Pac-man primed for Clottey showdown

ARLINGTON, Texas – Manny Pacquiao has ascended to the level of the boxing legends.

He faces a difficult test on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium when he defends his World Boxing Organization welterweight title in an HBO Pay-Per-View bout against Joshua Clottey.

Promoter Bob Arum was beaming after Friday’s festive weigh-in that attracted around 2,500 enthusiastic fans to the plaza outside the swank stadium.

Only a few hundred of the 45,000 tickets for the card remain, prompting Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Friday to offer standing-room tickets at $35 apiece.

Jones refers to his standing-room seats as “party passes,” and Arum will be partying for a week if early indications of the fight’s popularity prove true.

The closed-circuit locations and presales in the East are at record levels, surpassing where they were in 2007 for the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. Indications are that the pay-per-view is tracking better than expected, and Arum said he won’t be shocked if it touches 900,000 buyers.

That’s an astonishing number for just about any fight but even more so for a bout against a largely unknown opponent like Clottey, who doesn’t bring with him a large fan base.

Had Pacquiao-Clottey fought two years ago, Arum would have been lucky to have sold a quarter of the tickets he has sold for Saturday’s card.

One of the truths in boxing promoting is that you always need a strong ‘B-side’ if you’re going to do real business.

Pacquiao, though, is one of the few exceptions to that maxim. He is one of those, like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, who no longer needs a wildly popular B-side to sell. Pacquiao sells tickets and pay-per-views on his name alone.

He erased any doubts about his legitimacy as a welterweight when he decimated Cotto in November.

Pacquiao has set the bar enormously high, and though Clottey never has been knocked out, trainer Freddie Roach is expecting Pacquiao to set another first.

“I really believe Manny will find a way,” Roach said.

Pacquiao was as relaxed as ever on Friday. He was wolfing down food in an attempt to come somewhere near the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.

He was 142 when he awakened on Friday, then ate a large breakfast featuring eggs and had a lunch of grilled pork, grilled beef, white and brown rice and steamed vegetables. He was also gulping large amounts of water.

That’s in stark contrast to the vast majority of fighters, who can’t eat at all on the day of the weigh-in and wind up sucking on ice or, if they’re lucky, slices of fruit.

Despite all he ate – and he was headed for dinner after the weigh-in – he still was only 145 pounds.

Like Ali, he understands his place in the sport, as well. Boxing fans were bitterly disappointed when a bout with Mayweather wasn’t finalized. That would have pitted the two best fighters in the world for overall supremacy in a match that in essence would have been boxing’s Super Bowl.

Facing a difficult, but far less notable opponent, Pacquiao understands the need to perform to give the sport a jolt when it needs one after it lost a mega-fight at the negotiating table.

“I can’t promise a knockout, but I want to put on a good show for the people who support me all the time,” he said.

Clottey is a bigger man naturally and probably will weigh around 160 pounds by the time he walks to the ring on Saturday. Pacquiao may go up to 148 but certainly isn’t expected to hit 150.

He has been smaller than everyone he has fought since his epic 2008 match with Juan Manuel Marquez, but in subsequent knockout victories over then-lightweight champion David Diaz, De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Cotto, Pacquiao has been stalking his larger opponents.

Perhaps the most stunning scene in many a year was Cotto, one of the toughest, most aggressive fighters in recent times, backpedaling to flee the power of the man who just two years earlier was fighting at 128 pounds.

His meteoric rise from super bantamweight in 2001, where he won the International Boxing Federation title while weighing 121 pounds, to his crushing victory over Cotto in November has caused some to suspect he has used performance-enhancing drugs.

The Mayweather fight was unable to be made for that very reason, as Mayweather for the first time in his career demanded that his opponent agree to random blood and urine testing.

Arum, though, insists it’s a misnomer to believe Pacquiao is a big man now.

“He was having trouble making 130 and after the Marquez fight (on March 15, 2008), he wanted to go to lightweight (and its 135-pound limit,” Arum said. “But he’s really a 140-pounder now. He fought Hatton at 138. His most comfortable weight now is 140, but if there were some kind of a huge fight at 135, he could make that if he had to.

“That’s what makes what he’s doing all the more remarkable, because you have this little guy just beating the (expletive) out of guys who are physically a lot bigger than he is.”

Clottey has a tight defense and isn’t a guy who throws a lot of punches, thereby reducing the number of openings to be hit. So Pacquiao may not get the knockout, but there is one thing you can count on when Manny Pacquiao hits the ring – excitement.

Legendary hockey announcer Mike Lange of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins often would say during a particularly exciting game, “If you’ve missed this one, shame on you for six weeks.”

And if you’re a boxing fan and you miss a chance to see Pacquiao, you’re going to regret it a lot longer than just six weeks.

He’s that good.

Author: Kevin Iole

Source: sports.yahoo.com

Pacquiao painting by fashion artist

Albie Espinola is a fashion artist from London who also happens to be lifelong boxing fan.

Today, RingTV.com presents Espinola's painting of Manny Pacquiao -- who fights Joshua Clottey on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium -- and a time-lapse video (below) of him painting it.

Espinola was born in London to Filipino parents. His father often spoke of the great Flash Elorde and other top fights from the Phillipines and he became of fan of such British fighters as Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, whose war in 1990 got him hooked on the sport.

The Londoner boxed briefly as an amateur but decided to focus on his art. He began to paint portraits of top models, becoming a prominent presence on the fashion scenes in Paris, London and New York. USA Today dubbed him the “fashion artist.”

However, he never lost his love of boxing. He taught the sweet science at a London gym while he worked in fashion public relations and produced fashion shows. And he has followed the sport religiously.

His favorite fighters today are Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., both of whom have been subjects of his paintings. The Pacquiao painting is presented here. Mayweather will come later.

Enjoy.

Source: ringtv.com

Manny Pacquiao reminds Bob Arum of Muhammad Ali

Jerry Jones, the owner and general manager of the newly-built Dallas Cowboys Stadium speaks which stages Saturday's fight between welterweights Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey.

Manny Pacquaio arrived at Cowboys Stadium in a bus covered with his own likeness, the seats filled with members of his entourage. There were 140 of them in all, and his small Jack Russell Terrier ‘Pacman’.

If Pacquiao is not saying ‘I’m the Greatest’ then the signs are there. Pacquiao wore a straw hat and a dark jacket for the final press conference, like a latter day pop star. He then changed into a red Adidas tracksuit, matching his entourage. Pacquiao has a fight on his hands, both in the ring and in his upcoming election for Congress in his homeland, the Philippines.

Pacquiao is facing Ghanaian Joshua Clottey on Saturday night in boxing's debut at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium. A sellout crowd of 45,000 is expected, with the attendance possibly soaring if Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decides to sell standing-room-only tickets. The pay-per-view audience that promoter Bob Arum said is likely to top the hoped-for total of 700,000.

Arum insists that the fervour for Pacquiao reminds him of the days he promoted Muhammad Ali. “It’s the same love that people have for him, as they had for Ali. Except with Manny, that love is from his own nation. It reminds me of what we had when Ali was in his pomp. It’s the same thing. Pacquiao is blessed.”

“He has been so through so much in his life, but the best thing of all is that he has kept his humanity. Manny cares about people, and cares about his people. I look forward to introducing him as ‘Congressman’ in the future.”

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

Clottey was given this opportunity against Pacquiao when the proposed megafight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. fell through. He's very appreciative for this opportunity and has nothing but nice things to say about Pacquiao. It's Roach who rankles him, from the predicted result to talk of a head butt being one of Clottey's best punches.

Clottey's prediction? "I'm predicting a win," he said, adding that he had not studied Pacquiao. "I know his style, I know the way he moves, the way he throws punches, so it doesn't matter. I study myself," he added. "I watch my own fights. I know what I have to do."

What he must do is overcome a fighter who has won world titles across seven weight divisions, who is fast becoming one of sport's living icons. It will have to be a special performance.

Author: Gareth A Davies

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Pacquiao - Clottey Referree & Judges' Track Records

Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas is a magnificent facility and the Lone Star State certainly has passionate and enthusiastic fight fans.With that being said, a fear did cross my mind that the weak Texas boxing commission could screw up a fight of this magnitude when it was announced as host of Manny Pacquiao - Joshua Clottey.

Afterall, this is the same state where referee Lawrence Cole, son of state commissioner Dickie Cole, tried to help Juan Manuel Marquez in a fight by telling him he was ahead on the scorecards following an accidental headbutt against Filipino fighter Jimrex Jaca in 2006. Texas is also where Cole stopped a fight between Massachusett's Micky Ward and Texas' Jesse James Leija due to a cut Leija sustained from a Ward punch and ruled it an accidental headbutt, causing Ward to be screwed out of a decision.

Outside of Ward, it's were Gale Van Hoy saw hometown fighter Juan Diaz beating Paulie Malignaggi by a score of 118-110. Many folks thought that Malignaggi won that fight. I had it 114-144 even. Regardless, 118 - 110 was incredibly wide for a competitive fight.

So with these memories, let's take a look at the officials assigned to this weekends megafight.

Referee - Rafael Ramos

Reports from San Antonio say that the WBO wanted Cole to referee this fight. Thankfully, he won't be and Rafael Ramos will.

As a referree, Ramos worked last years stirring Texas slugfest between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz. He's devoid of any refereeing scandals and is a 20 year veteran.

Judge - Levi Martinez

Martinez was a judge for the rematch between Beibut Shumenov and Gabriel Campillo. Shumenov won a controversial decision over Campillo in that fight. Many feel it was the worst decision of the year thus far.

The good news is that Martinez got it right. He scored the bout 117-111 for Campillo. A scorecard more in line with what most people were watching.

Judge - Nelson Vasquez

No known bad scorecards. Has Shane Mosley ahead 105-104 when he knocked out Ricardo Mayorga in the 12th round. Reasonable from my point of view.

Judge - Duane Ford

Veteran Nevada judge has worked many major fights over the years. Save for only having Chad Dawson ahead of Glen Johnson 115-113 (I had it a shutout and HBO has it 118-110), Ford is a fine choice.

Author: Peter Czymbor

Source: examiner.com

HBO has big plans for Pacquiao-Clottey fight

University of Texas alum/HBO Sports director Marc Payton said the overhead video board at Cowboys Stadium will provide unprecedented viewing for in-house fans because of the close-ups -- particularly in the corners between rounds -- of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight Saturday night.

Payton will be on hand to direct the pay-per-view ($49.99) fight for HBO.

"I grew up a Cowboys fan, so this is nirvana for me to direct the first fight ever held in Cowboys Stadium," said Payton, who was raised in the Texas Panhandle and has lived in The Woodlands, just north of Houston, since 1982.

Put a 20x20 foot ring inside a 3-million square foot venue and what do you get? A chance for creativity, said the veteran HBO Boxing director of 29 years.

"In terms of how we actually cover the fight itself, not a lot changes from bell to bell," Payton said. "But the stuff between rounds, between fights prior to the main event, now that's where we can really use the stadium to magnify the coverage."

Extra cameras have been added. HBO's Max Kellerman will work with a hand-held cameraman and report from around the stadium.

"For me, it'll be the corner action between rounds, close-ups of the fighters' faces, cuts being treated ... these [are] shots of a fight that you often don't get even seated close to ringside."

Because of the 60x170-foot video board, fans in attendance will get state-of-the-art close-ups from the PPV feed, no matter if they bought a $33 ticket or a $2,730 center ringside seat.

Payton, 62, has directed some of HBO's biggest fights, including all the Thomas Hearns-Marvin Hagler-Sugar Ray Leonard classics as well as Buster Douglas-Mike Tyson from Tokyo in 1990.

He directed Sunday Night Football on ESPN through the 2000 season and Sunday Night Baseballthrough 2001. For 22 years, he worked at HBO and ESPN until, as Payton put it, the travel became too much.

Now he has a fight practically in his own back yard. It's only a 230-mile drive from The Woodlands to Arlington.

Author: Ray Buck

Source: star-telegram.com

Pacquiao has perfect game plan for Clottey

DALLAS, Texas (AFP) – Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao puts hisWorld Boxing Organization title on the line Saturday against Ghana's Joshua Clottey as they headline the first fight card at Cowboys Stadium.

The 31-year-old Pacquiao will be making the first defence of his WBO welterweight belt but it could also be his last fight as he prepares to embark on a political career in his native Philippines.

Pacquiao, who will run for a congressional seat in May after failing to get elected three years ago, said Filipinos are now more accepting of his political goals.

"Before they don't want me to enter politics because I am still fighting," Pacquiao said. "They didn't want to lose Manny Pacquiao in boxing. But now my time in boxing is really short. I have to think about the future and helping my people."

But first the three-time fighter of the year Pacquiao has to get past the much bigger Clottey who is fighting at his natural weight (147 pounds) unlike Pacquiao who is moving up in weight class.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 28 KOs) has looked unstoppable in his last three fights and he isn't showing any signs of losing power as he fights bigger and stronger opponents.

Pacquiao has won 11 consecutive fights, eight by knockout, since losing to Erik Morales in March 2005.

His plan is to wear the 32-year-old Clottey down on Saturday so he can finish him off in the later rounds.

"Joshua will bring out the best in Manny," said Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach, who wants to see his champion fight one more time - against Floyd Mayweather - then retire. "Manny will go out there and fight another perfect fight."

Promoters are expecting a sellout of 45,000 for the first fight card at the 1.2 billion dollar Cowboys Stadium which was opened last year.

The home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys is an unusual venue for a world championship fight because of its location and size. The majority of world title fights these days are held in much smaller venues in Las Vegas.

This will be the largest crowd Pacquiao has fought in front of and he is looking forward to showing what he can do.

"This is very important fight for me," Pacquiao said. "This is my first time here in Dallas.

"It is going to be worldwide and it is a good example to other places that also want to promote boxing."

Pacquiao had been expected to fight Mayweather on the same date in a pound-for-pound mega-fight.

But when that bout fell through over a drug-testing dispute, former IBF champion Clottey (35-3, 21 KOs) came into the picture.

Both fighters fought former champion Miguel Cotto in their most recent fights - southpaw Pacquiao winning by a 12th round TKO four months ago and Clottey losing a close decision to Cotto nine months ago.

Clottey, who has never been knocked down, comes into the fight without his long-time trainer Godwin Kotey, who is back in Ghana because he couldn't get a visa to come to the US.

Kotey's replacement is former cutman Lenny DeJesus, 64, who was promoted to head trainer just seven weeks ago.

DeJesus says his boxer is more than just a fill-in fighter for Mayweather.

"It is a hurting game," said DeJesus, who worked a half dozen fights in Pacquiao's corner as a cut man. "If my guy can put a hurt on Pacquiao that will change the fight.

"I got a stronger and bigger guy. I have created some different movements so he won't be a target."

This is Pacquiao's second fight as a true welterweight. He weighed just 106 pounds for his first professional fight in 1995 and won his first title in the 112 pound flyweight division

His major titles have come in weight classes ranging from 112 pounds to 147 pounds and he is the first Asian to win four or more major belts.

Before systematically dismantling Cotto in 12 rounds, he sent Oscar De La Hoya into retirement in December 2008 and demolished Briton Ricky Hatton in just two rounds in May 2009.

"I want to give a good fight and make people happy," Pacquiao said. "We have a plan. We have some strategy and whatever happens in the ring we will adjust to.

"We based our training on our opponent's style. We trained perfectly to the style of the opponent so I think our team work for this fight is very good."

Author: Greg Heakes

Source: news.yahoo.com

The Boxing Weekend: Manny Pacquiao Vs Joshua Clottey PPV

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, 50-3-2, 38 KO’s, headlines this weekend’s boxing as he defends his WBO Welterweight title against the very capable and dangerous Joshua Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s.

Pacquiao is at an all time high in his career and has quite the following. He is a national hero in the Philippines and has a large fan base just about everywhere else. His continued improvement and likable nature have made him a pay per view smash. He is willing to take on just about anyone and has destroyed most of his opposition, including Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and David Diaz. He has struggled with Juan Manuel Marquez in recent years, a fighter with good defense and the ability to control the ring, which is something that Clottey is able to do. The difference is: Clottey is a natural welterweight.

Pacquiao has to use his speed and movement in order to beat Clottey. Clottey has a history of beating up smaller guys. He battered and destroyed Diego Corrales, pounded Zab Judah into submission, and chased Miguel Cotto around the ring, before losing a controversial decision. He has a great chin, packs a decent punch, and keeps a tight defense. Clottey is a very dangerous opponent for Pacquiao and one that he may not be able to get beyond.

A win is a win and you can’t take anything away from the recent victories of Pacquiao, but when you look at the big names that were destroyed, you have to analyze it realistically. Oscar De La Hoya was spent, Ricky Hatton wasn’t an elite fighter, and Miguel Cotto’s psyche was broken. Clottey is a much bigger test for Pacquiao the welterweight, despite the fact that he isn’t as well known as the fighters mentioned above. He will try to walk down and pound Pacquiao to the floor in the later rounds. It should be a fun show.

The vacant WBC Lightweight title will be decided as Humberto Soto, 50-7-2, 32 KO’s, takes on David Diaz, 35-2-1, 17 KO’s. Soto recently dominated Jesus Chavez and has been on a winning streak. Diaz struggled with the same Chavez to take a majority decision in his last fight. Prior to that, he was dominated and planted on the canvas by Manny Pacquiao in nine rounds. He does hold a win over ancient Erik Morales, and at 33 years of age, still has some time left in the game. This should be a competitive and busy fight.

Contender favorite, Alfonso Gomez, 21-4-2, 10 KO’s, tries to send former WBC Lightweight Champion, Jose Luis Castillo, 60-9-1, 50 KO’s, into retirement in a ten round bout. Gomez has rebounded from his TKO loss to Miguel Cotto and put together a couple of wins as he goes into his biggest challenge. Castillo has been very active lately, fighting four times in 2009, winning all four by stoppage, although the opposition is highly questionable. Can Gomez avoid the slow powerhouse? We’ll find out Saturday night.

Irish Middleweight John Duddy, 28-1, 18 KO’s, is still a hot property in boxing and hopes to defeat the untested Michael Medina, 23-1-2, 18 KO’s, in a ten round bout. Duddy has beaten some decent competition like Matt Vanda, Howard Eastman, and Yory Boy Campas, while Medina has been feasting on guys like Roberto Valenzuela, who brought in an impressive record of 51-49-2. This is a huge step up for Medina.

Author: Geno McGahee

Source: ringsidereport.com

Pacquiao Makes Great Fighters Look Bad

It's amazing how it has become common play for certain boxing analysts, reporters, and writers to criticize Manny Pacquiao for fighting unworthy opponents. Due to this, the Pacquiao-Clottey fight hasn't been taken as seriously as Pacquiao's last several bouts.

Before Pacquiao faced Oscar De La Hoya, some went so far as to say it was a “ridiculous” and “pointless” match. Some experts held to the belief Pacquiao would suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of his bigger opponent. When Pacquiao signed the deal to fight Cotto, many claimed that Pacquiao couldn't stand up against a legitimate, top-notch welterweight. After Pacquiao destroyed both men, De La Hoya was “old and weight-drained” and Cotto was “damaged goods”. It might be wise of the aforementioned boxing experts to entertain the notion that Manny Pacquiao possesses the skills to make great fighters look bad.

Pacquiao's skills have been finely honed over time by his hard work, and determination. Freddie Roach has also been instrumental in helping Pacquiao develop into the elite pugilist that he has become. The completely offensive, left-handed brawler that was the young Manny Pacquiao been transformed into the ultimate boxing machine.

Manny Pacquiao has an unusual style and an uncanny ability to confuse and frustrate the best fighters in his weight class. He's keeps on his toes and forces his opponents to turn. He doesn't give them time to T-off on him. He throws such volumes of punches from such strange angles that his foes are simply unable to defend against his attacks. Eventually he breaks them down, and overwhelms them.

Pacquiao's dominating performance over Miguel Cotto has been both a blessing and a curse for him. Before that fight occurred, Joshua Clottey would have undoubtedly been considered a legitimate threat. Now many just consider him to be Pacquiao's next victim. As 8CN's Kenneth Ragpala pointed out in his article entitled “Making a Case for Joshua Clottey”, anybody who thinks Clottey is easy pickings for Pacquiao needs to reconsider the facts.

Clottey is the biggest man that Pacquiao will have ever faced and has a defense that is all but impenetrable. Joshua Clottey was considered a very good welterweight until he signed a contract to fight Manny Pacquiao.

Here's the real scoop:

1.The negotiations with Mayweather fell through. That's been well covered so we won't dredge that up again.

2. The No. 2 ranked welterweight, Shane Mosley and No. 3, Floyd Mayweather Jr. are fighting each other on May 1st. At the time the fight with Clottey was made, Mosley was expected to face Andre Berto.

3. Miguel Cotto is No. 4 in the welterweight rankings. Pacquiao has been there and done that.

4. That leaves the next best option, Joshua Clottey. What is it that is difficult to understand about this whole scenario?

Throughout Pacquiao's career, he has fought the best opposition available. Once again, he's doing just that. Clottey is legit. He's no pushover and he has a chance to upset Manny Pacquiao. However, if Pacquiao does what is expected and beats Clottey, he will undoubtedly be criticized once again for facing a lesser fighter.

Perhaps Pacquiao’s critics would like to see him face Klitschko?

Author: Lorne Scoggins

Source: 8countnews.com

And The Winner is...Joshua Clottey

ARLINGTON, TEX. -- Challenger Joshua Clottey was nearing the end of Wednesday's press conference for Saturday night's clash with WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion, Manny Pacquiao, at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium.

And after an hour or so of compliments thrown back and forth between the future combatants, it was about time for the kids gloves to come off -- at least, that's how the 32-year-old Clottey seemed to be feeling.

"He's [Pacquiao] fighting with a real welterweight -- no catch weight, no nothing. I've always felt like I've never, ever lost a fight, that's what I always say. And I have never gotten beat up," said Clottey, when pressed about how he would handle the often, overwhelming, windmill-like pressure of Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts).

"I've never felt none of my opponents punches before. I want to see if I'm gonna feel Manny Pacquiao's punches. Call me crazy, but I just want to see that," said Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs). "I'm a really true welterweight. Big for that matter. He's a smaller guy and can throw a lot of punches. But I connect punches. I'll make sure that if I throw a few, it's going to connect, and I'm going cause damage."

And when he's not firing at Pacquiao, Clottey said that he'll be blocking his rival's offensive efforts -- so much so that Pacquiao's ineffectiveness will cause the champion to question himself as doubt begins to creep in.

"If he's going to throw a thousand punches, then I'll block a thousand punches. And that will get him thinking. I'm not going to back up," said Pacquiao. "And the fear and the pressure will make him think more. I'm not going to go backward. I'm going to stay in there. Wherever he goes, I'll cut off the ring. I'll make him fight. I want him to fight for the first time."

Despite being together for only the first time as fighter and head trainer, Clottey and Lenny DeJesus believe they have the recipe to unseat the man who is considered boxing's best performer, pound-for-pound.

"Styles make fights. Manny Pacquiao has fought many a guy, but not a guy the caliber of Joshua Clottey. He's fought guys that have been in wars and made him look good. Not taking nothing fromOscar De La Hoya, because De La Hoya was not the De La Hoya that we're used to or accustomed to," said DeJesus.

"The only guy that made him big was Ricky Hatton, and he stopped Hatton in two rounds. But Hatton has nothing great. He was just a brawler," DeJesus continued.

"The only fight that I think that brought the best out of Pacquiao was the two fights that he foughtJuan Manuel Marquez, and that was a little guy," said DeJesus. "So now, he's facing a real challenge, to be honest with you. This is a real challenge, and you're going to see who Pacquaiua is, and who Joshua is."

And unlike his June loss to Miguel Cotto, whom he bloodied and had nearly out on his feet at times before losing a disputed split-decision, DeJesus said that Clottey won't let Pacquiao off the hook if he has him hurt.

"Everybody is going to see a different Clottey. A motivated type of individual. More focused. He's going to be different in a sense where he's going to throw more punches. We're going to try to corner him. We're going to cut the ring off on him. That's one of my strategies to try to calm down Pacquiao, because is a little energizer battery and he jumps from here to there," said DeJesus.

"We're going to try to cut off the ring. And if Pacquiao is going to run, then he's going to get booed by the public. You know, he's going to have to step and fight," said DeJesus. "That's his game thing from many years back, and if he runs or hide or tries to block punches, people will boo that fight. So I think that this fight is perfect for both of them, because both of them are going to come to fight."

A seven-division titlist and a three-time Fighter Of The Year, Pacquiao is 18-1-2, with 15 knockouts under Four-Time Trainer Of The Year, Freddie Roach, including 11-0, with eight knockouts since March of 2005.

"Manny Pacquiao is a full package. By that I mean he's a guy that comes to fight. He fights every fight as if his life depended on it. But I'm bringing a solid 147-pounder, and a good 147-pounder," said DeJesus of Pacquiao, who has been named Fighter Of The Decade.

"The only thing I'm worried about with my guy is if he doesn't listen. Then we got a problem," said DeJesus. "But if he listens, I think I can pull this fight through and they can crown me the Upset Trainer Of The Year. Freddie Roach has four, I'll probably get one, at least."

Some of DeJesus' confidence comes from a past relationship with Pacquiao and Roach, as does what appears to be a bit of underlying bitterness toward the latter.

For a period of a little more than two years, DeJesus worked as a cut man assisting Roach in Pacquiao's corner.

Among the six fights DeJesus worked were a November, 2003, 11th-round knockout of Marco Antonio Barrera, a May, 2004 draw with Juan Manuel Marquez, an April of 2004 fourth-round knockout of Fahsan 3K Battery, and Pacquiao's March, 2005 loss to Erik Morales.

"Morales was the fifth or sixth one. And that was the last one. He got cut bad, it was a very bad gash. What happened happened, it was a head butt. Not intentional," said DeJesus, who feels that he was unfairly blamed for the loss to Morales.

"I did my best to keep him in the fight, which I did. So instead of getting credit, I got grief from Freddie Roach. He said that I was not a good cut man," said DeJesus. "Things happen for a reason. Here I am again. Against Freddie Roach.
Freddie Roach is a little nervous or leery on that. But I'm going to bring somebody strong, and a solid 147-pounder that's going to try to uncrown the king."

Roach seems equally confident of victory over Clottey, whom he believes does not have enough offense to defeat Pacquiao.



But DeJesus said that not only will Clottey be "Very, very accurate," with his blows, but "Very quick," and, "Very fast," and, "we're going to throw punches with bad intentions."

"That's the only way I'm going to prove our point is to try to stop him by either a good cut or a good knockout. Because the kid has been dropped a couple of times, and, now, he's going to fight a real welterweight," said DeJesus.

"Joshua's a guy who can whack. We're going to be on top of Manny. That's one of the things in my gameplan also. That's what's going to make the fight an interesting fight," said DeJesus. "If they go 12 good rounds, maybe my stock will go up, and my fighter's stock will go up. I think it's going to be a great fight, because a lot of people got me 4-to-1. But that's a good bet, because they've got to be worried, not me."

Author: Lem Satterfield

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Manny Pacquiao's recent run is impressive

By now, you’ve heard all the reasons why Manny Pacquiao’s remarkable run since December 2008 isn’t quite as impressive as it appears.

Oscar De La Hoya was so spent from making the welterweight limit for the first time in 7 1/2 years that Pacquiao pummeling him into submission was inevitable. Ricky Hatton was shot before they even got in the ring, so Pacquiao’s spectacular one-punch, second-round knockout was an aberration.

And Miguel Cotto, much like Hatton after Floyd Mayweather Jr. knocked him out, hasn’t been the same since Antonio Margarito brutalized him.

There might be marginal validity to each excuse, but discrediting Pacquiao’s accomplishments is about as unfair to the Filipino superstar as assuming he is on steroids just because he has become one of two top pound-for-pound boxers in the world, despite getting older and moving up in weight. If Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) defeats Ghana’s Joshua Clottey on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas (HBO Pay-Per-View; $49.95; 9 p.m.), Pacquiao’s detractors will say the fast, powerful southpaw merely defeated someone who had already been beaten by a guy Pacquiao dominated (Cotto).

But Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs, 1 NC) is a big, strong welterweight whose lone losses, all to former welterweight champs, come with asterisks.

Clottey could’ve just as easily been declared the winner against Puerto Rico’s Cotto, who beat him by split decision June 13 at Madison Square Garden. Clottey also was dominating Mexico’s Margarito for four rounds three years ago in Atlantic City, before injuries to both hands prohibited him from throwing enough punches during the second half of that fight to win on points.

His first loss was a debatable disqualification defeat to Argentina’s Carlos Baldomir more than a decade ago.

Moreover, he has shown a granite chin in 39 professional fights. And Clottey, who’ll turn 33 on Tuesday, is just 15 months older than Pacquiao, so age isn’t a factor, either.

Thus if Pacquiao produces a fourth straight tremendous performance in beating Clottey on Saturday night, let’s not try to find some reason why it isn’t as impressive as it seems. Maybe Manny Pacquiao is just as great as everything he has accomplished over the past 15 months indicates.

JOSHUA’S JUDGMENT: Mayweather’s supporters probably consider Clottey naïve, but Clottey doesn’t suspect Pacquiao of steroid use and isn’t concerned about Pacquiao possessing any unfair advantages entering their fight.

"I don’t want to do that, because I respect him so much," Clottey said. "He’s a very nice guy. I feel comfortable around him. He’s a nice, classy guy. He respects everybody."

Mayweather and his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., have strongly suggested that Pacquiao has benefitted from performance-enhancing drugs in recent years. The younger Mayweather’s demand for random drug testing halted negotiations two months ago for a fight that was tentatively scheduled to take place Saturday night.

Pacquiao has never tested positive for steroids or any other illegal substance, but critics contend he’s hiding something because he wouldn’t agree to at least submit to blood testing 14 days prior to a fight against Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).

VINNY’S VICTORY: Oakland’s Vinny Scolpino, Clottey’s manager, couldn’t believe their luck when promoter Bob Arum called him about boxing Pacquiao once the Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations got messy.

The previous fight Arum’s Top Rank Inc. offered Clottey was a 10-rounder against Mexico’s Michael Rosales (26-3, 22 KOs). Instead of fighting Rosales in the main event of a "Top Rank Live" broadcast on FOX Sports, Clottey will challenge arguably the best boxer in the world before a crowd in excess of 40,000.

Clottey, who made what was then a career-high $550,000 to fight Cotto, will make his first seven-figure purse for facing Pacquiao.

"This is the biggest opportunity of Joshua’s career," Scolpino said. "You can’t ask for anything more than this. Now Josh just has to go take advantage of it and he’ll be in best position possible."

STADIUM TOUR: Arum and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones are ecstatic about the possibility of drawing a crowd of 45,000 for the first fight at Cowboys Stadium.

Ticket sales for this card have made Arum push harder than ever to promote fights at stadiums, something he has often talked about doing in recent years. Negotiations are all but complete for a June 5 bout at Yankee Stadium that’ll pit WBA super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman (28-0, 8 KOs, 1 NC) against Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs).

Foreman, an aspiring rabbi from New York, trains in Paterson.

Author: KEITH IDEC

Source: northjersey.com

Roach And De Jesus Get It On

While pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Ghana’s Joshua Clottey showed their utmost respect for one another before stepping into the ring set up right on top of the star in the center of the fantastic Dallas Cowboys Stadium, their trainers have had a go at each other, effectively picking up the rhetoric nearing fight time.

Most media believe that there’s a bigger mismatch in the corners of both fighters than the difference between the WBO welterweight champion Pacquiao and former champion Clottey, with Roach way ahead with three “Trainer of the Year” awards in his trophy room.

De Jesus of Puerto Rican descent has never really been a trainer although he’s been in the corner of some great champions as an ace cutman, including six fights of Pacquiao himself. However, Roach pointed out, rather unfairly, that they got rid of De Jesus when they got rid of former promoter Murad Muhammad when Shelly Finkel took over. What Roach didn’t mention was that Pacquiao didn’t renew Finkel’s contract and let it lapse and that Manny himself had no part in the replacement, not ouster, of De Jesus.

A low key individual unlike Roach who sometimes shows his irritation, De Jesus has quietly pointed out that he’s "been around a long time” and as he correctly stated “I’ve been through it all” including the first Pacquiao-Erik “El Terrible” Morales fight in which Manny suffered a nasty gash due to an accidental head-butt in round five and De Jesus could hardly do his job because of the panic in Pacquiao’s corner. To his credit Pacquiao went the distance and nearly pulled it off in the final round when he hurt and staggered Morales.

DeJesus has 40 years in boxing in his bank of experience and has worked the corners of some of the true greats as cutman including Roberto Duran, Wilfredo Benitez and Hector “Macho” Camacho.

An individual who is soft-spoken and likes to take a similar approach when working a fight, De Jesus was quoted by boxing writer/photographer Chris Cozzone as saying “It’s not about yelling at the fighter,” harking back to such renowned trainers as Angelo Dundee, pointing out “You didn’t see Angelo Dundee yell and shout in the corner. The cheers, the hollers, aren’t going to matter. What you need is to be good and quiet.”

What De Jesus wants is quiet in the corner and for Clottey not to be carried away but to listen because Lenny says if he does that, Clottey will win and if he doesn’t he will lose by decision. Fairly straightforward.

While he believes Clottey’s size and strength will make the difference, Pacquiao’s conditioning expert Alex Ariza told us, Clottey is surprisingly not bigger than Manny, only a little taller and the Ghana fighter will probably enjoy a ten-pound advantage over Pacquiao at fight time.

Most people including De Jesus bank on the axiom that a good big guy will beat a good little guy but promoter Bob Arum has also said prior to the Oscar De La Hoya fight where Pacquiao pulverized “The Golden Boy,” that “speed kills” and in this respect Manny is miles ahead of Clottey.

The hungrier fighter will win, is what De Jesus says. But he also indicates that Clottey won’t be a target for Pacquiao which means he is unlikely to stay on the ropes and try to get Pacquiao to wear himself out. But Roach is ready to adapt to whatever Clottey brings, indicating that he “ does the same thing, over and over and over again,” even though he concedes that Clottey “is a good fighter. We know he’s a dangerous fighter. But we’re not re-inventing the wheel here. He’ll either try to impose his size and strength on Manny – which is what I would do – or he’ll go to the ropes and try to counter while wearing Manny out.”

Roach is confident “that’s not gonna happen. Manny will not tire. He’ll get the openings and hit the body. And if Clottey comes forward, he’ll start reaching because Manny won’t be there. He’ll use lateral movement and angles rather than stand right in front of him.”

Roach and Ariza agreed with us that Pacquiao won’t knock Clottey out but that he will win by a TKO with the referee probably stepping in to stop the fight at some point. Roach was quoted by Cozzone as saying, ”I don’t know if we can knock him out, or down because he (Clottey)has a good chin. But I know Manny c an stop him.”

Taking a shot at De Jesus, Roach said he thought it was “weird” when he heard DeJesus was given the position. “He’s been around the game, but does he know boxing as a trainer? I don’t know.” We'll find out on Saturday night deep in the heart of Texas.

Author: Ronnie Nathanielsz

Source: PhilBoxing.com