Pacquiao, clottey final presser

3/10/10, Arlington,Texas -- Surrounded by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, seven-time world champion and "Fighter of the Decade" Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao (L) and challenger Joshua Clottey(R) pose during the final press conference Wednesday for their upcoming World Welterweight championship on Saturday, March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View. -- Photo Credit: Chris Farina - Top Rank.

Source: Philboxing.com

Dallas Cowboys great Michael Irvin: Mayweather afraid to tackle Pacquiao

GRAPEVINE, TEXAS—Mark pro football superstar turned broadcaster Michael Irvin down as a guy who thinks Floyd Mayweather should be arrested...

Arrested on suspicion of ducking Manny Pacquiao, that is.

I will concede that the Cowboys former wide reciever is basically part of the promotion for the Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight here, given the fact that he appeared at Tuesday's Open Workout for the Pinoy Idol along with team and stadium owner Jerry Jones.

But, at the end of the day, Irvin is a boxing nut who greatly admires the men he refers to as “warriors who fight alone and without teammates.”

And Irvin was sadly disappointed just like the great masses of boxing aficionados who were disappointed when Mayweather-Pacman fight negotiations blew up over Mayweather's insistence on random blood testing”

First, Irvin spoke about how excited he was for the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to be hosting this big bout in the Cowboys $1.2 billion playpen.

“This is really amazing for us,” Irvin said. “You would think a fight like this would go to Los Angeles, to New York or to Las Vegas but we got it now. Manny Pacquiao is becoming on a level like a Michael Jordan or a Tiger Woods and he's fighting in our stadium.

“I am glad Jerry got the opportunity and brought it here.”

Former Cowboys superstar Michael Irvin tells Examiner.com that new stadium wil turn into Manny Pacquiao's House on Saturday night (AP Photo)

Then he discussed why he respects prizefighters at all levels.

“I really marvel at these guys, I really do. In football, when I get tired, I get a timeout because I;ve got teammates who can go in the game. These guys don't get timeouts or halftime breaks/ I marvel because all they do is stand there, in that ring, and it's hit or be hit all the time.”

Irvin asked me and “Lord Jeff” Powell, veteran scribe for the huge Daily Mail in the UK, if we could guess what athlete might be the only one he ever asked for an autograph. Then he answered his own question.

“It was Julio Cesar Chavez, when I met that guy, I said, 'That's it, that's him, this guy is a monster.' I had so much respect for him as a real warrior. I am a huge boxing fan, always have been. I am amazed at guys like Julio, who are all fight and never give in, and now we got a second monster here in Pacquiao.”

Michael Irvin showed good fotwoork on "Dancing With The Stars" with partner Anna Demidova, she's the one in red

As I said, Irvin believes Mayweather used blood testing as a way to avoid or defer a Pacman bout.

“I mean, come on with that blood testing thing. You're supposed to want to fight the other guy when people are saying you guys are the two best out there. You don't run away from such a challenge, you're supposed to run to it. Looks to me like Mayweather is doing the ducking here.”

Further, Irvin thinks when Pacman dazzles a crowd of about 45,000 people in the stadium and across the world's TV screens, his area will have zero chance of landing Pacman-Money May even if it is put together.

“No, Mayweather won't want to come on over here, not after the way it will go down Saturday night. Then he will be thinking and saying that our new stadium, hey that's Manny House now. Mayweather will be saying he won't fight in Manny's House.”

Many former jocks have to master the broadcast business. But you can see from these brief remarks that Irvin is a natural talker, a pull no punches guy. It's no wonder he comes across as fairly smooth behind the microphone.

Irvin heard plenty of loud cheers when he played in the old Cowboys stadium and he said Pacman will be treated like the home team here.

Author: Michael Marley

Source: examiner.com

Can Joshua Clottey Find a Way to Beat Manny Pacquiao?

The upcoming fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey promises to be exciting. Why?

Because Manny Pacquiao is fighting.

The dynamic Filipino could be in the ring with a miniature version of John Ruiz (the most boring fighter in recent history) and it would still make for compelling viewing. Pacquiao’s relentless aggression, speed, power and movement are enough to crack most defensive fighter’s shells, and his ability to knock an opponent out with one punch guarantees an action packed bout.

And in his fight with Joshua Clottey we can probably expect even more.

The teak-tough Ghanaian is not afraid to mix it up and has good power, particularly with his left hand. Despite being somewhat defensively minded, Clottey can switch to outright aggression instantaneously, and has a very keen sense of territory in the ring. Clottey likes to intimidate his opponents physically, and his frame is abnormally dense for 147lbs. Clottey could easily compete at 154lbs and be just as effective, and he will be the biggest, strongest fighter Pacquiao has ever faced.

Stylistically speaking, Clottey has perhaps one of the better ones for facing the Pac Man. He has no problems with south paws (see his performance over Zab Judah), and loves to go toe to toe with aggressive fighters (see his bout with Antonio Margarito). Clottey throws very fast lead right hands that bother southpaws, and his left hook and left uppercut are feared weapons in the division. Clottey also jabs southpaws very well, a very difficult thing to do, particularly against elite level fighters.

Pacquiao has ironed out most of his technical flaws and presents a very difficult challenge for any fighter in the sport. His jab and right hook are now just as potent as his lethal left, and his lateral movement has improved almost beyond recognition. Pacquiao doesn’t just move in and out like he used to, he side steps, pivots and turns as well as any of the greats. But Pacquiao is often a victim of his own extraordinary fighting heart and tends to go toe to toe when he doesn’t have to, and can sometimes get caught while unloading his power shots. Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto both caught Pacquiao with well timed hooks and uppercuts while Pacquiao steamed in with his trademark aggression.

If Clottey can keep Pacquiao on the end of his jab and fire out consistent lead right hands, he may be able to control the action for good parts of the bout. Clottey may also find success if he bulls Pacquiao to the ropes and unleashes his uppercuts and hooks. He must be careful to stop him from ducking and swiveling out (a trick Pacquiao has learned extremely well over the years), but Clottey’s wide frame and unusual physical strength will give him a better chance than most.

It is hard to see Clottey effectively catching Pacquiao between punches because the African fighter tends to cover up while his opponents are punching and wait for his turn to start his own offense.

And this is why Clottey probably doesn’t have what it takes to dethrone the pound for pound king.

While Clottey may be able to control the pace for portions of the bout, Pacquiao’s incredible speed and movement will force Clottey into his shell. When he does that, Pacquiao will begin to step around and attack Clottey’s body to bring his hands down. Pacquiao’s unorthodox punches will begin to find their target, and Clottey will either have to blend offensive punching with his defense, or lose more rounds than he wins. Freddy Roach will insist that Pacquiao doesn’t stand infront of Clottey for too long, and by the time the Filipino is done punching, Clottey will be swiping at thin air.

Fighters who have mastered the art of counter punching have a chance of beating Pacquiao, and as it stands, only Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley operate at a high enough level to make it work (and maybe Juan Manuel Marquez at a much lower weight). Miguel Cotto fought on even terms for three rounds with the Pac Man due to his effective counter punching, but his chin wasn’t good enough to keep him competitive throughout. Clottey’s chin is world class, but his counter punching isn’t, and for those reasons he won’t be the pick this Saturday.

It is difficult to see Pacquiao scoring a knockout over Clottey, but it might start to look pretty bad for the Ghanaian in the later rounds as Pacquiao’s speed and rhythm take over.

My prediction: Pacquiao via unanimous decision.

Author: Ben Cohen

Source: trueslant.com

Joshua Clottey 5-1 Underdog Play Looks Big to Many

When the initial line opened up for "The Event" this coming Saturday, line-makers opened Manny Pacquiao as a 4-1 favorite over the highly overlooked Joshua Clottey.

These odds were in line with the expectations of most that the Ghanaian would offer some solid resistance to the future hall-of-fame entrant but not necessarily anything stiffer than seen in recent fights.

Since the betting line opened up nearly two months ago in January, the line has moved gradually in favor of the "Pacman" which currently lists him as a -800 favorite. This means that either all of the money being wagered on this fight has been for Manny or that a tremendous amount of money has been bet on him in comparison to that of Clottey.

With this type of betting taking place, the rugged African prize-fighter has now made his way to the +500 region.

This means that he is a 5-1 betting underdog which has apparently caught the eye of the value seekers looking to maximize their betting leverage.

Boxing is one of the few sports in which the odds are largely based on the popularity of a fighter rather than the true level of competition within the ring.

Being that Joshua Clottey is not only considered by many to be the first legitimate welterweight test of Manny Pacquiao's career (meaning no catch-weight), but also the most rugged individual the "Pacman" has ever laced them up against points to the fact that these odds are probably a bit "off". When I refer to "off" I'm pointing to the fact that this fight would appear to be much more competitive on paper.

Usually an 8-1 spread signifies that the fight will lack any real competition and that the outcome is already a foregone conclusion.

While the line is completely correct in favoring Pacquiao, listing Clottey as a 5-1 underdog has raised the eyebrows of numerous fight fans I've spoken with thinking that it might not be a bad value bet simply based on the wideness of the line.

I'm expecting the value bettors to rear their heads leading up to the fight and by fight time Pacquiao will probably be listed as a 7-1 favorite with Clottey listed as a 4-1 underdog.

Author: John Chavez

Source: examiner.com

Boxers disappointed with Pacquiao’s omission

ABU DHABI // Manny Pacquiao, the first boxer to win world titles in seven weight divisions, should have been nominated for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year, according to two reigning champions.

Amir Khan, Britain’s WBA world light welterweight champion, and Vitali Klitschko, the WBC heavyweight champion, maintained Pacquiao’s absence from the five-strong nominees list left them feeling disappointed.

“Manny is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world,” said Khan. “I’m very surprised he’s not on the list. In the last few years he’s fought [Juan Manuel] Marquez, Oscar [De la Hoya], Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. He’s had some big fights and I’m surprised he’s not a contender.”

Khan said Pacquiao’s reluctance to embrace celebrity-status beyond his native shores of the Philippines had not helped his cause.

“Few boxers get that level of publicity,” he said. “If it was someone like Floyd Mayweather, who is a bigger name and attraction, then maybe [a nomination would be possible]. But although Manny is huge for what he has done in the game, there is that thing about his image which stops him being massive around the world.”

Klitschko echoed Khan’s view on the Filipino fighter. “Champions like Pacquiao are bringing boxing to another level and the sport needs heroes,” said the Ukraine boxer.

“If I had the chance, as a boxer, I would have voted for Pacquiao, but it was never a situation – he wasn’t on the shortlist. There are a lot of champions around and you can’t give everyone an award. Still, it’s disappointing.”

Laureus’s two-part voting process sees a selection panel of international media compile a shortlist, before Laureus Academy members vote by secret ballot to select the winners.

Author: Euan Megson

Source: thenational.ae

Manny Pacquiao, preparing for Joshua Clottey bout, leaves nothing to chance

The adulation for Manny Pacquiao is growing by the day. On his cellphone Wednesday, promoter Bob Arum was told 2,000 more seats were sold, meaning 38,000 tickets have been bought for Pacquiao's world welterweight title fight against Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

This is the disparity boxing creates. Future glory and perhaps a fifth straight Pacquiao knockout, televised to the world and shown to the Dallas masses in person and on the 160-foot-wide high-definition screen above the ring, await. But this also requires the grunt work that Pacquiao performs religiously, as he did Wednesday.

"There's no such thing as an easy fight," Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said about Clottey.

The resounding theme of that message — don't let up — has been long embraced by Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), who has devoutly followed Roach's directions at the gritty Wild Card Gym in Hollywood to become the fighter considered the best in the world.

How? Two important disciplines stick out. Pacquiao's attention to rapid and balanced footwork causes opponents to repeatedly lament after their defeat that they never saw a decisive punch coming. And Pacquiao, a southpaw, has labored to perfect a right-handed punch few others can match.

"His overall movement — I've never seen a fighter develop their ‘other' hand to the extent Manny has," Arum said. "At this point, his right is as good as his left. You think he's going to jab, and he throws a hook off the jab."

Pacquiao's willingness to learn has led to his sensational run of accomplishments — the seven weight-class world titles, TKOs in three of his last four fights (against David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto) with the 2009 knockout of the year against Ricky Hatton thrown in. He works unflinchingly in and around Wild Card, wrapping his hands in a stifling hot closet, jumping rope for hours, running so long on the concrete of Hollywood that he's recently developed shin splints.

"Everyone thinks he wins because of his hand speed, but it's his foot speed," Roach said. "You have to make both feet work together. His hands and feet are in balance, and that's the difference between him and so many others. It started coming together before the Diaz fight [in June 2008]. We work on patterns, drills, and by the fight most people don't know what's up. He's at the point now where it's all just about reactions, no thinking."

"It makes a good balance," Pacquiao said Wednesday. "It's been a good strategy."

Pacquiao said he's embraced that extra work dating to 2006, when he beat Erik Morales by 10th-round TKO.

What the public gets treated to now is the fine-tuning.

"Manny and Freddie are the best [fighter-trainer] combination, better than [ Muhammad] Ali and [Angelo] Dundee," Arum said. "Ali got to a point where he knew it all, and quit listening. Manny still listens."

Author: Lance Pugmire

Source: latimes.com

Fight Lover's Forum 3.04.10: Manny's Making a Big Mistake

By taking a fight where he has everything to lose and nothing to gain, Manny Pacquiao is making a terrible mistake by fighting Clottey on March 13th. Team Pacquiao in engaging in terrible matchmaking, and the fight makes no sense for his legacy. 411's A. Shakoor examines...


A little over a week from now, Manny Pacquiao is going to step in the ring for one of the toughest fights of his entire career. This will at least be his toughest test since his second fight with Juan Manuel Marquez back in March of 2008. Pacquiao has been on a historic rise since then, and knocking out fighters while displaying increasing levels of skill and domination. I think all that ends now. While I'm picking Manny to win his title defense on March 13th, I think he's in for a hellish night in the ring. Why did he take this fight?

I've never understood this matchup. Manny Pacquiao is at the point in his career where his legacy is clearly established. He's arguably the greatest fighter of all-time, and at the very, very least in the top-ten. At this point, he should be protecting his legacy, or adding to it. Of course the epic showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. could have possibly added to the legacy if he beat the Pretty Boy. We all know why that fight didn't happen.

Another way he could have added to his legacy was by challenging 154 lb champion Yuri Foreman to go for 8 titles in 8 divisions. A bout with the light hitting Foreman likely would have been an easy match to make, but trainer Freddie Roach didn't want to dick around with Manny's weight too much at this point in his career. That's probably a good idea.

So why not just relax and protect the legacy this spring, before he goes into the final stretch for his May political election bid in the Phillippines? I've written it before, and I'll write it again, Manny has earned an easy fight. His resume is impeccable. After a tough battle with Cotto, which resulted in a busted eardrum for the Pacman, why not take on a stiff–preferably in the Phillippines? It could have been an easy stay busy fight until the Mayweather/Mosley situation got straightened out. After their May 1rst scrap, Manny could then decide whether it's worth it to him to negotiate with the winner for a fall showdown; or end the Saga with JMM; or try for 8 in 8; or retire. Regardless of future plans, the Clottey fight makes no sense.

It's the classic high risk, low reward fight. It's actually a NO reward fight. Even insider fight fans who should know better, are saying that Clottey has no chance, and Manny will plow right over him. Um, nobody plows over Clottey. Clottey has three losses in his career. In 1999, he was easily beating Carlos Baldomir before he was disqualified for excessive fouling in the 11th round. Later in 2006, he was getting the best of Antonio Margarito before he injured his hand in the 4th round, on his way to losing the decision. For the record, that fight was against a "pre-cheat revealed" Margarito. Clottey withstood the heavy hands, and possibly loaded gloves of Margarito for 12 rounds without getting knocked out. Yet somehow the undersized Pacman is supposed to blow through him out with ease? Bullcrap.


It drives me crazy to hear the twisted logic that Clottey will be dominated by Pacman, because Pacman got the best of Miguel Cotto to the point of stopping him, and Cotto beat Clottey last year, so therefore Manny will have an easier time with Clottey than he had with Cotto. Wrong! STYLES MAKE FIGHTS.

You know what, Ken Norton got destroyed in less than two rounds by Ernie Shavers and George Foreman. Yet, Norton arguably beat Ali on all three of their meetings, and he was life and death for 15 rounds with the great Larry Holmes in 1978. Moreover, the Norton slayer, Shavers got dominated by Holmes and Ali. Of course, Ali knocked out the same Foreman who humiliated Norton in two rounds. STYLES MAKE FIGHTS. It's the most basic truism in boxing.

Also, although Cotto dropped Clottey in the opening round, it was clearly a flash, off balance drop. Clottey wasn't hurt. I can't remember if I've ever seen Clottey really hurt in any of his 39 fights. When Clottey had Cotto cut, and seemingly hurt in the middle of their fight, he was unable to step on the gas in the later rounds to score enough points; let alone close the show. Intelligently, Cotto protected his cut, and purely boxed in the final rounds. He stuck and retreated. Clottey didn't have the speed, skill, endurance, "something" to cut off the ring and tag him. Question: When's the last time we saw Manny defensively retreat in the ring?



What happens if Clottey walks through Manny's best shots in the early rounds of the fight, and presses forward with his tight defense, throwing short, compact punches? Clottey also has a history of causing headbutts, and Dude has a huge head. What happens if Clottey gets the best of Manny in the early rounds, and an "accidental" headbutt causes the bout to go to the scorecards? This is certainly a fight Manny could lose.

I don't see Clottey stopping Manny, because Clottey doesn't have great power, and Manny takes a tremendous shot anyway. That's the main reason I think Manny will win this fight. I think both fighters will tag the shit out of each other for 12 rounds, but due to Manny's superior speed, skill, and speed again, I think he'll out land Clottey in a war by 2-4 points. It would be smart for Manny to simply outbox and danceon Clottey, once he figures out he can't knock him out. However, I just don't know if Manny is willing to fight that way. He's a tightly wound machine of aggression. Either way, I think Manny wins on points, I think. But for what? And how much of himself will he leave in the ring?

The Manny haters will laughable try to denigrate his record, and crap on his close victory over the clearly talented Joshua Clottey. By acting like Manny should blow through Clottey, so many are setting the bar irrationally high. If Manny loses–which is certainly plausible–Manny will cost himself 10's of millions in the purse split, if he plans to negotiate with Mayweather again; assuming Mayweather beats Mosley. And Manny's legacy takes a major hit if he loses. He's still one of the all-time greats, but the "hit" on his legacy is undeniable. This is just bad matchmaking. Look, like it or not, most all of the historically great fighters with superior resumes, also were careful to protect the legacy they established by not taking high risk, low reward fights.

Jack Johnson refused to defend his title against quality fellow black fighters. Ali didn't give Foreman a rematch. Frazier never fought Norton. Leonard didn't fight Pryor, or give Hagler a rematch. Oscar didn't give Sweat Pea a rematch. Lewis didn't fight Foreman in the 90's, or give Vitali Klitschko a rematch. Mosley never should have fought rematches against Forrest and Wright, because they were simply terrible matchups, and not in his "class" regarding historical perception. One can find dozens of examples to make my point.

Pacquiao shouldn't be fighting Clottey, and if it's close, he sure as hell shouldn't give him a rematch. There's a fine balance between establishing a great historical resume/legacy, and avoiding pointless, "nothing to gain" matchups. Manny has nothing to gain, and everything to lose. I'm scratching my head now, I'm be shaking it with amazement during the action-packed fight, and I'll be rolling my eyes and shaking my head ruefully after the fight is over. Manny's making a big mistake. But despite what the haters and misguided are saying, expect one hell of a competitive fight on March 13th in Dallas Cowboys Stadium; a fight Manny will wish he never took in the first place.

Author: A. Shakoor

Source: 411mania.com