing the Puerto Rican to pummel him on the ropes, won’t happen again since they had built a strong bond over the course of their seven-week camp in Florida and New York.

“Joshua’s happy with me in the corner and he has responded well from what I have been telling him in the gym,” said De Jesus, who was once a part of Pacquiao’s corner as cutman when the Filipino was still under the promotional wings of Murad Muhammad.

Despite the odds, De Jesus said an upset is brewing.

“I get up in the middle of the night thinking about this fight. Other people don’t expect much from Joshua Clottey but they’re underestimating him. Clottey is going to come up big in this fight.”

Meanwhile, the World Boxing Organization has announced that Rafael Ramos, who is from here, will be the third man on the ring, while the three judges are Duane Ford of Nevada, Levi Martrinez also from the Lone Star State, and Nelson Vazquez of Puerto Rico.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

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

Ali no match for Pacquiao

DALLAS, Texas — Joined by an entourage that would put Muhammad Ali’s own gang to shame, Manny Pacquiao blew into this city late Monday night with the promise of a sensational showing against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey this weekend at Cowboys Stadium.

“I am going to put on a great show for the fight fans,” said Pacquiao as the chartered Boeing 737 touched down here from Los Angeles with his entire training team led by Freddie Roach and friends in tow.

As the passengers began to emerge from the plane to a waiting bus that brought them to the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, somebody from Top Rank Inc. was stunned with the number of people that were making their way out of the chartered plane.

All in all there were 141 passengers on board the plane, most of them Pacquiao’s friends from Southern California and elsewhere in the US as well as those who traveled all the way from the Philippines, including the media.

“This (flight arrangement) is much better because we all get to travel together,” said a beaming Pacquiao, pleased with the atmosphere of revelry that prevailed during the close to three-hour journey.

During Ali’s heyday, there were about 30 or so individuals who joined him in his travels to the Philippines and elsewhere.

Not counting another batch arriving here in the coming days, it is expected that the return flight this Sunday to Los Angeles would be full. The plane can accommodate 170.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao is going to flex his muscles before the media at 1:30 p.m. at the basement of the Gaylord Texan on Tuesday after Clottey held his own workout Monday as Pacquiao was busy preparing for the trip here.

“Joshua really looked big and strong,” said publicist Ed Keenan, who was on hand during the workout that Top Rank PR chief Lee Samuels said “had a very good turnout."”

Earlier in Los Angeles, Pacquiao closed out his sparring session with a four-rounder against Ray Beltran.

Roach almost had to beg for Pacquiao to take off the gloves so he could dress up for the flight to Texas.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Pacquiao entourage also gets star treatment

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

No problem with that then.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Roach predicts 6th round KO win for Pacquiao

LOS ANGELES – Freddie Roach is now giving Joshua Clottey a shorter shelf-life against Manny Pacquiao on the evening of March 13.

“Six or seven rounds,” said Roach, who had previously predicted a ninth-round knockout victory by the Filipino fighter at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

After presiding over Pacquiao’s penultimate day of sparring inside the Wild Card on a rainy Saturday afternoon, Roach was compelled to alter his forecast a week before the scheduled 12-round world welterweight title fight.

“Manny looked very, very sharp today,” said Roach, stressing that “there’s not much that he (Clottey) can do” against a fighter who is going to “overwhelm him with punches from all angles.”

Roach said he expects Clottey to be in the thick of the fight only in the first four rounds but Pacquiao will take charge soon after, paving the way for another smashing win by the fighter many consider as the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound.

Pacquiao picked up apart Abdullai Amidu, his Ghana sparmate, and the regular guy David Rodela, for a total of six rounds in another dazzling display of power and speed.

On Monday, Pacquiao will have his last sparring session – this time for only four rounds – before he hops on a chartered flight en route to the venue for next week’s fight.

Joining him on the three-hour trip on a jumbo jet leased by Pacquiao are members of his huge entourage and select individuals with legitimate business to take care of going into the final days before the fight.

Pacquiao is a huge favorite although Clottey is a livewire underdog owing to his being a natural welterweight, somebody who should be much bigger than his foe by the time they get it on around 10 p.m. Dallas time (12 noon of March 14 in the Philippines).

Team Pacquiao will be billeted at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in the city of Grapevine, which will put up a makeshift gym on its basement for the sole purpose of hosting Pacquiao’s final workouts.

Meanwhile, Clottey admitted that he’s longing for the attention that Pacquiao is getting from almost everybody.

Almost two years ago – after crowning himself the International Boxing Federation welterweight king – Clottey arrived to a rousing welcome in his native Ghana.

Clottey said in the documentary The Road to Dallas, which is being aired on US television, that he is craving to experience the same thing all over again.

“I want it to happen again,” said Clottey, who has a stab at stardom on March 13 versus Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium.

Clottey, who has been living in New York the last seven years, has a huge following in his native land but is unknown in America and when people say he doesn’t stand a chance against the pound-for-pound king, the boxer doesn’t feel insulted.

“It doesn’t make me upset,” said Clottey “(but) it makes me stronger.”

Former Pacquiao cutman Lenny De Jesus, who has assumed the role of Clottey’s chief trainer, summed it all up with a curt message.

“If we hit him right, we’ll knock him out,” said De Jesus, who was in the corner of Pacquiao in at least four fights, including the landmark victory over Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Pacquiao ready to rumble

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

1 round or 9, Roach will take it

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team Pacquiao leaves for Dallas on Monday.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Pacquiao gets big plane for Dallas trip

Manny Pacquiao is reinventing the phrase “traveling in style.” When the Filipino fighter leaves Los Angeles for Dallas on March 9, he will hop inside a 179-seat jet, joined by his family and his entourage.

Owing to the horde of people from the States and elsewhere going to see him fight Joshua Clottey of Ghana on March 13, Pacquiao was advised to just get a big plane that can accommodate almost everyone.

Although it appears that almost everyone can be accommodated, those on the list would only either be his closest friends and those who have important tasks to do.

“While the cost is slightly higher than sending them on commercial, this will save us a lot of headache,” said Pacquiao adviser Mike Koncz.

The same plane is going to bring Team Pacquiao back to Los Angeles the day after the fight.

In the past, Pacquiao had a bus at his disposal to ferry his friends from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, but since Dallas is 1,437 miles away and can be reached by driving 21 straight hours, Pacquiao instead instructed one of his men to get a plane.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Joshua Clottey tough to beat — Roach

Freddie Roach will be very surprised if Manny Pacquiao takes out Joshua Clottey in a quick and explosive manner on March 13 in Dallas.

While Roach has no doubt that Pacquiao is going to beat Clottey, the celebrated cornerman believes the Ghanaian banger can’t just be beaten easily and swiftly.

“No, I don‘t think it‘s going to be short,” said Roach recently from the Wild Card Boxing Club where Pacquiao has been showing fiery form the past five weeks when asked whether the Filipino fighter can get the job done early.

Reiterating that Clottey is not only big and strong but has a good defense as well, Roach said Pacquiao’s awesome speed and sheer talent would take its toll in the late rounds “where I expect Clottey to quit.”

In Pacquiao’s last four fights, Roach accurately predicted the rounds when victory would come.

Pacquiao needed nine rounds to flatten David Diaz, also similarly went the same number against Oscar De La Hoya and was right on the button when he bragged that Ricky Hatton would fall in less than three. Hatton lasted just two rounds.

Against Miguel Cotto, Roach was again correct in saying the Puerto Rican will push Pacquiao to the limit. Pacquiao stopped Cotto in the 12th round.

Meanwhile, over at Clottey’s training camp in Florida, it’s been reported that his preparation has also gone full blast and that the 5-1 underdog has been pushing himself to the limit. Top boxing website fightnews said Clottey is “ripped and ready.”

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Dallas buzzing ahead of Pacquiao’s arrival

Despite the forecast of cold weather in the next two weeks, Dallas is going to be scorching hot with the arrival there of the stars of the March 13 show at Cowboys Stadium.

Expected to be there first is Ghanaian Joshua Clottey, who lands at Dallas-Fort Worth International from New York on a commercial flight this Sunday, a full day ahead of his Filipino foe Manny Pacquiao, who will be brought there by a private jet on March 9.

Top Rank, which is staging the event in partnership with Texas billionaire Jerry Jones, said Dallas is going to be buzzing with activity as soon as they get there with Clottey penciled for an open media workout at 1:30 p.m. on March 9.

Pacquiao will hold his own the following day at the same time.

A makeshift gym will be built at the basement of the Gaylord Texan so the two fighters can train there instead of driving for 30 minutes to reach the nearest gym.

The press conference for Pacquiao and Clottey will be held at the Cowboys Stadium on March 10, while the undercard fighters will have their day the following day at the Gaylord Texan, the official residence of the promotion.

The official weighin – always on the eve of the fight – will also be staged at the Cowboys Stadium at 5 p.m.

Pacquiao and Clottey will answer the opening bell at 10 p.m. (12 noon in the Philippines of March 14) before an expected sellout crowd of 40,000 and a worldwide TV audience. The first fight will be at 5 p.m. after the gates to the stadium start to receive fight fans an hour earlier.

Clottey is in the final phase of his training in Florida and is going to make a side trip to New York to fulfill some promotional obligations like the hosting of a workout for the Big Apple press at Kingsway Gym on March 4 before heading to Dallas.

Pacquiao is also hosting his own workout at the Wild Card on March 3.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Roach sees late win by Pacquiao

Freddie Roach has plenty of respect for Joshua Clottey, specifically his rock-solid chin.

But his admiration stops there since he’s confident that Manny Pacquiao is going to beat him on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

“He’s got a good chin but we’ll make him quit sometime late in the fight,” Roach told the Bulletin last Friday in a long-distance call from Los Angeles where he and Pacquiao have been holed up since the third week of January.

Roach was upbeat during the conversation that he assured everyone that “everything’s going great” as far as the training of Pacquiao is concerned.

“His conditioning is very good and his weight is on check,” said Roach, who was on hand to preside over the Filipino pound-for-pound king’s 11-round sparring session with four different guys at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

Roach said Pacquiao’s sparring sessions will reach its peak this weekend when he goes 12 rounds and then the workouts would gradually slow down from there.

Rob Peters, the burly security chief of Team Pacquiao who watches the daily workouts, describes the famed puncher as “dynamite.”

“Manny’s just that,” said Peters, whose other job is to make sure only those with official business are allowed inside the gym when Pacquiao is in training.

Team Pacquiao departs for Dallas on March 8.

While Pacquiao continues to make heads turn, Clottey is also doing the same thing over in his training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Still, Roach is of the belief that the African banger is going to taste what a knockout would be like courtesy of Pacquiao.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Pacman to win by KO – Donaire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Making the weight least of Pacquiao’s problems

Making the welterweight limit of 147 lbs is the least of Manny Pacquiao’s problems, the Filipino’s conditioning coach Alex Ariza bared Monday.

Reporting from Los Angeles where Pacquiao has been holed up the last four weeks for next month's clash with Joshua Clottey of Ghana at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Ariza said the world's No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound weighs less than 150 lbs.

“His weight is in check,” said Ariza, whose job description is to make sure Pacquiao is in condition day in and day out at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood as they eagerly await the March 13 showdown.

Ariza said he didn’t even attempt to tweak Pacquiao’s usual diet of beef, chicken and fish and veggies and fruits in favor of game meats like deer and antelope as being carried out by some practitioners of the sport supposedly to increase stamina and endurance.

“We didn’t do anything to change what’s been proven,” said Ariza, who was called in to work with Pacquiao in 2008.

With three weeks left, one of Ariza’s concerns is how to make sure Pacquiao maintains his current condition.

“We are in fact ahead of schedule in training,” said Ariza, who is originally from Colombia.

Pacquiao’s sparring will reach its zenith in the next 10 days when top trainer Freddie Roach asks him to do 10 or even 12 rounds in one training day.

By the time Pacquiao leaves in a private plane for Dallas on March 8, he would probably have already logged his last rounds of sparring, said Ariza.

Ariza stressed that Pacquiao will weigh in at the welter limit of 147 lbs and will not gorge himself just to make sure he doesn’t look like a wimp in front of Clottey, who should be 160 lbs by the time he answers the bell.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Clottey right on track

Everything about Joshua Clottey’s ambitious quest to knock the pound-for-pound crown off Manny Pacquiao’s head on March 13 in Dallas is right on track.

Despite the absence of his long-time trainer Godwin Dzanie Kotey in training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the last three weeks owing to visa woes, Clottey is doing great in sparring, weight training and conditioning, boxingscene reported a few days ago.

“Everything is good. Everything is fine,” said the Ghanaian slugger. “We are working hard and just getting ready for March 13th.”

“Oh yeah. That won’t be a problem. I train hard and always come in on weight. That is something I really haven’t ever had a problem with,” said Clottey when asked about his weight.

Pacquiao and Clottey are mandated to weigh 147 lbs or less since the Filipino’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title will be on the line before an expected mammoth crowd at Cowboys Stadium.

Vinny Scolpino, who manages Clottey, said the men tapped to help his fighter toughen up for Pacquiao have been doing just that.

“Joshua’s doing good. No problem,” said Scolpino.

Even Clottey’s sparring sessions have been played out as planned.

“Sparring is going just fine,” said Clottey, noting that his sparmates are both unbeaten and are a perfect mix of speed and power.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Roach sees KO win for Pacquiao

The more Freddie Roach watches Joshua Clottey on video, the more the celebrated trainer believes Manny Pacquiao is going to become the first fighter to knock the Ghanaian puncher out on March 13 in Dallas, Texas.

“To be honest, the more tape I watch of him, the more holes I find, the more mistakes he makes,” Roach told Michael Rosenthal of The Ring in its on-line edition Saturday.

“I am very confident for this fight… Size doesn’t win fights, talent wins fights. We can do a lot more than he can,” said Roach, downplaying Clottey’s obvious advantage in height and heft.

With three weeks before the scheduled 12-round welterweight title match, Roach has a picture of what Pacquiao would do to Clottey before an expected packed crowd at Cowboys Stadium.

“I expect him to stay on the ropes and rest a little bit. I have the perfect way to crack that defense. I believe he’ll be stopped for the first time in his life.”

Roach said it would take some time before Pacquiao gets the job done, stressing that the African is tough and dangerous.

Meanwhile, Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels revealed that Pacquiao is expected to arrive in Dallas on March 8, while Clottey is checking in the day before.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Donaire to help in Gorres’ rehabilitation

Nonito Donaire has a heart of gold.

Touched by the plight of fallen fighter Z Gorres, who will never box again after suffering a near-fatal injury last year in Las Vegas, Donaire said Friday that he is lending him a helping hand.

Appearing before the media during victory luncheon hosted by GMA 7, Donaire said he “could feel what he is going through” being a fellow fighter and that he is “planning to see him and offer him something for a few months.”

Donaire arrived Friday from the US, less than a week after scoring a smashing win over Mexican Manuel Vargas.

He was warmly met by GMA executives led by its president and CEO Felipe Gozon, who praised the reigning World Boxing Association interim super-flyweight king for his latest exploit.

Accompanied by his wife Rachel, Donaire said his next fight is still on the drawing board although he is aching to get his hands on the mouthy Vic Darchinyan, the Armenian-Australian who has been criticizing him since Donaire dealt him a savage fifth-round knockout loss in 2007.

Promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., Donaire said another option is to face Mexican Fernando Montiel, the rugged body-puncher who disposed of the untested Filipino Ciso Morales on the undercard of the Donaire-Vargas scuffle.

“If they want to fight me,” said Donaire in his uncharacteristic swagger, “I am just here and ready to fight them.”

In the meantime, Donaire said he will take a break from boxing by appearing on the comedy show "Show Me Da Manny" in the absence of the star of the show, Manny Pacquiao.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin