Watch Pacquiao vs Clottey weigh in

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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‘Journey’ Lead Vocalist Arnel Pineda will sing for Pacquiao vs Clottey fight

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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Sellout expected for Pacquiao-Clottey

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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Pacquiao's Sparring Is Becoming Legendary

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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Bet $800 on Pacquiao victory, win just $100

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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Manny Pacquiao will not take Joshua Clottey lightly

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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Pacquiao beating up sparmates, says security head

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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Sparmates can't keep up with in-form Manny

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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Roach on Pacquiao's training, future

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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Headline: Can Pacquiao wipeout Clottey?

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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This Time Clottey's Non-Response Was Troubling

This past Thursday there was a press call that featured Team Clottey along with promoter Bob Arum. Personally, I don't find fighter press outings and conferences to be all that informative. Sure, they can fill a writers' notebook with a lot of quotes. But having been around and associated with many world class fighters and champions, I know fighters are never going to disclose much about how they really feel and think about their upcoming fight and opponent. Obviously there are exceptions like Bernard Hopkins, James Toney, Floyd Mayweather and David Haye. However, they are the exception and certainly not the rule.

Most of today's fighters aren't going to shed anything that most observers haven't already figured out. Mangers, trainers and promoters are more than willing to talk - and that's because on fight night when the bell rings they step down and out of the ring. Whereas the fighters have to back up what they may have said during the run-up to a big fight or main event like Pacquiao-Clottey. Which is not the most comfortable position to be in if you're the fighter who lost.

During the conference call, Joshua Clottey was pressed as to what it is he sees about Pacquiao that makes him confident that he can beat him on March 13th. Others asked what it is that he had to improve on himself in order to become a better fighter. Clottey retorted by basically saying he's had a great training camp and is ready for the fight. The only thing Joshua said of substance was that by him being able to block a lot of Pacquiao's punches, Manny will in turn be a little more open for him to hit. Which of course is true. The problem is Pacquiao throws punches in bunches from a lot of unconventional angles. Meaning that if he's jammed with the first one or two he throws, three, four, five and six will be re-routed to the open areas. Which depending on how Clottey's chin holds up will either be his undoing or leave Pacquiao vulnerable to the presumably stronger Clottey.

The fact that fighters usually don't give up much to writers and commentators before the fight is just the way it is. Yet often you can tell that it's more the case of them holding something back and they are just keeping it to themselves so they don't show their hand before the fight. In fact Clottey admitted during the call that he didn't watch film of his opponents' fights. Then he said he's seen enough of Pacquiao to know how he fights. Okay, that's fair but here are the concerns I came away with.

One - Clottey is definitely troubled by not being able to be re-united with his first trainer, Ghanian Godwin Kotey, who was denied a US visa. Not only is that big for him emotionally, but it could turn out to be a disaster tactically. Secondly - Clottey gave me the impression that he really isn't sure what he wants to do or try to prevent Pacquiao from doing during the fight. And Manny Pacquiao is the wrong fighter to try and adjust to on the fly.

Granted, Pacquiao can disrupt the best formulated fight plan in the world during the heat of battle with his hand speed and shocking power. But if Clottey is under the impression that he can sit back and try and wait on what Pacquiao does - and then try to adapt to that and/or take it away--that's a colossal miscalculation. If Clottey was a little more aggressive he could use Pacquiao's mindset of being a real fighter against him, but that's not who he is.

The fact that Clottey didn't project that he's of the mindset and belief that he's going to fight as the bigger and stronger fighter is not a good sign. If it hasn't been drummed into Clottey's head by now that the only way he can win this fight is by forcing himself physically on Pacquiao, and hopefully that will be enough to break down the smaller opponent, then he really doesn't have much of a chance to score the upset. Pacquiao is a better boxer with faster hands and is the more accurate and sharper puncher. There's no way Clottey can sit back and try waiting and reacting to what Pacquiao is trying to do. But that's the impression I was left with as to what his approach to the fight will be after hearing him talk about it for 50 plus minutes.

Source thesweetscience.com

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Roach to bring in new sparring partners, It's becoming too easy for Manny

Trainer Freddie Roach plans to bring in some new sparring partners for pound-for-pound icon Manny Pacquiao this week as he steps up training for his showdown against Ghana’s tough Joshua Clottey at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13.

Conditioning expert Alex Ariza told us that Roach wants “to get some fresh blood in there because to be honest it's been too easy for him (Pacquiao). ”

Pacquiao sparred twelve rounds last Saturday but dropped super featherweight David Rodela from the roster and instead went up against undefeated Abdullai Amidu (18-0, 17 KO’s) of Ghana, light welterweight Mike Dallas (11-0-1, 2 KO’s) and the experienced welterweight, veteran Steve Forbes (34-7, 10 KO’s.)

Ring Magazine’s Michael Rosenthal recently quoted Dallas as saying Pacquiao is “even stronger than he was before the (Oscar) De La Hoya fight. He’s a good counter-puncher. He’s strong, he’s fast and his legs are really something. His footwork is incredible. He moves like a cat. He’s real fast.”

Amidu told Rosenthal, Pacquiao is in good condition “punches hard, had a lot of speed and has good movement. He has everything. His punches come from different directions. They don’t come from where you expect to. You have to be ready for every eventuality.”

Asked why he thought Pacquiao was so successful, Amidu replied “he has a lot of respect for humanity. God blesses him a lot. He’s very disciplined, always in good condition.”

The Ghana fighter said he was very impressed with Pacquiao’s footwork pointing out that “if you have good footwork you can do a lot in boxing. You have to have good movement, to move from every angle. He can do that” adding that Pacquiao was the best he had worked with.

Ariza said Pacquiao was good, same as before when he had a stirring workout on Thursday which both Roach and Ariza agreed was Pacquiao’s best showing in sparring so far.

The conditioning guru who has worked with Roach since a few weeks before the David Diaz fight which Pacquiao won by a devastating 9th round knockout told us he’s “focusing more on his legs” which caused some concern in the training camp when Pacquiao complained of pain and tightness in the left leg which was similar to what he suffered during the fight with Juan Manuel Marquez.

Ariza told us “as long as his leg is holding up and it's not bothering him I am pleased. Until he wins this fight let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

He revealed that Pacquiao “knows now” about the danger to his leg posed by playing too much basketball which Roach has long been against and has apparently stopped.

While he was in the Philippines prior to leaving for Los Angeles, Pacquiao played a lot of basketball which is his way of staying in physical shape before getting into the gym to prepare for a fight. Even in Los Angeles, Pacquiao did play in some pick-up games because he loves the sport so much.

Source philboxing.com

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Bob Arum: Life goes on, Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey a competitive fight

Clottey says he has too much respect for Pacquiao to demand blood testing

The issue that killed a mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather apparently didn't even come up during the Filipino's negotiations with Joshua Clottey.

Shortly after talks between Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO) and Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO) broke down because of Mayweather's insistence they implement Olympic-style drug testing, Top Rank officials announced their fighter was moving on to take a March 13 fight with Clottey at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

During a media conference call Thursday, Clottey (35-3, 20 KO) characterized the opportunity to face Pacquiao as "a blessing" and said questioning Pacquiao's credibility never crossed his mind because of the respect he has for his opponent.

"I don't want to do that because I respect him so much," Clottey said. "I don't think Manny Pacquiao would do that. If he is, he's cheating the sport, but I believe he's not."

Mayweather's accusations that Pacquiao possibly was using performance-enhancing drugs stemmed from the welterweight champion's rare ability to dominate opponents while moving up weight classes.

Pacquiao made boxing history last November when he defeated Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for a world title in an unprecedented seventh weight class. He began his professional career fighting at 107 pounds.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission only requires its fighters to take urine tests and not the random blood tests that Mayweather had demanded.

On Thursday, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum reiterated a point he's made in the past — any rule change must be made by the commission and not an individual fighter.

"My view is that is something for the commission to decide and if any participant in a boxing match wants more stringent testing, he should go before the commission and present his case," Arum said. "That's not for a bunch of amateurs to start talking about and making demands.

"That is wrong. That is what is called chaos. You go before a commission and say, 'I want such and such on testing,' and you let the commissioners decide. That's what they get paid for."

Mayweather went on to sign a deal to face Shane Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas, which included both fighters undergoing Olympic-style drug testing.

While the details of drug testing were enough to break up what many believed would be the richest fight in boxing history, they did little to slow talks with Clottey, who is coming off a split decision loss to Cotto in June.

"I couldn't agree with Bob more," said Clottey's manager, Vinny Scolpino. "If a commission wants to implement more rules, let them and we'll follow. Manny is a super-champion and we all hope that he's doing the right thing. If he's not, the commission will find it in their drug testing and that's they way it is."

Many boxing fans were disappointed when Pacquiao and Mayweather were unable to come to terms in January, as the two are currently considered the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

When asked about the lingering effects of the broken deal between the two, Arum responded that fans were still receiving two great fights and need to move on.

"Life goes on," Arum said. "If Joshua beats Manny, who knows? Maybe Mosley beats Mayweather and we do a Mosley vs. Clottey fight. Who the hell knows?

"If these were walkover fights, nobody would give a damn. Are they consolation prizes? Well, in a way. The one fight everybody wanted to see didn't happen for one reason or another but now we've got, on March 13, a really good, competitive fight that I believe is Manny Pacquiao's toughest fight yet."

source lasvegassun.com

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He’s not Mayweather, but Joshua Clottey might be good enough

Watch Pacquiao vs Clottey live stream on March 13, 2010 at Dallas Stadium.

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Timing and circumstances haven’t been kind to Joshua Clottey. He isn’t Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the welterweight everybody wanted to see against Manny Pacquiao on March 13.

Instead, Clottey has been cast as the substitute, which to a cynical public only means he isn’t Mayweather and he doesn’t have a chance against Pacquiao on a night when Cowboys Stadium in the Dallas metroplex might be the biggest attraction.

If he doesn’t feel like last season’s Detroit Lions or St. Louis Rams, then Clottey knows what it is to have been one of those replacement players in the last NFL work stoppage. In 1987, none of those guys belonged there and that’s exactly what you hear and read these days about Clottey. Pacquiao is supposed to kick him around like the soccer ball Clottey used to chase as a kid in Ghana.

Fair? I don’t think so. Then again, I’ve been wrong about these things before. I actually thought Juan Manuel Marquez was skilled, smart and tough enough to challenge Mayweather. After watching Mayweather humble Marquez through 12 one-sided rounds in September, I wondered if I had been kicked in the head one too many times.

Nevertheless, I like Clottey, perhaps not enough to pick him over Pacquiao, especially without a familiar trainer in his corner. He split with Kwame Asante after his loss by split decision in June to Miguel Cotto over a reported disagreement over money. Then, Godwin Kotay, also of Ghana, was denied a U.S. visa. Instead of Asante or Kotay, cut-man Lenny DeJesus will take the lead in Clottey’s corner.

In front a potential crowd of 45,000 and against Pacquiao’s varied skills and dangerous power, an unfamiliar face in the corner looms as a problem, especially when – not if – Clottey is in trouble.

Still, Clottey’s size, strength and durability are enough to make it difficult for Pacquiao, whose motivation could have taken a hit when an agreement to fight Mayweather fell apart because of demands that the Filipino icon undergo Olympic-style blood-testing for performance-enhancers.

Pacquiao also will jump directly into a rough-and-tumble political campaign in the Philippines after the fight.

In part, the public’s lack of any respect for Clottey might be a spillover from disgust at the abortive negotiations for Pacquiao-Mayweather. Fans and media are still angry. What they have forgotten, however, is just how close Clottey came to an upset of Cotto in front of the Puerto Rican’s loyal New York fans at Madison Square Garden.

“I did not lose the Cotto fight,’’ Clottey said Thursday during a conference call from his training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Maybe not.

But Clottey also didn’t do enough in the last couple of rounds to convince anybody at ringside that he deserved more than a draw. That, like the victory he still thinks he deserves, eluded him. Clottey has been criticized for not throwing enough punches, which could quickly leave him with a deficit on the scorecards against Pacquiao’s whirlwind pace. But he is confident he can make his power count.

“I am not a flyweight,’’ Clottey said during the conference call, which will be followed by one Friday with Pacquiao. “I’m not a bantamweight. I’m a welterweight. I throw punches that connect.’’

As a natural welterweight, unlike the smaller Pacquiao (5-foot-6 ½), the 5–8 Clottey might have enough leverage to inflict some damage. Before Pacquiao’s 12th-round stoppage of Cotto in November, the Filipino’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said Clottey’s punches almost made Cotto quit during the ninth round.

“The more I play it over, the more I realize how competitive this is and that nobody with any certainty can predict the result,’’ said Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who promotes both fighters. “Everybody knows how Manny Pacquiao fights. Everybody knows the angles from which he throws punches.

“And everybody knows that Joshua Clottey is a tremendous defensive fighter and can put a real hurt on an opponent. And everybody knows that Joshua Clottey is the bigger man and Manny is the smaller man. There is talk about Manny going up in weight. But he really hasn’t. He couldn’t make 130 pounds anymore, He fought at 135. He was 138 when he fought (and knocked out) Ricky Hatton.

Now, he goes into the ring at 142 or 143 pounds on the scale and that’s not because he’s putting on weight. That’s because he has breakfast and lunch before the weigh-in. If he had to, he’d still make 135 pounds. So, the idea that he’s a big man is just not true.

“Joshua has the size. He’s the natural welterweight. Manny Pacquiao isn’t. That’s the intrigue in this fight.’’

The intrigue, at least, doesn’t include more of the noisy debate about blood-testing for performance-enhancers. Clottey, ever the gentleman, said he did not and would not demand the Olympic-style testing that Mayweather says he and every one of his future opponents, including Shane Mosley on May 1, will undergo.

“No, I don’t want to do that, because I respect him so much,’’ Clottey said. “He is a very nice guy. I feel comfortable around him. He’s respectful of everybody. I don’t think Manny Pacquiao did that thing. I trust him.”

If only, Clottey could enjoy some of that same trust. He’s not Mayweather. But, trust me, he’s a better fighter than people think.

Source 15rounds.com

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A Look At Pacquiao's Partners

Good sparring partners are a crucial element for fight preparation, and all reports coming out of the Wild Card Gym indicate that Manny Pacquiao is getting in some excellent work. I always find it interesting to look at the sparring partners elite fighters choose because it can sometimes give clues into things they are working on for their next fight, and provide a heads up on prospects the top trainers think are worth watching. In his preparation for Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao sparred with Shawn Porter, who has lately been drawing attention with appearances on Showtime and ESPN's Friday Night Fights.

So let's take a look at Manny Pacquiao's sparring partners as he prepares for Joshua Clottey:

Raymundo Beltran:
Age: 28
Record 23-4 (15 KOs)
Weight: Fights between 130-135 lbs

Ray Beltran has been sparring with Manny for years and they are clearly quite comfortable with one another. While Beltran is much smaller than Clottey he has quick hands and provides Manny with good work. In his last fight, on January 9, which you can watch above, he shows that he has quite a bit of power. The KO is frightening and the ref should never be allowed in the ring again, but you can see that Beltran is good at putting his punches together.

In an interview with The Ring, Beltran talks about how he has seen Manny progress through the years, saying, "I remember when he fought Barrera the first time. He was more aggressive, aggressive, aggressive... Now, he's become a better boxer. He has better technique. He uses his brain more. He's much smarter now. You can see it in the way he fights. He and Freddie see weaknesses in opponents and they work on it."

Beltran is still only 28, so he may be able to make a move and challenge for a title in the future. It might be a long road back, however. Though he won in style last month, it was his first fight in nearly two years after suffering a shocking one-punch KO loss to Ameth Diaz in his previous fight.

Abdullai Amidu:
Age: 27
Record: 18-0 (17KOs)
Weight: 147 lbs

Amidu's record is obviously impressive, but a look at his boxrec page is cause for a little caution. Out of Amidu's 18 opponents we see a group of fighters with a combined total of 15 wins! An incredible nine of them were making their professional debut. This isn't to say that Amidu isn't a worthy sparring partner. It simply means we don't really know much about him. He has only fought in Ghana thus far, his native land. I'm certain Freddie Roach picked him partly for that very reason, as Ghanaian fighters tend to have similar styles. From Azumah Nelson to Ike Quartey and Joshua Clottey, they often fight with high guards and aggressive, powerful jabs.



Mike Dallas:
Age: 23
Record: 11-0-1 (2 KOs)
Weight: 140 lbs

Dallas is just starting his career and its obvious that Freddie Roach sees some potential in the young fighter if he has chosen to make him a key part of Manny's preparation. Dallas is the same height as Clottey and sports a similarly imposing physique. Speaking to The Ring, Dallas says of Pacquiao, "he's strong, even stronger than he was before the De La Hoya fight. He's a good counterpuncher. He's strong, he's fast and his legs are really something. His footwork is incredible He moves like a cat. He's real fast."

Dallas could be a prospect worth watching.


These, are Pacquiao's main sparring partners, but the Wild Card Gym has become a destination for many of the sport's top fighters and Pacquiao works with them all. Recent reports had him working with Steve Forbes, for example.

Joshua Clottey, meanwhile, appears to be sparring mainly with Damian Frias. All indications are that Clottey will be in terrific shape, but it's hard not to think Pacquiao's varied and accomplished sparring partners will be a big advantage on March 13.

source sportingnews.com

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Clottey's $1.2 million question: Is he mentally prepared for Pacquiao?

There is concern within the Joshua Clottey fight camp as to the mental outlook of the March 13 Manny Pacquiao WBO welterweight title challenger.

You might call it the $1.2 million question as I've learned that the African boxer will earn $900,000 while his manager, Vinny Scolpino, gets the remainder.

But don't hit the panic button. It's par for the course, this wonderment about the Ghanaian's brain waves.

Gjin Gjini owns and operates Clottey's home training base in the South Bronx, John's Gym.

Clottey and his team were planning to return there this weekend but snowy weather around New York may delay those plans.

Clottey has been training in Fort Lauderdale.

Gjini, a former fighter orginally from Albania, said you never know what Clottey's mental state will be on fight night. It's not just that he's fighting the widely acclaimed pound for pound king of all boxing.

Clottey could have outpointed Miguel Cotto last June at Madison Square Garden but he went into a mental fog and stopped being aggressive in the final rounds. Clottey lost a split decision to the rugged Puerto Rican.

There is concern within the Joshua Clottey fight camp as to the mental outlook of the March 13 Manny Pacquiao WBO welterweight title challenger.

You might call it the $1.2 million question as I've learned that the African boxer will earn $900,000 while his manager, Vinny Scolpino, gets the remainder.

But don't hit the panic button. It's par for the course, this wonderment about the Ghanaian's brain waves.

Gjin Gjini owns and operates Clottey's home training base in the South Bronx, John's Gym.

Clottey and his team were planning to return there this weekend but snowy weather around New York may delay those plans.

Clottey has been training in Fort Lauderdale.

Gjini, a former fighter orginally from Albania, said you never know what Clottey's mental state will be on fight night. It's not just that he's fighting the widely acclaimed pound for pound king of all boxing.

Clottey could have outpointed Miguel Cotto last June at Madison Square Garden but he went into a mental fog and stopped being aggressive in the final rounds. Clottey lost a split decision to the rugged Puerto Rican.

source examiner.com

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Joshua Clottey in 'Best Shape' of His Career For Manny Pacquiao

A native of Ghana who is preparing for a March 13 challenge for the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) crown held by seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), of the Philippines, Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 knockouts), of The Bronx, N.Y., spoke to FanHouse on Friday from his sleeping quarters near his training facility at Fort Lauderdale's Contender Gym in Fla.

This is the second of four diaries translated from Clottey that is appearing regularly on FanHouse as the 32-year-old fighter enters the most lucrative and biggest fight of his career.

Joshua Clottey wept, openly, earlier this month when a work Visa to the U.S. was denied to his preferred chief second, Godwin Nii Dzanie Kotey.

Kotey is perceived by many in their native Ghana as legendary and a father figure, having been the trainer for former welterweight star, Ike Quartey, of Ghana. Kotey was to be in Clottey's corner for the first time against Manny Pacquiao.

Kotey's presence was sought after Clottey had split with Kwame Asante in a reported disagreement over money -- this after Asante had served as Clottey's chief second for June's 12-round split-decision loss to then-WBO king, Miguel Cotto.

But now, with the biggest fight of his life on the horizon, Clottey was trainer-less.

Enter Lenny DeJesus (pictured above, left, with Clottey), a man Clottey had known of prior to employing DeJeus as the cutman for the Cotto fight.

A resident of the Bronx, the 32-year-old Clottey had seen DeJesus working with other fighters at the John's Gym, a venue he, himself, frequents that is located not too far from Yankees Stadium.

"I knew of DeJeus, but I didn't talk to him. Vinnie introduced me to him," said Clottey, referring to his manager, Vinnie Scolpino. "So he was used as a cut man in my fight with Miguel Cotto because he's been around for a long time. He seemed like a good choice."

Clottey said that DeJesus turned out to be even more of an asset during the fight with Cotto,

"When he was my cut man against Miguel Cotto, he pushed me. He sort of wakes you up, tells me some good things. We established a good relationship during the Cotto fight, so I chose him" to be primary trainer for the Pacquiao fight, said Clottey. "It was an easy transition. He motivates you."

Another advantage, said Clottey, is the fact that DeJesus knows a little bit about Pacquiao, having worked as the Filipino superstar's cut man throughout much the early part of his career.

DeJesus was last in Pacquiao's corner for the latter's March, 2005 loss to Erik Morales at super featherweight (130 pounds), after which Pacquiao won his next 11 bouts, eight of them by knockout.

A southpaw, Pacquiao has gotten more-and-more powerful as his weight has risen, having stopped his past four opponents, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and, Miguel Cotto, respectively, while weighing 134, 142, 138, and, 144 pounds.

"Does DeJesus know a little bit about Manny Pacquiao? Yes," said Scolpino. "But we also know that Manny Pacquiao is a different fighter now than he once was. We're prepared, but we're preparing for the Manny Pacquiao of today."

Clottey said that his respect for Pacquiao's power is among the reasons he will dethrone him.

"I have more confidence this time around because I'm taking this fight like if I win, I have bigger things ahead. I have so much respect for Manny, so that gives me more confidence because I respect the guy," said Clottey. "I respect the guy because, if he has the chance, he can stop me. So I respect him because of that, and because of that, I'm more confident."

Conversely, said Clottey, it was his lack of respect for Cotto that led to his demise.

"When I went to fight Cotto, I knew, within me, or at least my thinking was, 'I could beat Cotto because I knew Cotto had not faced a guy like me before.' That was my thinking," said Clottey.

"I didn't respect him like he was going to cause any damage," said Clottey. "So, compared to that, I respect this guy, Manny Pacquiao, because he's stopped a lot of good guys. So, I'm giving him respect, and the respect will carry me through the fight."

Clottey, who weighed out at 154 pounds on Thursday, claims to be in the best shape of his life, and punching with more power than ever.

"We're two weeks from the fight, and that's where I want to be right now. I don't want to come down too much or too fast from sparring because that might hurt you," said Clottey.

"I eat a lot of chicken and a lot of fish. It's African food. I don't eat any other meat," said Clottey. "Sometimes, I have salads -- things that make me strong and to wake up in the morning and go jogging, or which can make me go to the gym and work out. I drink a lot of water and I'm very strong in the gym at work."

In photos, the challenger (pictured above) appears to have a more muscular upper body than ever.

"This is the best shape that I've ever been in. Because, I know that I've got a really tough fight with Manny, Pacquiao. All that you've seen from my photos is from the hard work of training," said Clottey, who a week ago, already was sparring 10, four-minute rounds with a 30 second rest in between and little if any fatigue.

"You know, I'm always in shape. I train even when I'm not fighting," said Clottey. "I play soccer. So when I start training, it doesn't take long. After a three weeks or a month, I'm strong."

And that, for Clottey, has meant more energy during sparring sessions, and, throughout his training overall.

"I've been trainig to do what I have to do. When the opening's there, I'm going to find them. When he's running, and he's moving around, I'll be able to cut off the ring," said Clottey. "When he stops running, I'll throw punches. And when I throw a punch, and he's there, I will be able to land it."

There are some who have questioned Pacquiao's ability to rise from one weight class to another with power, believing that he is on steroids or some other performance-enhancing drug.

Clottey, however, said that he is not among those who believes Pacquiao is dirty.

"Manny is a good man. He prays a lot. God gave him his power. He is a great champion, and this is going to be a difficult fight," said Clottey. "However, I have a plan: Hard punching, back him up, don't let him take charge. I will pressure him."

Source Boxing Fanhouse

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Pacquiao-Clottey fight might draw 45,000 to Cowboys Stadium

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said Thursday the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight is “well on its way” to selling out the 45,000 seats at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

“The Event” is scheduled for March 13 for Pacquiao’s welterweight title.

Arum said during Thursday’s teleconference that he expects about 4,000 tickets to remain when the fighters arrive locally the week before the bout.

He said opening up additional seats would be up to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Arum said having a heavy undercard of Hispanic fighters helps appeal to the local Hispanic community. WBC super featherweight champion Humberto Soto (Mexico) will fight former WBC lightweight champion David Diaz (Chicago) for the vacant WBC lightweight title. Mexico’s Jose Castillo and Alfonso Gomez also highlight the undercard.

However, Arum suggested that many Hispanic fight fans have embraced Pacquiao, a Filipino who is widely considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in professional boxing.

Arum said he fell in love with Cowboys Stadium as a venue and hoped it could house a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout.

Mayweather’s camp skipped a potential visit to Cowboys Stadium, which embarrassed Arum.

When that fight fell apart Arum immediately called Jones to arrange Cowboys Stadium for the Clottey fight. Speaking of the failed Mayweather bout, the ultimate deal breaker proved to be Mayweather’s camp insisting on stringent drug testing.

Clottey’s representatives didn’t ask for additional drug testing.

“I respect him too much as a fighter,” Clottey said. - Pacquiao vs Clottey

Source star-telegram.com

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Will Clottey's strategy of wearing Pacquiao down work?

Joshua Clottey and his team have said that their strategy for defeating Manny Pacquiao and taking his WBO welterweight title will revolve around wearing him down.

The immediate problem with this plan is that it's the same one that plenty of other fighters have tried in the past, and most failed spectacularly.

Granted that not all of them posed the same problems for Pacquiao that Clottey does, but the fact remains that wearing down Pacquiao is usually an uphill struggle.

Traditionally Pacquiao has always struggled with good counter punchers, and last came close to defeat against Juan Manuel Marquez. Clottey is a great counter puncher, but doesn't have the boundless energy needed to get the better of Pacquiao over 12 rounds. So as well as wearing Pacquiao down then, he will have to do it early and probably win by stoppage.

Obviously Clottey's trainers will have something more specific planned for Pacquiao than I've detailed here, but the plan seems like a gamble to me. Miguel Cotto thought his size advantage would make all the difference, and in the end he barely made a dent. Similarly the then larger Ricky Hatton was stopped in his tracks before he even got going.

As for Pacquiao and Freddie Roach, their preparations will probably sacrifice a few of the initial rounds, and wait until Clottty tires out and drops his output for Pacquiao to attack. The blueprint for beating Clottey seems to have been established and the biggest remaining factor seems to be Clottey's size and strength.

Hunter Lemore, Pittsburgh PA: "Clottey's big plan is to wear down the most durable fighter in the division, with his quit after round 6 style? This isn't going to end well for Clottey"

The gamble Clottey and his team seem to be taking is that being much bigger and stronger than Pacquiao, he will be able to hurt him early and tire him out. He might have some early success, but I can't see Pacquiao getting tired out, especially if Clottey drops the pace half way through.

Michael Brown, Pittsburgh PA: "Clottey will surprise a lot of people here, he can hit harder than Pacquiao and he can take a beating as well. If he doesn't do his usual later round fade out the fight will be close."

Clottey does have the power and chin to tough it out with Pacquiao, but I think he'll look too slow and sluggish compared to Manny's work rate. The first half might be closer than the Cotto fight, but so far Clottey hasn't shown any reason to suggest that he won't do his usual slowdown during the later rounds.

Chris Simpson, Greensburg PA: "Pacquiao will run through Clottey like a Filipino freight train and there isn't anyone out there who can stop him."

There are still three fighters who I think could give Pacquiao a run for his money. Those fighters are Floyd Mayweather, Antoino Margarito and Paul Williams. At least one of those fights will probably happen, possibly two. The only unlikely one is Paul Williams, but for the time being he's at light middleweight anyway.


Source Scott Heritage - examiner.com

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Manny Pacquiao – Joshua Clottey Creating Buzz

There are very few fighters that can capture the imagination of the public and create the excitement that Manny Pacquiao does. On March 13th, he will square off against Floyd Mayweather, JR., replacement, former IBF Welterweight Champion, Joshua Clottey in a 12 round WBO Title showdown. The steroid scandal has died down and now it’s back to business.

Joshua Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s, has never been stopped in his career, facing power-punchers like Miguel Cotto, Diego Corrales, and “Hands of Plaster” Antonio Margarito. His tight defense and consistency proves problematic for his opponents and if he keeps his head inside the ropes, Manny is going to have some serious problems. That is the intrigue here.

Pacquiao has to be favored and the game plan has to be to use straight punches to infiltrate the defense of Clottey. Clottey does very well fending off hooks, but the straight down the middle punches seem to be the weakness, and Manny is very good up the middle. Considering what Pacquiao did to Cotto, Ricky Hatton, and many other before them, it is likely that he has the power to hurt Clottey if he lands, but make no mistake, he’s in a real fight here on the 13th, and Clottey will be ready for the incoming.

The Pacquiao-Clottey PPV collision may give us some surprises or further cement the Filipino powerhouse as the best fighter in the game. Whatever happens, the world will be watching this fight, with the hopes that Manny pulls through and will eventually meet Floyd Mayweather, JR., inside the ring.

Source Geno McGahee - ringsidereport.com

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