With the super fight between Filipino comet Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38KO) and Ghana tough guy Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20KO) looming on the horizon on March 13th, why aren’t I more excited? Surely Clottey, who has only been defeated twice and disqualified once, is a more than a formidable foe. Besides his disqulification in ’99 for a low blow in bout versus former welterweight champ Carlos Baldomir, Clottey has only lost very close decisions to two other former champions, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto.
Is my lack of enthusiasm a symptom of thinking the winner of the bout is a foregone conclusion?
I don’t think so. If anything, I think Clottey is a very tough opponent who has not really displayed a sure strategy to beat him. A strong natural welterweight with a concrete chin, I have often said when asked that he might be a more difficult out for Pacquiao that Cotto was.
If you go back and watch the Pacquiao-Cotto match up, you can see that Pacquiao basically followed the blue print drawn up by the “Tijuana Tornado” in 2008 when Margarito stopped the Boricua in the late rounds. Once Pacquiao felt comfortable with Cotto’s speed and power, the “Pac Man” walked down Cotto around the perimeter of the ring and attacked as the Caguas native would set up.
When Clottey dropped a unanimous decision to Margarito in ’06, it was clear that Clottey hurt both fists during the bout. With Margarito not climbing into the ring for over nine months prior to the bout, Clottey was giving the Tijuana fighter a run for his money in the early rounds until the injuries occured. Would Clottey been able to sustain the rhythm for all twelve rounds with out the injuries? We don’t know since Margarito did not grant him a rematch.
His bout against Cotto last year was much closer despite Clottey meeting the canvas in the first round in a flash knockdown. After causing a brutal gash over Cotto’s eye near the end of the third, Clottey pressured the Puerto Rican for the remainder of the bout in a twelve round fight that many observers believed the African won.
The split decision was awarded to Cotto.
But at the end, Pacquiao will be the clear winner.
Despite Clottey being the bigger, stronger fighter, the man from General Santos City is just one of a kind.
After the southpaw Pacquiao stopped the “Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya by the eight round in ’08, it was not clear how the once flyweight would perform in the much heavier division of welterweight. Although his bout with De La Hoya was set at the 145 lbs. mark, everybody agreed that the “Golden Boy’ was well beyond the top of the hill and almost to the base when Pacquiao got his hands on him.
When the Pacquiao-Cotto mega fight was announced for late last year, the build up was set on whether Pacquiao would be able to compete with a true welterweight in his prime. The promotion to the event was extraordinary with Pacquiao making appearances on network television, magazine covers and elsewhere that had not been seen since the heyday of one Mike Tyson and the “Golden Boy” himself. The hype generated for the possible Mayweather-Pacquiao fight and its eventual collapse might have even surpassed the attention Pacquaio-Cotto garnered.
Even though the Pacquiao face off against Clottey will be held at the massive Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, TX, with the full support of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, I don’t feel that it has generated the same excitement.
Is it because it was scheduled too soon? is it Clottey?
In his devastating win over Cotto, all questions were answered of Pacquiao’s ability to perform in the welterweight division. With Clottey, Pacquiao will now go for extra credit.
Despite Clottey shell like defense, he is a stationary target which Pacquiao, at the prompting of his trainer Freddy Roach, will exploit with his speed and punch output deterring Clottey from establishing an attack.
Will Pacquiao be able to stop the man from Accra, Ghana? That is a question that soon will be answered.
I think I am looking forward to it now…
dude good he didn’t fight Margarito because Margarito is a cheater.
regarding Cotto ,he was washed up anyway when he fought manny that is why manny chose him .
DUDE,Floyd is fighting Mosely who Roach refused to fight because he is dagerous .
Manny is a chump and you will see next SAT
P.S. listen to floyds interview on Sirius radio with ra the rugged man you’ll understand
I’m talking about he was afraid of Margarito,Cotto when put in front of him…Floyd wins by a decision
dude floyd is fighting Mosely.what are you talking about
Love boxing maybe you should be the one drug tested…those washed up fighters that you mentioned are the same ones that Floyd fought..and the only credit you give manny is beating cotto and you should because Floyd was too pussy to fight him after the Hatton fight…hand picking oppenents we all know that’s what’s Floyd is best at…haha you’re a funny character bro…Floyd is good he will never be great because of the fights he didn’t take
dude nobody is asking you to respond so please do not waste your precious time .
LOl who is even talking about Marquez here, I even said Marquez needs a miracle to win that fight, I can’t tell you to stop saying nonsense, it is your right to trash talk lol.
How can me and others talk boxing when we got you and others hating on everyone and fueling disinformation nonstop every day, it get’s old so quickly, now your going to talk bad about Mexican fighters because that’s going to make me feel bad lol,
Lets cut the disinformation crap and talk boxing, forget about color, race or whatever, when Pacquiao comes out positive for steroids or gets tangle in another BALCO, then talk all you want, but going over and over and over every day for the past 3 months doesn’t make you or your favorite fighter any better.
I’m not even sure why I’m wasting my time with you, you can change your nick all you want, but you will never change.
Tijuana,in the past you mentioned that you have
participate in this forum in a effective manner but until now I have not any analysis from you in regarding any fight .All we get from you is your
opinions on fighter ,but an actual analysis and a
good break down of fighters in regards their abilities and skills .
All we get from you is philippics agianst Floyd
Hope to see something useful comes out of you soon regarding the upcoming fights .
hands of steel,who told that manny is great .Manny is just a good fighter who fought washed up fighters .Maybe I give credit for beating Cotto.
He barley won over Marquze .please do not tell
me Hatton ,Oscar or Diaz.
Manny’s fights are hand picked by the Tycoon
Bob .
Tijuana ,you don’t like me becuase i keep reminding you that his majesty Floyd make Marquez look like someone who has nothing to
do with boxing ,hehe
you hoped that marquez beat FLOYD but your dreams went awry ,that is why you are so
vexed and have a lot of hate toward Floyd .
Marquez looked like an amateur and was not even able to land one clean shot .what a shame
I have not seen any good Mexican fighters lately
maybe the lack of interest in the sport or the lack masculinity.they are ok but not stars who are compelling to be watched .
maybe Chavez jr ,hehehehehehehehehe
Lol good one Tijuana
LOL good one there, now Pacquiao is also on EPO on top of hGH, AND you can beat him! What’s next? he is an experiment of an alien civilization?
Whatever you say man, it’s entertaining as hell ! lol
machine on steroids ,EPO and HGH .FLOYD is going to fight MOSLEY and Manny is going to fight clottey who just give a braek man I can beat the shit out manny if want he wanna fight me and I’ll make him cry like a pussy lie he is .
machine my BS .
It’s funny how we live in a time where a human being can’t be great anymore they can only be good…without being accused of steroids…and how people can be so easily be brainwashed by what’s put in front of them…give Manny his due…Freddie roach has created a machine and sorry love boxing but your boy Floyd wants no part of him…
Hey love boxing,
I don’t think the Nevada Commision is THAT ignorant regarding steroids. Although it is very well known that some steroids don’t appear in urine samples after a few days. Any fighter can take them. Use the effects to his advantge and still come clean on the post fight piss test.
To me, Pacquiao vs. Clottey makes sense to me because Clottey is stil at the top of his game. De La Hoya, Cotto and Hatton were already damaged goods by the time they faced Pacquiao. Even though Cotto barely got by Clottey, I still think Clottey won that fight.
When pigs fly! lol
XYLOCOID Floydie desguised as “love boxing”, WHEN R U GOING TO STOP ACCUSING MANNY OF USING STEROIDS WITHOUT PROOFS?
PACriods can stop clottey because he is on steriods which can’t be detected by a urine test .
the answer is obvious ,yes he will stop clottey because of the leverage he obtained by taking steriods through out this years and wasn’t discovered because the stupidity of the Nevada
comission by not enforcing a blood test that can detect water substances such EPO,HGH …
so put it this was ,the comission lack of knowledge on steriods give the chance for manny to shine .People who took steriods they exactly know what I am talking about but for the
a person who doesn’t know about steriods it seriously hard to grasp and know how you can cheat the urine blood test.
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