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Prior to the upcoming Mayweather vs Mosley boxing fight on May 1,2010, HBO releases its latest video entitled "Face Off", a Mayweather vs Mosley promotional fight video featuring Mayweather and Mosley with Max Kellerman. The video talk about Shane Mosley's career with a different manager and triner and Mayweather obsession on his undefeated record.
Watch the video below for more stories.
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Have you missed the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey last March 13? If so, then no problem, below is the download links of the Pacquiao vs Clottey fight video.
Enjoy downloading and watching!
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Manny Pacquiao won against Joshua Clottey via unanimous decision.
Watch Pacquiao vs Clottey video replay highlight below
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Pacquiao dominates Clottey in front of 50,994
ARLINGTON, Texas – Joshua Clottey may have been bigger, but that was his only edge on Saturday. Manny Pacquiao clearly outworked Clottey, outpunching him 4, 5 and even 6 to 1 at times, in winning a wide decision before a standing room only crowd of 50,994 at Cowboys Stadium.
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Manny Pacquiao will once again show us why he is the pound-for-pound king of boxing this days when he face Joshua Clottey of Ghana inside the ring this coming March 13, 2010. Pacquiao vs Clottey fight is one of the most awaited fight in boxing today after the Pacquiao vs Mayweather mega-fight has been stripped out. Pacquiao and Clottey has agreed to fight in 147lbs., and of course with a millions of dollar is also at stake.
Who will win? Just watch Pacquiao vs Clottey live stream free online on the internet via PPV as it kick off on March 13 at Dallas Stadium.
Manny Pacquiao was originally slated to fight Floyd Mayweather jr. but both camp back out because of they didn't reached an agreement on the demand of Mayweather of Olympic style drug testing. AfterPacquiao vs Mayweather failed to materialized Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter immediately find replacement to Mayweather in the March 13 fight. And it was Joshua Clottey who agreed to fight Manny Pacquiao.
Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey Tale of the Tape:
Manny Pacquiao
Age: 30
Division: Light welterweight
Stance: Southpaw
Height: 169cm
Reach: 170cm
Record: 50W (KO 38) - 3L (KO 2) - 2D
Rounds boxed: 305
KO%: 69.09%
Joshua Clottey
Age: 32
Division: Welterweight
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 173cm
Reach: 178cm
Record: 35W (KO 20) - 3L (KO 2) - 0D
Rounds boxed: 248
KO%: 51.28%
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Once KO'd by Manny Pacquiao, Diaz Battles Soto For WBC Crown
ARLINGTON, Texas -- On the evening of May 5, 2009, Manny Pacquiao was sitting in the dressing room following his ferocious, second-round knockout of England's Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
Suddenly, Pacquiao's cell phone rang.
The call was from David Diaz (pictured above, at right, with Humberto Soto), the man whom Pacquiao had dethroned with a ninth-round in June 2008 to earn the WBC lightweight (135 pounds) title.
Diaz was phoning to thank Pacquiao for the new highlight-reel stoppage of Hatton -- the one he figured would be used in future bouts promoting the Filipino superstar.
In between the stoppages of Diaz and Hatton, Pacquiao had similarly made Oscar De La Hoya remain on his stool between the eighth and ninth rounds.
But De La Hoya quit. He wasn't devastatingly dismantled and dropped like Diaz or Hatton.
And the way Hatton went out, Diaz was confident that Pacquiao's sensational blowout of the Englishman would supplant his own demise at Pacquiao's hands as the replay of record for future HBO highlights.
Diaz was correct.
"I sure did call him, and I told him to stop using my highlight and to start using Ricky Hatton's," said the 33-year-old Diaz, a southpaw who resides in Chicago.
"But this is what we do. We're supposed to sometimes lose and sometimes win," Diaz said. "And sometimes, unfortunately, that means getting knocked out. It just happens. It's my job."
On Saturday night on HBO pay-per-view from Cowboys Stadium, Diaz (35-2-1, 17 knockouts) will get a chance to regain the crown that he lost when he engages in a clash of former world champions with 29-year-old Humberto Soto (50-7-2, 32 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex., for the WBC lightweight belt vacated by Edwin Valero.
"I never thought that I would be a world champion. Now, to be able to be called two-time world champion? That lights a fire under my a** real quick," said Diaz, whose matchup with Soto takes place on the undercard of Pacquiao's defense of his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title against Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs). "That makes me want to go out there and do what I've got to do against the guy who is across the ring from me."
Diaz said that he considers Soto a personal friend, having seen him around at boxing events and during the many times when they have fought on the same cards.
"We have a good camaraderie with each other. A lot of people don't understand the concept that we can go in there and beat each others brains in, and then later on be sharing a Coke or a beer," Diaz said.
"You have to live this life to really grasp it and understand it, and I think that boxers are really good people when you come down to it," Diaz said. "We just work hard and try to have that competitiveness that we want to be good. You just want people to talk about you and say, 'Hey, you had a pretty good fight.'"
Soto has won six consecutive bouts, four of them by knockout, since being disqualified in the fourth round by referee Joe Cortez against Francisco Lorenzo on the Pacquiao-Diaz undercard.
Soto was winning the fight with Lorenzo, but was ruled to have hit him while he was down, resulting in the loss. Soto is coming off of December's 10-round unanimous decision victory over Jesus Chavez.
Now, Soto and Diaz are after the crown left behind by the 28-year-old Valero (27-0, 27 KOs).
Coming off of a Feb. 6, 10th-round knockout of Antonio DeMarco (23-2-1, 17 KOs) of Mexico, Valero is moving up to the junior welterweight (140 pounds) division to take on 26-year-old, Lamont Peterson (27-1, 13 KOs) on a date to be determined -- potentially on April 10 in Las Vegas or in July, according to Top Rank Promotions' CEO Bob Arum and Top Rank matchmaker Carl Moretti.
The first of Saturday night's televised bouts from Cowboys Stadium is a 10-round middleweight (160 pounds) clash between 30-year-old Ireland native John Duddy (28-1, 18 KOs) of New York, and 23-year-old Michael Medina (22-1-2, 17 KOs) of Monterrey, Mex.
Duddy is coming off of his second straight victory since losing last April's 10-round split-decision to Billy Lyell, having stopped Juan Atorga in the first round of his last fight in January.
Medina is coming off of his fourth knockout in his past five fights -- all triumphs -- having knocked out Robert Valenzuela in the first round in February. Medina's last loss was to Vanes Martirosyan in September 2008.
The second featured bout on Saturday night is between 36-year-old former world champion Jose Luis Castillo (60-9-1, 52 KOs) of Sonora, Mex., and 29-year-old Alfonso Gomez (21-4, 10 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mex.
"This is a very big one for me, because this will open the door to get into bigger fights. I'm going to go in there and do my job," Castillo said. "I don't know if I'm going to steal the show or not, but I'm going to go out there and do my job -- definitely."
source fanhouse.com
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Prior to the 2001 baseball season, baseball pundits and fans alike could reasonably conclude the following about Barry Bonds:
1.) Barry Bonds was an exceptional baseball player
2.) Barry Bonds was physically achieving what many people thought impossible for someone his age, but as suspect of an achievement as it may have been, it was still explainable and therefore celebratory.
Then, the 2001 season happened. Bonds hit 24 more homers than the previous season and broke Mark McGwire’s single season record. He batted .328 with 137 RBI’s and a slugging pct. of .863, an astounding accomplishment for a 36-year-old. At an age where most players’ statistics begin to plummet, he rewrote the baseball record books.
The 2001 season was so disproportionate to his previous achievements that it served as an “eye brow raiser.” At that time there wasn’t any conclusive evidence linking Bonds to steroids, but when you looked at the numbers, his age and what he achieved, you at least raised an eye brow.
Manny Pacquiao placed a microscope on his achievements this past winter when he declined to accept Floyd Mayweather’s contractual request to submit to Olympic-style random blood testing. Whether you believe Manny is reasonable when he says he feels drained after such tests, the amount of money left on the table for declining such a request is enough to give pause.
Still, all of Manny’s achievements up to this point are explainable and reasonable. Is it suspicious that in March 2008, he was in a war with Juan Manuel Marquez at 130lbs and by November of 2009, he was crushing an established and bigger Miguel Cotto at 145lbs? Sure. But Manny is an exceptional workhorse whose training regime is second to none. Up to this point, his achievements should still be celebrated.
This Saturday, Pacquiao is set to face Joshua Clottey in what could be his “2001 season”. Clottey has never been stopped inside of 12 rounds. He is a much bigger Welterweight than Pacquiao, has a solid chin and is a defense-first boxer. His three losses come from a disqualification, a decision to Antonio Margarito and a very questionable loss to Miguel Cotto.
Yes, Manny Pacquiao is arguably the best boxer, pound for pound, on the planet. His last three wins illustrate a type of streak that is incomparable to any recent fighter. On the surface, this fight should serve no other purpose other than to showcase Pacquiao’s skill set, Dallas’s new venue and help magnify the public’s desire for a fight with Floyd Mayweather. But a closer look at the Pac Man’s last three tornado wins should lead someone to the following three facts:
1) Oscar De La Hoya was not only in the twilight of his career but was physically and mentally drained prior to the start of the fight.
2) Ricky Hatton is not, nor was he ever, an elite boxer. He was a very good fighter whose most notable win was against a much older Kostya Tszyu. In his two opportunities to fight on the grand stage, he was knocked out.
3) Cheaters never prosper, but they sure can hurt you. Miguel Cotto was badly beaten and battered in his 2008 loss to Antonio Margarito, who would later lose his boxing license for tampering with his hand wraps prior to his 2009 fight with Shane Mosley.
This fight with Clottey is an entirely different animal. Clottey is still on the rise, he hasn’t been unceremoniously battered into a pulp like Cotto and he’s not going to drop his hands and engage in a pub fight like Ricky Hatton.
Manny is by far the superior fighter. He has the faster hands, and his pace is likely to frustrate and confuse Clottey. A unanimous decision win for Manny would be nothing more than a stamp on a hall of fame career. However, I cannot help but realize that going into this fight, the following states are relevant:
1.) Manny Pacquiao is an exceptional boxer.
2.) Manny Pacquiao is physically achieving what many people thought was impossible for someone his size, but as suspect of an achievement as it may be, it’s still explainable and therefore celebratory.
Maybe Manny is telling the truth and has absolutely NO idea what a steroid even is. Maybe he’s a once-in-a-lifetime fighter.
As a longtime boxing fan, I know anything can happen in a fight, but then again, a knockout of a very game, very big, very underestimated Clottey on Saturday should at least…be cause to raise an eyebrow. Or two.
Source fighthype.com
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Watch Pacquiao vs Clottey fighter weigh in. Before the event day, fighters will undergo weigh-in to determine if they meet the weight required for the fight. As for Pacquiao and Clottey, they should weigh up to 147 lbs, as this was the catch weight that both camp agreed to fight in. Anyone exceed to the required catch weight will be penalized.
The weigh-in usually takes place the day before the fight, sometime in the late afternoon, most likely around 5 or 6:00 PM ET. Fighter weigh-in is also open to the public and it usually take place at the same location where the fight is taking place, so probably Pacquiao vs Clottey weigh-in will take place at Dallas Stadium. Pacquiao vs Clottey fight will be on March 13, 2010.
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ABU DHABI // Manny Pacquiao, the first boxer to win world titles in seven weight divisions, should have been nominated for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year, according to two reigning champions.
Amir Khan, Britain’s WBA world light welterweight champion, and Vitali Klitschko, the WBC heavyweight champion, maintained Pacquiao’s absence from the five-strong nominees list left them feeling disappointed.
“Manny is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world,” said Khan. “I’m very surprised he’s not on the list. In the last few years he’s fought [Juan Manuel] Marquez, Oscar [De la Hoya], Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. He’s had some big fights and I’m surprised he’s not a contender.”
Khan said Pacquiao’s reluctance to embrace celebrity-status beyond his native shores of the Philippines had not helped his cause.
“Few boxers get that level of publicity,” he said. “If it was someone like Floyd Mayweather, who is a bigger name and attraction, then maybe [a nomination would be possible]. But although Manny is huge for what he has done in the game, there is that thing about his image which stops him being massive around the world.”
Klitschko echoed Khan’s view on the Filipino fighter. “Champions like Pacquiao are bringing boxing to another level and the sport needs heroes,” said the Ukraine boxer.
“If I had the chance, as a boxer, I would have voted for Pacquiao, but it was never a situation – he wasn’t on the shortlist. There are a lot of champions around and you can’t give everyone an award. Still, it’s disappointing.”
Laureus’s two-part voting process sees a selection panel of international media compile a shortlist, before Laureus Academy members vote by secret ballot to select the winners.
source thenational.ae
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After Manny Pacquiao's dramatic stoppage of Miguel Cotto in November 2009, the scribes of the sweet science proclaimed that boxing had peeled itself off the canvas. Once again, there was a boxer who, like Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya, could command the interest of the general sports fan.
Soon after the Filipino sensation's victory over Mr. Cotto, the public was clamoring to see Mr. Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) and the undefeated, recently unretired Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 knockouts) battle for the unofficial title of best pound-for-pound pugilist on the planet. But boxing has a knack of clobbering itself on the chin.
A couple of months ago, Messrs. Mayweather and Pacquiao were poised to ink contracts when Mr. Mayweather insisted on Olympic-style drug testing. Mr. Pacquiao took umbrage and sued Mr. Mayweather and his promoters for defamation of character. When attempts at mediation failed, the two welterweight giants stomped away from what could have been the biggest payday in boxing history.
Still, Mr. Pacquiao, who has garnered titles in a record seven different weight divisions, was intent on fighting in March, as he is set to begin campaigning for Congress in the Philippines in April. Instead of facing Mr. Mayweather, Mr. Pacquiao will be tapping gloves with Joshua Clottey (35-3, 21 knockouts), the No. 1 welterweight contender from Ghana. The fight, which has already sold more than 38,000 tickets, will take place on Saturday at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Mr. Clottey, who now in lives in New York, began boxing on the streets at age 6 in his hometown of Accra, Ghana. He made it to the quarterfinals of the Commonwealth Games in 1994 and turned professional in 1995. A broad-shouldered man with an endearing smile and laid-back body language, Mr. Clottey is a rugged and highly competent combatant who has the respect of his peers and the boxing press. But the 32-year-old former world champion has yet to win a mega pay-per-view fight. He came close in June 2009, losing a split decision to Mr. Cotto. Many observers believed that Mr. Clottey should have had his hand raised after that bloody 12-round contest, but virtually everyone agreed that he would have won the fight had he brawled with less caution.
After a brisk workout at his Florida gym, the soft-spoken Mr. Clottey gushed: "This fight is a dream come true, I can hardly believe it. I'm so excited. Right now, Manny is the best of the best. He is the man. I know that I can beat him, but I have to fight the whole time. I have to keep busy. But unlike some of the other guys that he has fought, I will not underestimate his power. One punch from him can take you out. So I also have to stay calm and think in there as well as fight." While reasonable enough, that note of caution would land like a punch on elements of Mr. Clottey's boxing braintrust.
In this pivotal contest, Mr. Clottey will be without his trainer, Godwin Dzanie Kotey, who could not get a visa to come to the U.S. Mr. Clottey's veteran cutman, Lenny De Jesus, will work the corner instead and told me: "You have to take risks in there to be a great champion, and that is what Joshua has to learn to do in this fight. I used to work with Manny, and he is not afraid of losing."
While the elite of the elite in boxing have very special powers of concentration and reservoirs of motivation, Mr. Clottey, for all his virtues, has yet to show that he can hit the internal switch, turn his tempo up a notch, and take over a close fight.
Mr. Clottey is quick, coordinated, strong and gritty. While not an overpowering puncher, his blows are fast, direct and flinty. He boasts a solid straight right, which he likes to chase with a left hook to the body. The combination of right uppercut and left hook is also essential to his slugging syntax. Watching Mr. Clottey work out, one gets the impression that his camp believes their man needs to make the Pac Man pay for his hyperaggressive tendencies with hooks to the body.
Freddie Roach, Mr. Pacquiao's famous trainer, assessed his antagonist: "Clottey is a big welterweight [5 feet 8 inches, compared with 5 feet 6½ inches for Mr. Pacquiao]. He is a great fighter. He has good skills. He has some power. He can take a punch. But I have watched a lot of films of him and he is not versatile. He does not move his head. He is easy to hit." For weeks now, Mr. Roach has been saying that "Manny will be the first one to knock Joshua out."
For his part, Mr. Pacquiao says: "The victory is always the most important thing to me. If I get a knockout, it's a bonus. But a knockout has never been a goal for me for any fight." But then he adds, "Freddie has his own opinion on the outcome of the fight with Clottey, and I will try not to disappoint him."
The diminutive dynamo with the impish smile unleashes hellfire in the ring. He seems to delight in the utter destruction of the opponent whom he will hug and praise after the fight.
Mr. Pacquiao, recently voted the Fighter of the Decade by the Boxing Writers Association of America, is still improving. In boxing, he who is not busy learning will soon be busy losing. When I asked Mr. Pacquiao what lessons he was working on for this fight, his maestro, Mr. Roach, was quick to answer for him: "Manny has to stay off the ropes and continue to work from his strengths—and that is throwing punches from different angles and to keep moving. . . . Manny's speed is the key to winning any fight. People think I mean the speed of his hands, but what I really mean is the speed of Manny's feet. He has the best footwork in the game."
Mr. Roach, who has Parkinson's probably brought on by too many bouts during his own boxing days, warned that this might be the last time we see his champion in the ring, especially if Mr. Pacquiao wins a seat in Congress. His stellar charge has had a long, tough career. And if Mr. Pacquiao wins and Mr. Mayweather does not quickly agree to terms, Mr. Roach says, "there will be nothing left for Manny to prove." There will only be bales of money.
Source wsj.com
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Manny Pacquiao will once again show us why he is the pound-for-pound king of boxing this days when he face Joshua Clottey of Ghana inside the ring this coming March 13, 2010.Pacquiao vs Clottey fight is one of the most awaited fight in boxing today after the Pacquiao vs Mayweather mega-fight has been stripped out. Pacquiao and Clottey has agreed to fight in 147lbs., and of course with a millions of dollar at stake.
Pacquiao vs Clottey fight is a WBO Welterweight championship match that will be broadcast world wide via pay-per-view in USA but for the fans outside US territory, Pacquiao vs Clottey live stream can be watch for free, just check your local channel listing.Who will win? Just watch Pacquiao vs Clottey live stream free online on the internet via PPV as it kick off on March 13 at Dallas Stadium.
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Past reports saying Charice will be singing the Philippine National Anthem for the Pacquiao vs Clottey fight this Sunday were proven untrue as the Journey lead vocalist, Arnel Pineda, will be taking the duty of singing the Philippine National Anthem, “Lupang Hinirang” in the upcoming Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight. Pineda is a Filipino and was personally invited by the king of the ring, Manny Pacquiao to sing for the Philippines in his next fight.
Arnel Pineda also said he will be arriving at Dallas on Thursday and he is so delightful that finally he can sing for the Pacquiao vs Clottey fight. The famous singer also revealed it was the Manny Pacquiao’s third attempt to invite him, that is why he’s very happy it will finally push through.
The much awaited Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey fight will be held this Saturday (March 13) – March 14 in Manila at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.
You can watch Pacquiao vs Clottey fight Live stream Online on Sunday at selected channels over the internet. If you do not want to watch Pacquiao vs Clottey online free livestream, and you are a Filipino fan, then watch Pacquiao vs Clottey Livestream at the UP Theater, commercial-free straight from the US.
Source: ‘Journey’ Lead Vocalist Arnel Pineda will sing for Pacquiao vs Clottey fight
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GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Promoter Bob Arum said Tuesday that he doesn't expect the remaining tickets to last for Saturday's Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight at Cowboys Stadium.
"Definitely," Arum said. "It will be sold out."
About 41,000 tickets have been sold, with seating capacity set at 45,000 for the first boxing match at the $1.2 billion stadium. Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title.
Arum said he's eager to hold more fights at the home of the Cowboys, adding that Kelly Pavlik, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and other boxers will be at the fight in hopes of getting to become headliners there.
"I have never had an experience where the venue has played such a paramount role in the promotion," said Arum. "It's helped us sell the tickets, helped us get the publicity. ... Whatever works."
The ring will be on the star logo at the 50-yard line. The world's largest high-definition television screen will loom above, giving people in the worst seats a close-up look at every bead of sweat and drip of blood.
"This is going to be big time," Jones said Tuesday during a conference call with reporters. "I'm going to over-deliver what it means to [fans] to be involved in this stadium. ... That does enhance the competition, help the sport. You're not going to need any incentive to get these fighters to compete."
Having already hosted the NBA All-Star Game, and with the Super Bowl coming in February, Jones wants Cowboys Stadium to be a prime destination for boxing, too.
That's why it was so important for him to get Pacquiao for the debut.
"You don't want to deal with anything but the top," Jones said. "This says everything to have Manny Pacquiao and this competition. It says everything I want."
Jones hopes to pack the high-dollar seats with his running buddies -- all sorts of current and former Cowboys greats, including former coach Jimmy Johnson.
"It's no accident there are going to be many football players here," Jones said. "There is a crossover of interest. That really excites me. I'm not trying to be presumptuous but we all know how popular the NFL is right now. That raises all boats. That's a big thing to me."
If Cowboys Stadium can land two or three big fights per year, as Jones hopes, that would put him in competition with Las Vegas.
But Jones again invoked the "rising tide" notion, believing that the popularity of fights at his building will generate "more interest and more visibility for fighting."
Arum agrees.
"I love Las Vegas, I live in Las Vegas," he said. "But the tickets are limited by the size of the arena and they generally go to the high-rolling casino customers. Here, the sales pitch is about the public. ... You cannot be a major sport if all your big events are in one city where people have to come from all over to attend the event. The Super Bowl wouldn't be as big, in my opinion, if it had to be held in the same city every year."
As for planning the next fight here, stay tuned.
"We want to get this one over first," Arum said. "Once we get this one over ... we'll sit down and plot the future."
Source ESPN Sports
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Watching two upper-tier fighters/contenders spar while preparing for an upcoming fight is the highlight of any activity in a boxing gym. Sparring was my favorite part of training back in the day. So much so, that on the days I didn't spar I felt as though my workout was incomplete and was one day further away from getting to where I wanted to be. There's only one way for a fighter to improve and that is for him to spar and fight.
The most intense sparring I've ever witnessed was between former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champ, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, and former light heavyweight contender Jerry "The Bull" Martin in the early eighties. The closet parallel I can make to describe the rounds they logged is to suggest imagining Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez weighing 185 pounds wearing training gloves and head gear while going at it five or six rounds a day. I would've paid to see them spar each other every day of the week if that's what it took just to have the pleasure of watching them work together.
When it comes to sparring, I've never read nor have I had it conveyed to me by any fighters or trainers stories like the ones that surface about Manny Pacquiao's sparring. Has anyone reading this ever heard of Pacquiao getting his butt kicked in the gym even once? Or heard of someone who has even held their own with him? If it's happened during the last four or five years, it seldom has surfaced. Yet there's a flood of reports pertaining to his sparring on a daily basis after almost every workout. And that's nowhere near the case pertaining to Paul Williams, Floyd Mayweather, Edwin Valero, Chad Dawson or either of the Klitschko brothers when they train and spar in preparation for a big fight.
Pacquiao's legendary sparring further illustrates just how much he truly loves to fight. It's rather apparent that Manny brings the same kind of passion and joy to his sparring sessions that he seems to bring to every aspect of boxing -- and he genuinely seems to be a man who loves what he's doing for a living.
Earlier this week Pacquiao said, “I am ready to rumble (referencing to his March 13th bout with Joshua Clottey). I can’t wait to get into the ring. I am feeling very good and I am excited to put on a memorable show for the boxing fans. I want to make them happy again.”
Pacquiao reiterating that he wants to put on a good fight for the fans no doubt endears him to them a lot, and I believe that he means it to a point. But more than that Pacquiao projects from his deeds in the ring that he really loves ring combat and can't wait to glove up on fight night, in much the same way Roberto Duran and "Smokin" Joe Frazier did. I'm sure there may be a few reading this and saying to themselves that I forgot about Mike Tyson... and they'd be wrong.
Tyson had a presence about him that projected he couldn't wait for the bell to start the fight, and when he was having his way with his opponent he looked as if he loved being inside the ring. However, when Mike was met with resistance like he was when he fought Buster Douglas, Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, he wasn't nearly as willing and stopped letting his hands go and began thinking about possibly losing leading to him being more measured offensively.
That's the polar opposite of Duran and Frazier who actually got stronger and became more confident and willing as the fight got tougher and intensified. And Pacquiao is cut from the same cloth as they were and relishes the joy of physical combat. In his previous two fights against Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, both tried to bring it to him only to realize they were confronted by what must've seemed like a school of piranha who raised them one.
Hatton tried to jump on him early hoping to assert himself physically, and was met by a buzzsaw who made him pay for his deed. Cotto, after seeing what happened to Hatton, tried to go about it a little more measured. When Miguel felt Pacquiao was stepping back to reset, he tried to impose himself physically and not only did Manny oblige him to do so, he let him have a few free shots at his body and literally fed off of Cotto not doing any real damage when he landed with his Sunday left-hook in succession.
For his WBO title defense against Clottey, it's been reported in several Philippine newspapers that Pacquiao has worked with Jamie Kavanagh, Mike Dallas, Dave Rodela, Ray Beltran, Shawn Porter, Jose Benavidez, Abdullay Amidu and Steve Forbes as his spar-mates. Forget what their records are, they're all in good shape physically and present him with something unique. Some are small and quick, others are a little bigger and more physical and present varying styles. And the reports coming out of Pacquiao's training camp all indicate that he's had his way with every one of them. And it seems as the fights gets closer Pacquiao is looking better every time out and is once again peaking at the right time. Which confirms that team Pacquiao knows exactly how to get the most out of it's sparring work as they ready Manny for his upcoming bouts.
Maybe because we're in the midst of a media explosion and almost everything is on YouTube, at least for a little while before it's taken down, Pacquiao's sparring as he prepares for his major bouts have drawn a lot of attention, more so than any fighter in recent memory.
Source thesweetscience.com
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It is 7:13 a.m. in Los Angeles and Manny Pacquiao, the world's best pound-for-pound boxer, is jogging on a public high school track. There are palm trees in the distance, and the low hum of traffic on I-10 is starting to turn into a low roar as the Filipino boxer, clad in a red tracksuit, dashes around the dirt oval despite a painful shin splint. A handful of early-arriving students hang on the chain-link fence surrounding the track and watch him do his work. The Pac-Man is preparing for his March 13 fight against Joshua Clottey, a dangerous but relatively unknown welterweight from Ghana. The $49.95 pay-per-view fight is billed as "The Event" but could easily be called "The Letdown."
Just three months ago, boxing was preparing for its version of the Super Bowl. Fresh from his mega-fight win over Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao had begun negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr., a brash welterweight whom non-sports fans know best from his appearance on Dancing with the Stars. The proposed battle was being compared to some of the greatest matchups in boxing history. Even people who had given up on boxing or hadn't really thought about it much were talking about the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, which would probably earn each boxer $40 million, the most lucrative match ever. (See pictures of Manny Pacquiao's boxing career.)
But negotiations became so acrimonious that they descended to the level of bad soap opera. Mayweather insisted on Olympic-style random blood testing, which Pacquiao refused, saying that drug-testing rules should be decided by boxing commissions, not individual fighters. Though suspicions were raised that Pacquiao was on some sort of performance-enhancing drug, the Filipino boxer — who has won an unprecedented seven belts in seven weight classes, putting on 40 lb. throughout his career — has never tested positive for banned drugs. He says he is willing to submit to random urine testing. (See pictures of Olympic athletes' tattoos.)
Pacquiao's camp says the boxer refused the blood testing because he is superstitious and doesn't want to give blood so close to fight time. He was blood-tested a couple of days before his fight with Erik Morales, and lost. "It made me weak," says Pacquiao, who is suing Mayweather for sullying his reputation. There is speculation in some boxing gyms that Mayweather knew about Pacquiao's aversion to pre-fight blood testing and used it as a tactic to duck him. But Mayweather insists that he simply wants to reform the sport's drug policies. "I am taking a stand," he says, adding, "I should get to choose who I want to fight." But by allowing the negotiations to collapse, Pacquiao and Mayweather quickly became defined as the boxers who wouldn't fight each other. "I think Floyd is scared of Manny," says Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer. "I think the public is disgusted by the controversy, but they still want the fight to happen." (See "The Meaning and Mythos of Manny Pacquiao.")
To fill the vacuum and assuage dissatisfaction, each boxer decided to take on formidable interim opponents. Pacquiao will fight Clottey, and Mayweather will battle "Sugar" Shane Mosley on May 1. The hope is that if Pacquiao and Mayweather both win their respective fights, they will work out their differences and fight in the fall. "My nails are going to be bitten down to the bone waiting until May 2," says Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, which is hoping to televise the Pacquiao-Mayweather spectacle.
From: Pacquiao and Mayweather: One Bout Away from the Big One?
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HOLLYWOOD—It’s easy to see why Filipino ring superstar Manny Pacquiao exudes confidence just six days before he tangles with Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey.
Unlike before, Pacquiao has been training at the Wild Card Gym here on a full stomach.
“Kain ng kain (I keep on eating),” Pacquiao told Manila-based sportswriters Sunday in his unit at the gated Palazzo residences here. “Sobra-sobra pa (And I had a lot more).”
No wonder, Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach has lavished superlatives on his favorite ward’s training form.
Boxing writers, observers, photographers and visitors gushed at the way Pacquiao has toyed with experienced sparmates and sweated it out for over two hours each day.
And betting odds only underscore Pacquiao’s seeming invincibility going into the World Boxing Organization welterweight title fight on Saturday (Sunday morning in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
According to bookmakers, Pacquiao is now at minus-800 and Clottey at plus-550.
It means that an $800 bet on a Pacquiao victory will earn just $100 while a $100 bet on a Clottey win will yield $550.
An attractive proposition is in the “will go” the distance (minus-180) and “won’t go” the distance (plus-140) betting.
If the bout lasts less than 9½ rounds, a $100 “won’t go” bet will earn $140. A “will go” bet of $180 will net just $100.
Pacquiao’s speed, power and strategy have so impressed Roach that the trainer said he expects the Filipino superstar to inflict Clottey’s first knockout defeat.
Because it was Sunday here, Pacquiao took a break and attended to his spiritual obligation. He heard Mass and skipped road work.
“Okay na, ready na,” said Pacquiao, who continues to evade questions regarding the outcome of the pay-per-view tussle. “Good luck to both of us.”
The seven-division world champion closes training camp Monday morning with four rounds of sparring against Raymundo Beltran at Wild Card.
Team Pacquiao will take the three-hour flight to Dallas on a chartered plane along with an entourage of some 150 people.
Clottey’s team flew to Dallas on a commercial flight Sunday.
Source inquirer.net
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MANILA, Philippines - What makes Joshua Clottey a dangerous opponent for Manny Pacquiao is his unpredictability as a dirty fighter.
How Pacquiao will cope with Clottey’s low blows, headbutting, holding and lacing is a big question mark since the Filipino icon has experienced difficulty handling rule-breakers in the past. Clottey’s headbutting is a major concern.
He repeatedly banged heads with Argentina’s Carlos Baldomir in 1999 and was disqualified in the 11th round.
In 2005, Clottey butted Steve Martinez so badly that referee Wayne Hedgpeth was forced to stop their fight in the second round and declared it a no-contest.
In 2007, he kept fouling Shamone Alvarez and won a 12-round decision because referee Jay Nady tolerated his illegal tactics, exasperating the previously unbeaten American.
Last year, the Ghanaian roughhouser left Miguel Cotto with a cut that took 20 stitches to close, courtesy of a butt. “The most dangerous weapon in Clottey’s arsenal and what Pacquiao will have to be most aware of, is undoubtedly Clottey’s head,” wrote Don Stradley in The Ring Magazine (April 2010).
“The sheer contour of it is menacing, the forehead bulging slightly as if nature designed Clottey with the specific intention of giving other fighters headaches and bad cuts.” Clottey’s most inglorious moment was when he went on a butting rampage against Baldomir in a bout for the vacant International Boxing Council (IBC) welterweight title in London. Italian referee Franco Ciminale docked two points from Clottey for a blatant butt in the 10th round, opening a nasty wound over Baldomir’s left eye.
Clottey butted Baldomir once more in the 11th, causing Ciminale to issue a stern warning.
But the Ghanaian didn’t seem to care about Ciminale’s reprimand or that he led in the three judges scorecards – 96-92 (Thailand’s Anek Hongtongkam), 95-93 (Austria’s Walter Schall) and 95-93 (Mexico’s Jose Guerra).
He blew a sure win by butting Baldomir again, leaving Ciminale no choice but to rule a disqualification.
That established Clottey’s unsavory reputation as an instinctively dirty fighter – almost like it’s in his nature to be dirty. Boxing News writer Tony Connolly said there was also reason to disqualify Clottey for low blows which he threw throughout the fight with impunity. In 2006, referee Lou Moret slapped a point deduction on Clottey for a low blow but the Ghanaian still beat Richard Gutierrez on points.
In 2008, Clottey won a ninth round technical decision over Zab Judah who was ruled unfit to continue by referee Robert Byrd because of a cut from an alleged butt.
Clottey’s vile tricks not only inflict physical damage but also cause mental anxiety.
Alvarez, for instance, couldn’t get untracked as he lost his focus, defending against butts and low blows instead of executing his fightplan.
Pacquiao has met two unscrupulously dirty fighters in his career – Australia’s Nedal Hussein and the Dominican Republic’s Agapito Sanchez.
He had problems dealing with both. In 2000, Pacquiao couldn’t figure out Hussein at first and was even floored in the fourth round.
Hussein hit on the break and used his forearms, elbows, shoulders and head to throw off Pacquiao.
Referee Carlos (Sonny) Padilla, however, put his foot down and slapped a point deduction on Hussein for forearming Pacquiao right after the knockdown.
Pacquiao eventually stopped Hussein on cuts in the 10th round. In 2001, Sanchez gave Pacquiao fits with his shenanigans during their brawl in San Francisco.
Referee Marty Denkin deducted two points from Sanchez for low blows but the Dominican got away with a headbutt that split open Pacquiao’s right eyelid in the second.
Sanchez butted Pacquiao once more on the same spot in the sixth.
Denkin should’ve disqualified Sanchez outright but copped out by halting the contest and going to the scorecards.
Pacquiao escaped with a split technical draw but without the two-point deduction, he would’ve lost by a split decision. At the point of stoppage, judge Ricardo Bays of Florida had it 58-54 for Pacquiao, judge Marshall Walker of California 55-57 for Sanchez and judge Raul Armando Caiz of Texas, 56-all.
Clottey’s history of resorting to foul tactics is an indication that he won’t be restrained from going against the rules to win a fight.
source philstar.com
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Like Floyd Mayweather Jr., their flawed skipper, they were never expected to play it fair with Filipinos.
But Richard Shaefer of Golden Boy Promotions and a dirty dove by the name of Kelly Swanson surpassed themselves when they savaged Filipino broadcasters, who came all the way from Manila, and shooed them from a press conference in Los Angeles last week.
“It was a move borne out of arrogance,” cried the respected Michael Marley in his column at examiner.com.
* * *
The Filipino TV crew was able to record the insult.
So Marley bore down harder on the American pair after they brushed off and denied the incident, which took place during the Mayweather-Shawn Mosley media event.
“They’re spitting in our faces by telling us it’s raining,” Marley wrote.
Naturally, there came a clamor for a boycott of the Mayweather-Shawn Mosley bout in response to the Marley report.
But Marley was just out to report candidly, not to slur or ruin anybody.
* * *
This friend of Filipinos, an original ally of Muhammad Ali who has done a lot for the betterment of boxing, will always go all out for fairness in the sport.
But, come to think of it, does Marley, just like his friend Freddie Roach, also foresee a mismatch in the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey clash this weekend?
You see, there has been a one-sided flow of information centering on the overwhelming edge Pacquiao enjoys over Clottey.
* * *
This could partly be blamed on Clottey himself, who continued to claim he did not see the need to study Pacquiao fight tapes.
Of course, Clottey had also seen Pacquiao on tape.
But whether this tough Ghanaian was playing it coy or openly offering a handicap, Marley may have to step in and give a timely advice.
Granted that Clottey indeed no longer sees the urgent necessity of dissecting Pacquiao on video, it’s a must that he (Clottey) restudies himself on film.
* * *
Marley may have to also join Clottey the challenger in this effort to re-check Clottey the fearless fighter who’s also dubbed back home as the Grandmaster.
If they do sit down and watch together, there’s no doubt Marley, who we understand learned the Sweet Science under Ali, would readily see the grand flaw in Clottey’s right-hand punch.
This reporter had the luck of observing Clottey when Solar Sports replayed last Saturday his bout versus Shamone Alvarez of the US in 2007.
Clottey, as confirmed by The Dean, Quinito Henson, won that bout by unanimous decision.
* * *
Anyway, as Henson would confirm, he also observed something strange in Clottey’s right punch.
Actually, it’s a clinical defect from this reporter’s view.
Clottey has the primitive habit of launching the right blow wholly from the shoulder, like a pitcher throwing a fastball.
This causes the promising powerful shot to be pushed or slammed, instead of being speared with a crackling snap from the navel area.
Here’s hoping Marley would be able to be seated with Clottey and his current trainer Leni DeJesus.
What could come out of this pre-fight conference should help greatly in making the Pacquiao-Clottey fight a fairly even and memorable bout.
source inquirer.net
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Everyone knows Manny Pacquiao. Not everyone knows Joshua Clottey, the man Pacquiao is fighting Saturday.
Clottey (above left against Miguel Cotto, photo by Howard Schatz) has a very good reputation, for the most part. Some boxing writers consider him one of the 20 best boxers of today, and he's one of the top men in the welterweight division, clearly. He caught some flack for his showing at the end of the fight against Cotto, but there are a lot of people who thought he got robbed in that bout. And it wasn't that long ago that there was a highly viable theory that Clottey was underrated, the best fighter in the division not to be recognized as one of the best.
Yet the more I look at Clottey, the less convinced I am. I'd had that thought prior to Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach saying the same thing in the "Road to Dallas" documentary that aired Saturday (I swear! Ask the people I hung out with Saturday night, away from the television, when the documentary was airing). But that Roach said it made me feel confident about it, too. I think Clottey has become overrated.
This requires a bit of a preface, a disclaimer. I think Clottey's a really good boxer. I think he's a dangerous fighter for Pacquiao to take on, by virtue of his size and style. But when I look at his record and his review the video, I see a fighter who's a full notch below the best of the best.
Consider:
The best win of Clottey's career is probably his 2008 9th round technical decision over Zab Judah. Now, Judah's a talent. But Judah hadn't had a win over a non-journeyman since 2005, when he knocked out Cory Spinks. Judah was ranked in the top 10 of the division at the time, but there were a lot of smart people who think he didn't deserve to be. He'd been beaten by Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Carlos Baldomir from 2005 to 2008. He was competitive in all of them, but Judah's downward slide was clearly in full force. And you know what? It was a close fight, Clottey-Judah, even under the circumstances. Two judges gave Clottey the fight by a mere point.
The second best win of his career is over... well, there's a big drop off from the win over Judah. Is it Diego Corrales, who was moving up two divisions and had the look of damaged goods? Is it Shamone Alvarez, a decent welterweight but nobody who ever really much sniffed the top 10 of the division?
You can point to the almost-wins over Cotto and Antonio Margarito, but those only go so far. Clottey couldn't beat Cotto with one of the worst handful of cuts I've ever seen a boxer persevere through. Against Margarito, Clottey was doing well early before claiming hand injuries and slowing down. Clottey was ahead on the scorecards against Baldomir before being disqualified.
I'm doing something here that is reminiscent of the kind of thing I hate in boxing -- systematically diminishing a fighter's accomplishments. Honestly, you can do it with any fighter. But I'm doing it here despite fundamentally liking Clottey, and thinking he's good. It's only, as I said, that I think he's a notch lower than some of the best guys.
Cotto knocked out Judah, and Floyd Mayweather beat Judah more easily than did Clottey. Margarito and Pacquiao both knocked out Cotto. There's nobody on my pound-for-pound list whose best win is over Judah, and I don't think there ever will be. Almost-wins count for something, but only if the boxer has a proven record of beating top competition on the scorecards or via knockout.
That's steering us toward the root of where Clottey's problems lie. His style, as I mentioned, is difficult, and he's a dangerous opponent. His excellent defense, good counterpunching and rock-solid chin have made him a handful for the elite boxers he's faced. Yet they also are part and parcel about why he hasn't exactly excelled on the top, top level.
There's a feeling out there that I've long argued against that Clottey allowed Cotto to win in the late rounds, that he somehow took his foot off the gas. In actuality, as I see it, Cotto just exploited the flaws in Clottey's style in those late rounds. Clottey does good work behind his high guard, cutting off the ring and firing counters. But that style often requires Clottey to set his feet, wait for his opponent to punch, then return fire. Cotto, in the final couple rounds against Clottey, took advantage of that by moving and initiating contact and forcing Clottey to cover up, then moving again, preventing Clottey from planting. Clottey didn't know what to do, so he did what he always does, which is more of the same. He didn't give the fight away any more than any other fight he'd ever been in. His style did, with a little help from Cotto.
Judah, a less fundamentally sound boxer than Cotto, also exploited Clottey's style. Merely by punching at Clottey, he outworked him and won rounds. Clottey's style is economical to a fault. He doesn't take a lot of chances, thinking defense-first the way he does, and if you can hit him and get out of the way, you can have a lot of success against him. If Judah's footwork was better, and if he wasn't in the midst of a career slide, and if he wasn't inclined toward finding a way to lose despite his talent, maybe he wins that fight.
That's another issue with Clottey: He kind of finds ways to lose or get taken out of his game, rather than fighting through it all. There's a little bit of bitch in Clottey, at least compared to the top-notch guts of some fighters. I don't doubt his hand injuries against Margarito, but any number of fighters routinely injure their hands and fight through it, from Mayweather to fighters who lacked Clottey's talent, like Arturo Gatti. In the Judah fight, he winced and hammed it up when Judah landed a low blow. He spent about a half hour recovering from Cotto's body slam. I don't know if the disqualification against Baldomir was justified or not, but there's a trend here, no?
What I'm trying to establish is that while I think Clottey's a legit foe for Pacquiao, that he's definitely worth of being top-5 at welter, that his style presents unique problems to his foes and that he's good enough to hang with the best of the best... the best of the best he ain't. Or, at least, he hasn't proven himself to be in his career so far, owing to a variety of defects in his game and a dearth of wins against said best-of-the-best.
It doesn't mean that Pacquiao beating him will be insignificant or anything like it -- it's be another huge win in a historic career. It doesn't mean he can't or won't win against Pacquiao; sometimes, non-super fighters beat super fighters by virtue of the dynamic between those two fighters, and sometimes non-super fighters become super fighters with one key win.
But it's a handicap. - Pacquiao vs Clottey
Source queensberry-rules.com
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The Filipino superstar will be at a size disadvantage when taking on the African welterweight Saturday, but he’s trained rigorously for the challenge.
It's not the fight most wanted to see, and many casual sports fans probably don't know much about this guy who's stepped into Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s void to fight Manny Pacquiao.
Understandable. So much about why that mega-bout crashed over a drug-testing dispute, with $25-million guarantees to each fighter, is head-scratching.
Time, then, to bring some simple reasoning to the sport now as fight week arrives for Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey on Saturday night at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
The soundest logic says the man considered the best boxer in the world will have his way against the African challenger.
Any reason to think differently? A letdown? A visit to Pacquiao's Hollywood gym brings an onslaught of rebuttals from those asked if the Filipino superstar has shown any sign he's blowing off the threat of this lesser-known opponent.
"I wish we were fighting Mayweather this time the way Manny has worked," Pacquiao's conditioning trainer Alex Ariza said.
A gym regular said he saw Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) unleash a barrage of two-dozen unanswered blows to respected veteran sparring partner Steve Forbes.
"I hear Vegas has the over/under for rounds at 10," said Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, who's been so sharp in projecting his prodigy's latest conquests of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. "I'll take the under. We've watched a lot of tapes on Clottey. He's predictable. Manny will be the first to stop him."
The 32-year-old Clottey, a native of Ghana and current resident of the Bronx, is 35-3 with 21 knockouts, and his lone losses have come to world champions: Carlos Baldomir in 1999 (controversial disqualification), Antonio Margarito in 2006 (close decision), and Miguel Cotto (close decision) in in June, his most recent bout.
Pacquiao watched Cotto-Clottey from ringside, scouting Cotto at the time before beating him by 12th-round TKO in November. In Clottey, Pacquiao will be fighting a second-straight true welterweight who has victories over the accomplished Zab Judah (a world title fight) and the late Diego Corrales on his resume. Clottey performed strongly against Cotto, but oddly stopped asserting himself in the final rounds.
"Clottey, he's a good defensive fighter," Pacquiao said. "He's bigger than me [by 2 ½ inches, with a three-inch reach advantage], so I've had to study his style and maybe he's trying to learn some new techniques. But from what I've studied so far, I think he's a good formula for me. I'm still sure he's studying different techniques he can try against me."
And how's that going?
"It is not easy. [Pacquiao's] good, but I tell people I'm going to beat him," Clottey said. "They don't believe me, but I'm a confident guy and I will keep my word. I will make him think a lot in the ring because of my defense. … I believe in my defense. He's going to throw a lot of punches. I'll block nine out of 10."
Clottey has been groomed in his country by impressive natives, including the tough Ike Quartey. Like Pacquiao, he came from a poor family and hawked goods on the street, including fish, oranges and bananas.
So is Clottey bound to frequently go into a self-made shell, stalling like he did late against Cotto? Clottey says he won't, wanting Pacquiao to stay cautious of the size advantage and punching power that is considered by some to be suspect. Clottey's last true knockout was in 2004, at a club show in Laughlin, Nev.
"What about mine?" Clottey asked of his punches.
Roach has openly said, "We don't know what Clottey has. We're concerned with his uppercut and hook, but we'll keep Manny out of that pocket."
Pacquiao, guaranteed $12 million plus a pay-per-view cut for this fight, has some bigger days ahead of him this year, including the election he's seeking for a congressional seat in the Philippines, along with the expected resumption of talks with Mayweather.
Clottey, meanwhile, wants to keep logic thrown out the window. He never expected to get this fight, was negotiating for a bout against 154-pound champ Yuri Foreman when notified Mayweather was out and he was in.
"I'd like to think good things come to good people," Clottey said. "We'll see. I know he's a good fighter. If he hits me, and I don't feel his punches, I'll jump on him. If I do feel them, I'll just have to hit him more."
Source latimes.com
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In my Pacquiao/Clottey prediction earlier this week, I predicted that Pacquiao will go on to coast through the fight and walk away with a Unanimous Decision Victory. I got to tell you, I might as well had said that Clottey will go on to destroy the Pac-Man. Pac-Man by far right now has the most loyal crazed fans in the sport. If you don’t say that Pacquiao will win by knockout then you might as well just go for the other guy. If you say Pacquiao by decision then that must mean that you are doubting the great God that is Pacquiao. I got news for you all, well I got news for ”US” all, I say us because I sometimes feel the same way as you all do. I sometimes also feel that Pacquiao is Superman, thing is that he is not Superman. Pacquiao may perform like a Superman, but he is human like you and I. Super Human yes, but Superman no!
When I mentioned that the way to beat Pacquiao was to bring the fight to him and keep him off balance, to throw off his rythym, many fans responded by saying that ”Reckless” Hatton tried to do just that and well look where it got him. Same can be said about Cotto, same plan, same result. Pac-Man gobbled them up. You are right for pointing that out to me, but since when does Hatton who was also knocked out by feather fisted Floyd, have a chin, and as strong as Clottey? Same can be said about Cotto. Cotto has been dazed countless times before. Like I said in my pick, Pacquiao will win but not in that Superman fashion that seems to be the latest trend. Oh and for those that are quick to point out that Cotto beat Clottey and Pacquiao crushed Cotto so Clottey will also get crushed. Well guess what? Styles make fights. So am I to also think that Floyd will eat up Pacquiao since Floyd toyed with Marquez while Marquez pushed Pac-Man to the limit? I feel that Pacquiao won both Marquez fights but truth be told, Marquez was on Pacquiao’s ass like a rash. It must also be noted that at least Pacquiao fought Marquez at Marquez’s fight weight, but Floyd would have still dominated Marquez at any weight. Why? Once again, because styles make fights. For the most part, I am with you all, I am amazed by Pacquiao each and every time I see him fight. I haven’t seen anything like what I have been seeing in Pacquiao, EVER! Even Bob Arum is now calling Pacquiao the greatest fighter he has ever seen, then again maybe we shouldn’t pay that too much mind since Arum once called Money May the greatest since Ali. Arum is the kind of guy that will eat shit and tell you it tastes good, just as long as he is promoting shit. I am sticking to my pick, Pacquiao by UD. If Pacquiao crushes Clottey like many of you think he will, I will then eat my crow the very next day and help hold up Superman’s cape.
May 1st., May’s 1st. Loss?- I recall sitting some 10-15 feet away from Floyd after he dominated Marquez when a reporter asked him about his money problems. Floyd’s answer to the brave reporter was that Floyd’s money was none of his business. Great answer by Floyd, but he that lives in a glass house should not throw stones. At yesterdays Mosley/Mayweather press conference, Mayweather made it a point to spit out that Shane needs money because Shane now has to pay alimony. I guess my business is my business and your business is everyone’s business. Seems to me that Floyd’s way of life is to always be on the defensive, the same Floyd you see in the ring is the same Floyd that you see out of it. I can hit you all I want but you can’t hit me. Regardless of all that, I gotta give it up to Floyd, He sure knows how to sell a fight.
Caballero Vs. Yordan April 10- Last week while I was out in Vegas, I stopped by Richard Steele’s Gym where I was able to see Celestino Caballero hit the pads with Jeff Mayweather. Celestino looked very strong and very sharp. Caballero’s footwork impressed me alot. Jeff mentioned to me that the 2 have been working together for a little under 2 months now and Caballero keeps surprising him with how fast he is able to pick up on things. Caballero feels that Gamboa and Lopez are both scared to face him in the ring. Earlier today it was announced that the man that will be seeing Caballero in that ring next will be the very tough Daud Yordan. Caballero/Yordan are set to face each other on April 10 on HBO.
Mike who? Mike Jones- I must admit that whenever someone would mention to me how good Mike Jones is, I would simply just shrug and say ok cool let me watch him first then I’ll get back to you. I have always just seen bits and pieces of him but never enough to fully see something for myself. This past weekend, I got to see him in action against Henry Bruseles. I must agree and now say that Mike Jones is good and should not be slept on. I would also like to add that Mike Jones reminds me of a young Vernon Forrest. May you rest in peace champ.
Local News: Ronson Frank back to make a statement- Ronson Frank brother of former champs Steve and Raul will take on tough vet Raynard Darden on March 12. Ronson who is 13-0 with 7 ko’s is looking for #14 to represent Rosedale to the fullest. Ronson who also just signed a new promotional contract will be making his debut under the O’ Shea Brothers Boxing Promotions banner. Mnay other fights are also set to take place including Maureen ”The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea against Nydia Feliciano. ”St. Patty’s Day Brawl” will be held March 12 at the PaL Gym in Yonkers, Ny. For additional information and tickets, please call 914.216.9381. Big ups to my boy Ronson, do your thing.
source diamondboxing.com
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HOLLYWOOD—Manny Pacquiao is reaching peak form for his March 13 defense of the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown against Ghanaian Joshua Clottey.
This was what Canadian Rob Peters confidently told Filipino sportswriters, who caught up with him at Nat’s Thai restaurant near the Wild Card gym.
Peters, Pacquiao’s chief of security, added that the pound-for-pound king again toyed with his sparmates in a 10-round afternoon session held behind closed doors under the watchful eyes of master trainer Freddie Roach.
“The more guys they put on him, the more guys he beat up,” said Peters, citing Pacquiao’s sparring Tuesday with Raymund Beltrand and David Rodela and light welterweight prospect Jamie Kavanagh of Dublin, Ireland.
According to Peters, the 19-year-old Kavanagh, who compiled a 168-win, 12-loss record in a stellar amateur career highlighted by a silver-medal effort in last year’s AIBA World Youth Championships, became too overeager and “came in a little too brave.”
The observation of Peters jibed with comments from boxing pundits who’ve seen Pacquiao honing up his skills for the March 13 duel with Clottey at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. - Pacquiao vs Clottey
Source inquirer.net
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HOLLYWOOD – Probably one reason Freddie Roach wanted less rounds of sparring this time is because it’s getting more and more difficult to find guys who can really keep up with Manny Pacquiao.
With just nine days left and a couple more rounds to go before his fight with Joshua Clottey, the heavy-handed Pacquiao continued to punish anyone thrown at him by his trainer at the Wild Card gym.
Since sparring began on the fourth week of January, the 31-year-old Pinoy icon had sparring partners, around 10 of them, lining up like they were disputing the welterweight slot in the US Olympic team.
From Brian Brooks, Dave Rodela, Ray Beltran and Jose Benavidez, a 2009 Golden Gloves welterweight champion, to Mike Dallas, Steve Forbes, Shawn Porter, Abdulla Amidu and Jamie Kavanagh.
“The more guys they put on him the more guys he beat up,” said Wild Card security enforcer Rob Peters in a brief chat with Filipino scribes just outside the Wild Card Gym on a cold Tuesday evening.
Roach had just taken off, and so Peters did some talking.
“The camp has been good. Freddie’s happy and Manny’s in good spirits. We’ve been super strict with the fans the entire camp and it’s been working,” said Peters, who makes sure Pacquiao trains behind closed doors.
Peters was in there Tuesday when Pacquiao sparred with Kavanagh, the newest member of the Pacquiao sparring team. He’s a 19-year-old Irish armed with a respectable 168-12 record as an amateur and a future as a pro.
Peters said Kavanagh was probably out to make an impression that he came out swinging at Pacquiao like he wasn’t aware that he was in the ring with the greatest boxer in the planet today, the pound-for-pound champion.
“He came in a little too brave.. So, he comes in and Manny hits him with a good shot,” said Peters, adding that as Kavanagh staggered, Pacquiao had to step back a little.
“Manny really hit him with some serious shots,” said the Wild Card enforcer who noted that Pacquiao did a total of 10 rounds with Kavanagh, Amidu, Rodela and Beltran.
Pacquiao is in his last few days of sparring. He did 12 rounds against four guys last Saturday, and for this week the numbers should go down to 10, eight, six and four until they wrap things up by Saturday or Monday.
For his previous fights, Pacquiao does close to 150 rounds of sparring, but for this fight, Roach said a little over a hundred would be good enough because his boxer did not take long to be in good shape.
After all, it’s been only two months after he demolished Miguel Cotto that Pacquiao started training for Clottey.
Notes: Pacquiao will hold a media workout Wednesday at the Wild Card Gym starting at 2 p.m. There will be no sparring but it doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. Joshua Clottey’s media workout is set Thursday in New York... Pacquiao should be happy with the arrival of his wife, Jinkee, Tuesday evening from Manila, and might bring her along when he appears at The Jimmy Kimmel Show later in the evening along the famous Hollywood Boulevard. Pacquiao was in the same show last November, in the runup for the Miguel Cotto fight, but created quite a stir when he drove in on his black Mercedes with a camera-shy girl who everybody thought wasn’t Jinkee.... Freddie Roach turns 50 on Friday. His birthday wish? Of course, a big win over Clottey.
source philstar.com
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Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, will talk with FOXSports.com each week leading up to Pacquiao's March 13 welterweight title fight with Joshua Clottey (on HBO pay-per-view).
This is the second in a four-part series. Part I
FOXSports.com: How'd training go this week?
Roach: Training's going great. Manny's doing very well. We're headed towards our peak. He went 10 rounds on Tuesday. He'll do 11 rounds today (last Thursday) and he'll max out at 12 rounds on Saturday so he'll be in the best shape for the fight.
FOXSports.com: You and Manny have had so much success. How do you keep your message fresh to him?
Roach: He's very smart. We work on moves. Especially with Clottey. We're watching tapes of him. We're finding his flaws and his habits. When you have a new opponent in front of you, you always have to find the best way to fight him. That's how we keep it fresh with a new opponent. Joshua Clottey is dangerous - he's a dangerous guy. We have a lot of respect for him. But I have a lot of confidence in my fighter and we'll knock him out before it's over.
FOXSports.com: You just said Clottey is a dangerous fighter. What are you guys focusing on in training?
Roach: How to break his defensive style when he goes to the ropes. We're working on that quite a bit. We're working on if he's coming to us, if he decides to do that. We're getting ready for every scenario that can happen actually. We've been watching a lot of tapes on him. He fights people with different styles, of course. But his habits are there and we can take advantage.
FOXSports.com: With all the hype surrounding Manny -- people saying he could be the best fighter of his generation -- how hard is it to keep him level?
Roach: It's amazing to me that Manny Pacquiao still comes to my gym and works as hard as he does. It's like the first day he came. After winning seven world titles, you'd think somebody would slow down a little bit, lose their edge, be a little cocky. Not Manny Pacquiao. He trains as hard today as the first day he came to my gym. I actually have to slow him and stop him sometimes and turn the bell off in the ring, so he doesn't work anymore. His work ethic is tremendous and that's why he's such a good fighter.
FOXSports.com: Have you or Manny or both of you started to think about your respective legacies?
Roach: We're not caught up in that so much. I that will settle in maybe when we're both retired and looking back on it. We're in the middle of it right now. It's a great relationship. We have a great rapport with each other. But the thing is, we're just getting ready for fights to fight the best fight we can to please the audience. Manny Pacquiao, he's a performer. He wants to make people happy. That's why he trains so hard and fights so hard.
FOXSports.com: How long do you see Manny still fighting?
Roach: Well, Manny Pacquiao's a fighter -- especially in the way of his dedication he could fight for a long time if he wanted to. But I like to see him fight Joshua Clottey. We'll fight the winner of the Shane Mosley-Mayweather fight. And then I want Manny to retire. He's got a lot of interests in life. He's singing, TV shows, movies and politics. He didn't put everything into boxing. He can do other things also. So I'd like to see Manny retire on top and I'd like to see it pretty soon.
FOXSports.com: With the politics, the acting, the singing, the TV, how does Manny keep it all together?
Roach: He loves to entertain. There's no stage big enough for Manny Pacquiao. He loves to perform. After practice here at the gym he goes to singing classes and stuff like that, voice classes and learns how to play the piano and guitar. He just likes to stay busy with all that. You know a lot of people would say that's a lot of distractions and stuff, you know his mind is on the fight when he's in fight mode. But when he's not in fight mode, he's doing other things and enjoying life. I think he'll be president of the Philippines some day because he cares about his people.
Source foxnews.com
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HBO's third installment of its fight hype series "Face-Off" with Max Kellerman is now On Demand. It features, of course, Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey, who will fight March 13 in the new Dallas Stadium in a welterweight fight to be aired on HBO pay-per-view. This one is the funniest yet: I found myself laughing on several occasions. It was silly. They smiled a lot. They shared giggles. They rarely seemed like two men who are getting prepared to step into a boxing ring and attempt to beat the living hell out of each other.
Pacquiao and Clottey might be the two nicest boxers around. As Shoelfy pointed out, Clottey is just not a very angry guy, and we all know Pacquiao is a happy-go-lucky fellow. The difference, I think, is that Pacquiao is more competitive than Clottey. Whereas Clottey seems unwilling to push himself in the ring, Pac has always been inclined to fully engage in the pursuit of victory. Pac's got that dog in him that the greatest competitors possess, that dog that Clottey doesn't.
Anyways, some of my favorite parts:
- Max asks Manny if he gets "a special satisfaction" out of beating fighters from all over the world:
"It's not my intention to beat them all, but it's my job," Pac says, smiling.
- Manny talks about one of the things that he says makes boxing "easier" - studying your opponent and training for his style:
"Some fighters, if they have a fight, just go to the gym and train for what's their style, just doing what's their style. It's wrong. Before I start training, I watch the style of my opponent first. There's my strategy. And when I start training, I know what I'm going to do because I studied the style of my opponent. The strategy that I'm doing everyday, it's very accurate to the style of my opponent."
I think this speaks to the fact that Manny has become a much more cerebral fighter. He alluded to the same thing in the post-fight presser for the Cotto fight, and Freddie Roach has talked about how underrated Manny's intelligence is. The young, wild, uninhibited slugger has been replaced by the veteran, smart, aggressive boxer-puncher. It has been quite a transformation to witness.
- Max turns to Clottey, and asks him if he has seen anything about Manny that he thinks he can exploit. Clottey calls that his "secrets," and says that he doesn't want to reveal it because Manny is very a smart person with a very smart trainer. However, he does indulge us a bit, saying that the double-guard (Clottey's trademark defense) is the best thing thing to combat Manny's offense.
"But that's not a secret from you, right?" Max says.
Manny (smirking at Clottey the whole time he is revealing something that is not really revealing) interrupts.
"No, I know," Pac says, as the three men share a laugh. "No, I know."
- Max asks Manny what Clottey does well. "Good defense, strong back...Good defense, can punch."
"What are his weaknesses?" Max asks.
Manny looks at Max.
"Secret," Pac says, before letting out a laugh. Clottey nods, smiling.
- Max points out the obvious: these two like each other. He asks them if they'll need to work up some kind of comptempt for each other before the fight.
Pacquiao: "I think we're just doing our job in the ring. We have to do our best to entertain the audience and give the people what they want to see."
Clottey: "I show respect to any opponent I fight. But I know boxing is this: When you put on the gloves, the gloves is like a spirit. As soon as you put on the gloves, you're gonna defend yourself. And defending, you have to attack. When we get in, we're gonna do our job. I know he's coming to win, and he's the best. I want to play the best, because I know if I beat Manny Pacquiao today, I'll be the number one out there. Because he's the best."
Clottey continues.
"This is boxing. It's not an easy job at all. For you to get into the ring and beat the best out there is not easy at all. The way I'm going to train, I'll make sure that I do everything to win.
"When we get to the ring, we're going to be more than serious."
Manny shoots him a fierce look.
And with that, suddenly March 13 can't get here fast enough.
P.S. Pacquiao appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight. He did the same prior to the Cotto fight and it was an entertaining appearance. He and Kimmel have good chemistry. Set your TiVo's. - Pacquiao vs Clottey
Source sportingnews.com
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Manny Pacquiao is a congressional candidate in his native Philippines, where a super hero movie he starred in there debuted on Christmas.
He has been the subject of large, or front page features in Time Magazine, the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and ESPN's Body Issue -- the latter along with athletes such as Dwight Howard and Serena Williams.
While he was celebrating his 31st birthday in General Santos City, Philippines, on Dec. 17, with thousands of his country men and dignitaries in attendance, Pacquiao received the news that it was being announced, at the same time, in America, that he had been named among Time Magazine's Top 25 People Who Mattered in 2009 -- listed alphabetically right behind the United States' first African American president, Barack Obama.
And on Tuesday, March 3, the seven-division champion and current WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king will make his second appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live -- the same place on which Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) stole the show from beginning to end on Nov. 3.
Pacquiao's first appearance came about two weeks prior to his dethroning Miguel Cotto as WBO champ with a 12th-round knockout on Nov. 14, just as his second one will come about two weeks prior his first defense of the belt -- a March 13 clash with former IBF titlist, Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), of Ghana slated for The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium in Arlington, Tex.
A three-time Fighter Of The Year who was recently named Fighter Of The Decade, Pacquiao even rubs elbows with other celebrities at the Wild Card Boxing Club, where he is being prepared for Clottey by four-time Trainer Of The Year, Freddie Roach.
Pacquiao is also expected to be featured sometime in the fall on 60 Minutes, which will have access to the fighter from the moment he lands in Dallas for his bout with Clottey, all the way up until the show airs, according to Lee Samuels, publicist for Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank.
During a recent workout, Robert Duvall visited Pacquiao and Roach (all pictured above, from left to right), the gym's owner and proprietor.
Asked if he would agree that Pacquiao has become a cross-over star, the figher's Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, said "That's 100 percent correct."
"That was our goal when we started with Manny, was to break him out from the Filipino base that he had. We were able to pick up millions of Hispanic fans and we have broken him in to the general conscience of the people around the world," said ," Arum.
"Manny is truly a crossover star," said Arum, who has promoted Muhammad Ali, and compares Pacquiao favorably to him in popularity. "How many fighters of our time go on Jimmy Kimmel Live? How many fighters go on Good Morning America, like he's going to be doing? And how many fighters have a big article coming out in Time magazine, which he is going to have again? I think that is saying something."
On the last Jimmy Kimmel Live, Pacquaio was introduced by the host as "The Pride Of The Philippines," and nearly every gesture that Pacquiao made was greeted by cheers or laughter or both from the largely Filipino audience.
Considered boxing's premiere fighter, pound-for-pound, Pacquiao's fist name -- "Manny!" -- was repeatedly chanted by the members of the crowd.
The fighter opened the show by smashing hanging pumpins with his fists -- much like he does heavybags in training or rivals in the ring. And he closed it by singing with the members of the Jimmy Kimmel Live band, just as he did while holding a late-night concert right after defeating Cotto.
Since losing to Erik Morales in March of 2005, Pacquiao is 11-0, with eight knockouts. That run includes two knockouts of Morales, victories over Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, and, in his last four bouts, knockouts of David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and, Cotto, respectively.
Pacquiao (pictured at right, on the left, with Julio Cesar Chavez) has said that after his bout with Clottey, he will immediately return to the Philippines and concentrate on the political side of his life.
Pacquiao did rule out retirement.
"In the election, I am leading. And the start of campaigning is March 26, so it will not be until after my fight. After the fight, I will go back to the Philippines and start campaigning," said Pacquiao.
"It is going to be busy. I want to pass some bills that will be good for the livelihood of the people there and education for the children," said Pacquiao. "This is my last fight before the election. I am not saying I'm going to retire. It is hard to say right now when I'm going to retire, but this is my last fight before the election, and I'm very excited about it."
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HOLLYWOOD—Manny Pacquiao doesn't think he needs a fight against Floyd Mayweather to validate his place in boxing history.
It's not so much what he says, it's more in how he says it.
Manny Pacquiao really means it when he says calmly and serenely that he will be content to ride off into the boxing sunset without fighting the mouthy Mayweather.
When you're sitting across a dinner table in Nat's Thai Restaurant and Pacman repeats this assertion it is quite different than just auditing it on an international media conference call.
“I don't need him, I don't need Mayweather now,” Pacquiao said late Monday night. “I am fine with what I have done in my carrer, I am happy with that.”
Don't take that to mean Pacquiao is not striving for more great nights in the ring, starting with his March 13 bout against Joshua Clottey in Dallas.
He expects more benefits from his arduous training and preparation but repeated that he needs no comparisons to the undefeated American fighter.
“As far as my career, this all comes from God and the people who support me, the fans, I know that,” Pacquiao said. “This is just my time.”
While Mayweather mocks Pacman's early career problems, including two KO losses, Manny thinks handling such wicked professional adversity set the stage for his brilliance against Ricky Hatton, Oscar de la Hoya and lastly Miguel Cotto.
He doesn't expect Mayweather to understand.
You Pacman trivia buffs know that it was fellow Pinoy Rustico Torrecampo who iced Manny in the teenager's 12th pro bout (1996) and Medgoen Sinsurat of Thailand who also scored a KO 3 over Pacman in a world flyweight title bout in 1999.
You might say the little fella has been on something of a roll since that loss (see video below) in Thailand and I do not mean a spring roll.
“I stopped boxing for six months at one point,. I was just so down and so depressed. But I came to realize that losing can be beneficial because when you lose a fight, you learn more, more about boxing, more about yourself.
“Those losses caused me to improve more, they caused me to wake up to the meaning and purpose of my life,” Pacquiao said.
“It turned out that those losses were really a big thing for me and my boxing career.”
Pacman said he was no time for Mayweather's ranting and raving and demeaning of opponents.
“He does all this trash talking which is really not good. It's not good for the sport of boxing and it's a bad example to the young kids who are coming up, I couldn't do this or say things like that.
“My success comes only from God and only from the support of the people who love boxing. Without the fans there to support you, what do you have? You have nothing.”
Pacman is currently pushing his new energy drink known as “Pacq.”
It is 100 percent natural ingredients and does not cause those who imbibe it to turn into raving, garbage spewing lunatics or even someone pretending to be one.
source examiner.com
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In Pacquiao’s last fight, Pacquiao was tested by one of the hardest punchers in the sport in Miguel Cotto. I recall Pacquiao getting buzzed for a second or two in a wild exchange against Cotto in the very early going of their great action packed fight. After the light buzz, Pacquiao then took Cotto’s best shots and took them with ease, Pacquiao later said that the Boriqua Bombers hard shots did indeed hurt, but Pacquiao pretended in his own mind that they really didn’t hurt. Come March 13, can Pacquiao pretend that Clottey’s fierce left hook tickles? I sure hope so, because come March 13 I will be picking Pacquiao to get the W over Clottey. I however do not see this fight as a wipeout as most observers out there are seeing this affair play out. I see this fight as a 8 rounds-4 or 7 rounds-5 kind of fight for Pacquiao. Many are picking Pacquiao based on 2 things, that is speed and power.
I will agree that Pacquiao does have the speed and power advantages over Clottey, but speed and power will not win this fight for Pacquiao. The things that will win this fight for Pacquiao will be heart and will. Will Pacquiao’s heart will The Pac-Man to keep firing off shots when he finds a steel iron chin Clottey resting on the ropes with his ear muffs on? How will Pacquiao react when he discovers that he can’t hurt Clottey as easily as he was able to hurt has past foes? Those are great questions to ask, but the bottom line is that Clottey just doesn’t throw enough shots to derail the Pacquiao Express. If I am Clottey, I would bring the fight to Pacquiao and constantly have Pacquiao backing up, Pacquiao is at his best when he is the one moving forward sitting on his punches and picking his spots. This is why I would push forward and place Pacquiao in a whole different place, take the rythym away from him. Can the Grand Master from Ghana do just that? I don’t think so. Pacquiao By UD.
source diamondboxing.com
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The well-chronicled argument between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. over drug testing was so heated and divisive it caused two money-loving athletes to walk away from a guarantee of $25 million each.
Mayweather's camp implied there was something not so natural about Pacquiao's steady move up in weight in recent years, with increased dominance in the ring, and Pacquiao grew so defensive about the jabs that he sued members of the Mayweather camp for defamation.
Now, less than two weeks before Pacquiao fights Joshua Clottey in the replacement fight March 13 at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has judged that there is no "good cause" to institute any pre-fight drug screening for either fighter before their welterweight main event.
Mayweather and Pacquiao's public fireworks over the issue, in which a federal arbitrator was summoned to mediate the argument, have already been considered by the Texas executive director, William Kuntz, said licensing and regulation spokeswoman Susan Stanford.
Stanford added Kuntz can still change his mind "at any time," ordering drug screening procedures that the fighters would need to pay for.
Nevertheless, the absence of testing seems stunning when it's considered that Mayweather's May 1 fight against Pomona's Shane Mosley in Las Vegas is subject to Olympic-style drug testing that is being negotiated to be supervised by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Not only is USADA set to supervise random testing, including blood screening for human growth hormone that last week nabbed a British rugby player, Mayweather will have the option to request additional tests as long as he gives a sample of his own at or near the same time, said his advisor, Leonard Ellerbe, and promoter, Richard Schaefer, said.
Mosley has admitted that in the days before his 2003 mega-fight against Oscar De La Hoya, he used performance-enhancing drugs given him by BALCO founder Victor Conte. Mosley has insisted he thought the substances he took from Conte were legal vitamins.
The disparity in how the Pacquiao and Mayweather fights are being scrutinized (or not) is an unfortunate fact of life in boxing, says the president of the Assn. of Boxing Commissions, the national body that advises state commissions.
"Testing [is] an excellent idea, but the cost of [it is] somewhat cost-prohibitive," Timothy Lueckenhoff said. "If steroid testing is to be done as well as testing for illegal [street] drugs, it must be done across the board. When we talk about requiring all fights to be subject to this, we are just adding more cost to a struggling profession, especially regarding club show events.
"All drug testing is good and needed, but the cost is a huge factor right now."
source Lance Pugmire - latime.com
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