Friday, January 22, 2010

Pacquiao takes breather, delays training

MANILA, Philippines – Seven-time world champ Manny Pacquiao is taking a breather frist before starting his training camp following his press tour with Ghanian boxer Joshua Clottey to promote their upcoming bout.
According to a report by Ronnie Nathanielsz of PhilBoxing.com, Pacquiao went to Los Angeles from New York together with his coach Freddie Roach, assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, adviser Michael Koncz and lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal.
Roach told the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion to take a rest after a gruelling press tour at the Dallas Cowboys in Texas stadium and the Madison Square Garden in New York.
Pacquiao was supposed to begin his training camp at the Wild Card Gym on Thursday (Friday in Manila) but had to rest before going down to business.
Team Pacquiao has set aside 7 weeks to prepare against the durable Clottey, a former world welterweight champion.
Clottey's training hit by delay, too
Clottey, meanwhile, had to take a forced vacation from his training after his trainer was temporarily refused a visa by the US Embassy in Accra, Ghana.
The former International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion was reported heading back to Ghana to resolve the issue of visas for trainer Godwin Dzanie Kotey and assistant trainer Daniel Clottey whose US visas had expired last November.
“We are very disappointed because we need to train. Now Joshua is all alone in the US and even if he is training, there is no supervision,” Kotey said in EastSideBoxing.com.
Clottey was reportedly frustrated with the delay.
“You need time to prepare in boxing. Even the day Joshua was notified for the fight was already too short for a fight of such magnitude. He needs at least four months to prepare for a big fight like this,” said Kotey.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Wild Card saddles up for Pacquiao training

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao was given the green light Thursday by trainer Freddie Roach to spend what was supposed to be his first day of training with his friends after the two arrived here close to midnight from a two-city promotional tour in Dallas and New York for the March 13 fight with Joshua Clottey.
“See you on Friday, Manny,” Roach told his prized pupil late Wednesday night at a private hangar near LAX International, fresh from a six-hour flight from Newark, New Jersey that made a brief refueling stop in Denver.
“Just take the day off. Rest,” said Roach.
Pacquiao had wanted to show up at the Wild Card in Hollywood on Thursday as originally planned but because of their late arrival back from the tiring tour, the Filipino had no choice but to skip training.
“Okay, coach, I will do that,” said Pacquiao, who was joined in the press tour by Canadian adviser Mike Koncz, lawyer Franklin Gacal and training assistant Roger Fernandez.
At the Wild Card on Vine Street, security chief Rob Peters was already on hand to enforce rules, knowing that Pacquiao would start his workout but he will have to wait for another day.
When Pacquiao goes to the gym Friday, nobody will be allowed in except of course for members of Pacquiao’s team from 12 noon until 4 p.m. until March 8.
Despite missing one day, Team Pacquiao is not worried.
Conditioning coach Alex Ariza said there is still enough time to whip Pacquiao into his old fiery form, stressing that he is the most hardworking athlete he has seen.
“We’re still okay and you know Manny, when he starts training it would be impossible to tell him to stop,” said Ariza, who has the major role of making sure Pacquiao reaches peak form in time for the 12-round welterweight clash set at the Cowboys Stadium.
Since Pacquiao and Clottey are slugging it out at the welter limit of 147 lbs, Ariza said Pacquiao will tip the scales exactly at 147 but will not allow him to bloat.
“He’ll weigh 149 lbs by the time he enters the ring.”

Source: mb.com.ph

Clottey on a mission

The African nation of Ghana has given the world a few really good boxers. Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey and Ben Tackie come to mind. Now 32-year-old welterweight Joshua Clottey is working hard to be remembered like Nelson, a winner of three world championships. Was life growing up in Ghana hard? “Very, very, hard,” Clottey said. “Ghana, you know, there is nothing there. When you are a young guy you have to fight to get ahead,” Clottey said. Boxing was his way to do just that. Fighting has put Clottey in the hearts and minds of his countrymen. If he retired tomorrow, his career would be memorialized with those of Quartey and Tackie.

A veteran (35-3-0, 20 KOs) whose win total is approaching Nelson’s (39-6-2, 28 KO), Clottey already has an IBF welterweight championship belt to show for his efforts.
He is Manny Pacquiao’s second choice for defending the WBO welterweight championship. Clottey said that being Floyd Mayweather’s understudy does not bother him, that fighting the world’s #1 pound-for-pound boxer is something he’s earned.
But what if…he does beat Pacquiao, and becomes a household name overnight. Will he still want to attempt turning over a couple losses, specifically to Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito?
“I want to fight with Cotto, even if I win (against Pacquiao) I want to fight against Cotto and (Antonio) Margarito,” he said.
But after a win against a superstar like Pacquiao, a second loss to a previous foe may tarnish a newly created legacy.
That doesn’t scare Clottey a bit.
“I would love to fight with Cotto, I would love to fight with Margarito,” he said. “Because, in both fights, something happened. Cotto was the controversy, Margarito, (it) was the (left) hand, so I need to fight them again,” he said.


Source: fightnews.com

Boxing King Manny Pacquiao Update!

According to a published report by the Manila Standard, Manny Pacquiao is set to start his training today at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. Pacquiao is training for his upcoming March 13th battle with Joshua Clottey. UPDATE: Ronnie Nathanielsz for PhilBoxing is reporting: "Pacquiao was supposed to start training at the Wild Card Gym on Thursday (Friday in Manila) but Roach asked him to take a day’s rest before buckling down to the grueling training regimen he is normally used to".

Also according to the Filipino based publication, Pacquiao's conditioning expert Alex Ariza stated that Pacquiao is in a great mood and wants to start running in March, which gave Ariza the impression that Pacquiao was relaxed before he starts his training.

The fight is set to take place at the new the $1.2 billion dollar state of the art facility, Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Texas.

DID YOU KNOW? - Quick interesting facts on the $1.2 Billion dollar Dallas Cowboys Stadium:

Did you know more than 3,000 Sony LCD TVs are displayed throughout the luxury suites, concourses, concession areas and more! A highlight of Cowboys Stadium is its gigantic center-hung high-definition television screen, the largest in the world, sometimes referred to as "Jerry-Tron" in reference to Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones. The 160-by-72-foot (49 by 22 m), 11,520-square-foot (1,070 m2) scoreboard surpasses the 8,736 sq ft (812 m2) screen that opened in 2009 at the renovated Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri as the world's largest. The world's largest 1080p HDTV hangs above field.

Source: doghouseboxing.co

Boxing sticker shock: Pricing for Pacquaio vs. Clottey

Just received a presale offer from the Cowboys for the Manny Pacquaio-Joshua Clottey fight on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium.
Want a ticket on the floor? It'll cost $700, which is pricier than the priciest seat at Cowboys Stadium. For $500, you can get a seat on the floor in either end of the end zone. For bowl seating, prices range from $300 (which are approximately aligned with the video board on both sides of the stadium) to $50 for end zone corners.
Presale tickets go on sale Friday. Tickets go on sale to the general public through Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. Saturday.
In addition to hyping the fight as "the first of its kind to take place in North Texas," the Cowboys note that floor seating is elevated to increase the quality of the sightlines. And of course, they say the fight will be shown in the stadium on the "largest HD Quality Television in the World."


Source: stadiumblog.dallasnews.com

CLOTTEY'S TRAINER DENIED VISA AS FIGHT WITH PACQUIAO AWAITS

With just seven weeks left until the biggest fight of his career, former welterweight champion Joshua Clottey is currently without a trainer. According to reports, Clottey's trainer, Godwin Nii Dzanie Kotey, and assistant trainer, Daniel Clottey, have been denied a visa by the US Embassy in Accra. "An officer looked into the documents that I had with me and he just wrote something that they [were] going to do their investigations and give me a call...I don't know what investigations they want to carry out," Kotey revealed to Nathaniel Attoh of Joy Sports.

It's rumored that Clottey's March 13th bout with Manny Pacquiao could be in jeopardy if the problem isn't resolved soon. "We are very disappointed because we need to train. Now Joshua is all alone in the US and even if he is training, there is no supervision," Kotey would inform Prince Dornu-Leiku at East Side Boxing. "You need time to prepare in boxing. Even the day Joshua was notified for the fight was already too short for a fight of such magnitude. He needs at least four months to prepare for a big fight like this."

Clottey himself is expected to return to Ghana to try and resolve the problem and help speed up whatever investigations are necessary. Whether or not this will have an effect of Clottey's training remains to be seen, but with or without his longtime trainer, it's highly doubtful that Clottey would pull out of a fight that will earn his biggest payday.



Source: fighthype.com

Clottey’s coach refused US visa

By Prince Dornu-Leiku - Godwin Dzanie Kotey AKA Alloway, the trainer of WBO welterweight title challenger Joshua Clottey and his assistant Daniel Clottey have been refused a visa renewal by the US Embassy in Accra. The coach and assistant’s respective previous visas expired at the end of November last year, but attempts to renew it in order to make it to the US on time for preparations by the boxer towards the March 13 world title fight against Manny Pacquiao has been met with resistance by US authorities in Ghana..

According to the two after they went to the US Embassy last Wednesday to apply for the visa renewal, Kotey the trainer was only given a paper stating that the visa has been temporarily withheld and he will get a call later, but Clottey the assistant trainer was flatly refused. This, the two say does no good to the preparations of Joshua Clottey as he prepares for the do or die showdown with the Philippine’s Manny Pacquiao. “We are very disappointed because we need to train. Now Joshua is all alone in the US and even if he is training, there is no supervision,” Coach Kotey stated.

A boxer needs four others to work with in his corner when preparing for and during the fight itself, which are the chief cornerman who is automatically the trainer, his assistant, the cutman and the bucketman. Mr. Godwin Kotey has therefore appealed to Ghanaian boxing authorities and promoters for the March 13 big fight to intervene in order for the US Embassy to issue the visas to the trainer and his assistant to make the journey.

Joshua Clottey who only last Tuesday concluded paperwork in the US on the fight is expected to return to Ghana tomorrow in order to personally facilitate the visa application for the trainers. “You need time to prepare in boxing. Even the day Joshua was notified for the fight was already too short for a fight of such magnitude. He needs at least four months to prepare for a big fight like this,” a very frustrated Godwin Kotey said

Source: eastsideboxing.com

The decision to fight Clottey could backfire if Pacquiao gets damaged

By Jason Kim: One thing that Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao’s management may not have thought about is that their decision to take a fight against the tough Joshua Clottey could backfire on them if Pacquiao gets damaged in his fight against Clottey. Pacquiao could end up taking heavy punishment from Clottey, even if Manny wins the fight. It might be too high of a price for Pacquiao to pay in winning if he ends up getting hurt and it causing him problems in future fights.

This kind of thing happens all the time. A fighter takes a tough bout that turns into a real war and that fighter is never the same afterwards and prone to getting knocked out easily. Clottey is that kind of a tough fighter that can inflict a lot of damage even if he loses the fight.

No one beats him easily without Clottey landing a lot of punches to the head. And he has good power and speed, and he makes his opponents pay a heavy price for their wins. When you look at that and take into account how wide open Pacquiao is defensively because of his aggressive style of attacking, this fight could end up with Pacquiao taking an awful lot of punishment.

Pacquiao may not be the same fighter he was after the fight. This isn’t an over-matched super featherweight, lightweight or an old Oscar De La Hoya that Pacquiao is facing on March 13th. Clottey will be really bringing it and giving Pacquiao pure hell. It doesn’t matter that Pacquiao will be landing a lot of fast punches.

Clottey will still get too him plenty and will probably hit Pacquiao harder and more often than he’s been hit before in any of his other bouts. Pacquiao is coming off of a 12th round TKO over Miguel Cotto in November. Pacquiao got hit some in that fight, but really not all that much because Cotto was pretty much on his bike from the 5th round on and looking to just survive.

After Cotto got hurt early in the fight, he wasn’t standing and trading with Pacquiao like he normally does in his fights. Because of that, Pacquiao really didn’t get hit nearly as much as he would have if Cotto had stayed in one place and fired back consistently for 12 rounds. If that had been the case, Pacquiao would have taken a ton of punishment in the fight.

Well, Clottey will be able to take Pacquiao’s shots without being hurt and he clearly won’t run from him like Cotto did and he won’t fold early like Ricky Hatton. This is why Pacquiao will likely pay a huge price in beating Clottey. I still think Pacquiao will win, but this fight might take a lot out of him because Clottey is tough, durable and can punch.

Clottey likes when his fights turn into wars and he’s well suited for this kind of style of fighting. Pacquiao has been spared fighting bouts like this, because most of his opponents aren’t able to withstand his power and speed. Erik Morales, who beat Pacquiao by a 12 round decision in 2005, was one of the few who could. But that fight was fought at super featherweight.

Clottey is a lot bigger than Morales and he probably won’t back up an inch with the smaller Pacquiao coming after him. Again, I think Pacquiao will win this fight, but I think it’s going to be a heavy price because of the punishment he’s going to take in the fight. I think if Pacquiao does face Mayweather next, there may not be enough left of Pacquiao for it to be a competitive fight.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Pacquiao-Clottey Anxious for March 13

Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey concluded their two-day, two-city press conference on Wednesday afternoon in New York at Madison Square Garden. Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), boxing's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, will make the first defense of his WBO welterweight title when he faces off against the WBO's No. 1 contender, Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs).

The fight will take place on March 13th and televised on HBO PPV. It will take place at Cowboys stadium in Dallas, Texas. This fight marks the biggest world championship fight to be held in a major U.S. sports stadium since the Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton World Heavyweight championship fight in Yankee Stadium in 1976.

The March 13th date was originally set for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, but negotiations broke off. The stumbling block of a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao megafight was the scheduling of blood testing. Mayweather said he believes Pacquiao has used performance-enhancing drugs.

Pacquiao said he felt insulted to be accused of taking PEDs. So while boxing fans are the big losers in the failed attempt for the super fight, Joshua Clottey became the winner in the fiasco. To no surprise, Clottey is more than excited to have the chance to fight the best in the world.

"This is a miracle opportunity for me," said Clottey. "To share a ring with Manny Pacquiao is something I want to do because he is the best fighter pound-for-pound. He beat everyone in front of him, but I promise you that we are coming to fight and we will please the people."

In his last fight, Clottey lost a controversial split decision to Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden. Clottey put on a tremendous performance against Cotto, but faded in the later rounds. Despite the loss, Clottey showed that he belongs among the elite in the exciting welterweight division and bigger fights will come. There is no bigger fight than this one.

"This is a very big fight. He's one of the best fighters out there, and he's beaten everyone they've given him. But we're going to fight," Clottey said. "I know it's not an easy fight for me and it's not an easy fight for him."

Many boxing experts feel that Clottey has a decent chance of scoring the upset and he concurs with that thought when asked about his chances.

"I have everything needed to beat Pacquiao," Clottey said. "He throws a lot of punches but I block a lot of punches. We will see what happens. I have never lost to a southpaw in my career. When I fought Judah, he was quicker than me and threw a lot of punches. But my blocking had him confused and I took advantage."

Clottey also talked about the size advantage he will have over Pacquiao.

"Cotto had no respect for Manny's power because he felt he was the bigger man," Clottey said. "That will not happen to me. It does not matter how small he is. All it takes is one solid punch to the chin to knock you down and that is what happened with Cotto. It will not happen to me."

Manny Pacquiao will try to further cement his legacy as he faces a tough challenge in Clottey. During the press conference, Pacquiao made it known that he wanted to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr . He doesn't think the feeling is mutual.

"He didn't want to fight me," Pacquiao said. "I think maybe Mayweather is scared to lose. But I am not that disappointed on not fighting Floyd. It's no big deal because I have to fight Clottey."

Manny needs to put the Mayweather fiasco behind him quickly as the fight is less than eight weeks away, which means he has to put in a quicker training camp than usual. Pacquiao's super trainer, Freddie Roach, admits they are not on schedule , but says there are no worries.

"We are little behind schedule," Roach said. "We are going forward with a six week training camp instead of the standard eight. He is doing plenty of running and playing plenty of basketball to keep him in shape. Manny is a great athlete and he will be more than ready for March 13th."

Pacquiao was asked during the conference on his feelings about Clottey as an opponent.

"Joshua Clottey's style is different from styles I have fought," Pacquiao said. "Clottey is bigger and taller than Miguel Cotto. I thought his fight with Cotto was very close. I have to prepare and train hard for this fight because Clottey is a strong fighter and a former champion. I won't promise that I'll win, but I promise a good fight."

While it may not be the fight we all wanted, this fight has the makings of being a classic and probably more entertaining battle than a Mayweather-Pacquiao would be. The undercard will be announced next week and rumor has it that Antonio Margarito may make his comeback that night but that remains to be seen.

Source: bleacherreport.com

Roach sees Pacquiao-Clottey fight as being a better fight than Pacquiao vs. Mayweather

By Daved Lahr: Freddie Roach, the trainer of Manny Pacquiao, sees the March 13th match-up between former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey and current WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao as being the better fight for fans compared to a bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., which was going to take place on the same date. That fight didn’t happen because Mayweather and Pacquiao couldn’t agree on the random blood testing for the fight. In an article at Fight Hype, Roach says “This is a much better fight for the fans, I think, and for the people…He [Clottey] is the number one contender, he’s completely the opposite of what Mayweather brings to the table.”

You can say that again, Freddie. Mayweather would have likely been huge problems for Pacquiao because of his speed, movement and counter punching ability. In contrast, Clottey is a stationary fighter who covers up much of the time and moves little. I don’t know that I agree with Roach about this being a better fight for boxing fans than the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. It depends on if you’re interested in seeing a mismatch or not.

Mayweather wouldn’t just stand in front of Pacquiao all night long covering up and throwing combinations every once in awhile. Mayweather would be blasting Pacquiao and taking advantage of Pacquiao’s mistakes as he presses the fight. I think it would be interesting to watch how Pacquiao tries to deal with Mayweather’s movement and counter punching.

Pacquiao looked awful in his two fights with Juan Manuel Marquez, taking a lot of shots and appearing to lose both fights in the minds of many boxing fans. I had Marquez winning both of those bouts. Some people think that Pacquiao has gotten better in the past two years since his controversial 12 round split decision over Marquez in 2008. However, Pacquiao looks like the same fighter to me, only bigger.

I don’t think a fight where Pacquiao is drilling a stationary and/or plodding Clottey as more interesting than a fight against Mayweather. That sounds silly. I don’t know how Roach can honestly believe that boxing fans would rather see Pacquiao face someone who either stands in one place with his gloves glued to his head of plods forward at as snail’s pace.

To me, that seems more like the last few opponents that have been matched against Pacquiao. Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto all stood right in front of Pacquiao using very little movement and they were all eaten alive. Cotto did try moving in the 2nd part of his fight with Pacquiao and had some limited success.

But Cotto isn’t a mover and he didn’t do a good job of punching on the move like Mayweather would have done in the same situation. I could see the Pacquiao-Clottey fight being better than a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao if Manny chose to stand right in front of Clottey all night and slug with him.

But Pacquiao will use his in and out movement to beat Clottey. Pacquiao won’t really attack hard until Clottey becomes completely tired out and immobile late in the fight. But I don’t see that as more interesting than Mayweather-Pacquiao. It just seems like Pacquiao’s team have found another stationary fighter for Pacquiao to look good against. I would much prefer to see Mayweather-Pacquiao or at least Pacquiao matched against someone like Marquez or Paul Williams.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Roach tells Pacman to rest

Instead of Thursday, Manny Pacquiao will report for training at the Wild Card in Hollywood on Friday so he can recharge his batteries after attending the two-city press tour promoting his March 13 fight with Joshua Clottey. This was the instructions made by Wild Card guru Freddie Roach to the Filipino fighter himself the moment they landed near LAX International late Wednesday night. “See you Friday, Manny,” Roach told Pacquiao, who were together on an eight-seater plane that also carried Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal, Canadian adviser Mike Koncz, training assistant Roger Fernandez and Manila Bulletin/Fightnews. Pacquiao made stops in Dallas and New York the last couple of days and since it was almost midnight when he got back in Los Angeles, Roach just advised him to recharge his batteries for the start of training camp on Friday.

Source: fightnews.com

MANNY PACQUIAO VS JOSH CLOTTEY LATEST ODDS AND TIPS

has listed odds for the just-announced fight between Manny Pacquiao and Josh Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. This is going to be a hell of a fight and we’ll be bringing you the latest odds and prices from all over the world of sports betting so that you know where to get the best prices before the fight. I expect this one to attract a huge amount of attention and, if you’re looking to back Manny Pacquiao to win, this is the time to do it as there will be so much betting volume on the Filipino fighter that bookmakers will be cutting his price as we get closer and closer to fight time.

Manny Pacquiao is currently listed at a slim 1/4 outright price to win his fight by any means. Joshua Clottey trades at 11/4 to defeat Pacquiao while the draw, which never happens, is 33/1 at Blue Square.

They do not currently have outright method of victory betting, but they are listing prices for decision or technical decision victories. You can back Pacquiao at 10/11 to win the fight via decision while Clottey looks to only have a shot at victory should he knock Pacquiao out. He is 8/1 to win on points.

The round betting odds are available and they’re in line with all other bookmakers in relation to Manny Pacquiao. He is 33/1 to win the fight in the first or last round, 25/1 to win in the 2nd or the 11th round and 20/1 to win in the 3rd, 9th or 10th round. You’ll find him short-priced at 16/1 to win in any one of the 4-8 rounds. Solid odds, especially on those later rounds where I think Pacquiao could move in for the kill.

Clottey’s round betting odds are 66/1 to win in rounds 1, 10, 11 and 12 while he is 50/1 to win in any other round.

My theory is that the fight will nearly go the distance, but Pacquiao will win via a KO or TKO. I don’t know if there will be a stoppage, but I think that Pacquiao by decision is too short of a price at 10/11. I can see the bookmakers logic as Clottey has only lost fights on points or by DQ, but he’s never fought anyone of Pacquiao’s calibre. Clottey lost his title in a close decision to Miguel Cotto, while Pacquiao’s fight with Cotto wasn’t even really close. I think Manny will come out guns blazing and drop Clottey in the 10th or 11th round.

bettingchoice.co.uk

US Embassy refuses visa for Clottey's trainer

Joshua Clottey is expected back home tomorrow from his base in the US, where he was to begin intensive training for an upcoming world title bout against boxing sensation, Manny Pacquiao.

The US Embassy in Accra refused visas to his trainer, Godwin Nii Dzanie Kotey, popularly known Alloway, and his assistant trainer Daniel Clottey.

The former IBF Welterweight champion was due to begin preparations in the US ahead the March 13 bout.

The refusal of visas to his trainer and assistant has raised doubts over whether the contest will come off.

The trainer told Joy News the situation is very frustrating.

“An officer looked into the documents that I had with me and he just wrote something that they [were] going to do their investigations…and give me a call. As matter of fact, I don’t know what investigations they want to carry out,” he told Joy Sports’ Nathaniel Attoh.

Trainer Nii Dzanie Kotey said he had planned on boarding a flight on Saturday for the United States but the failure of the embassy to grant him a visa has left him rather confused.


Source: news.myjoyonline.com

Get to know Joshua Clottey

So we’re not getting the fight we wanted.
Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. just isn’t going to happen—yet—as neither camp was willing to give in to each side’s stand regarding urine and blood testing.
Despite failing to stage some choice pairings in the past, boxing can still spring a few surprises and give fans a Pacquiao-Mayweather show in the future. There’s just too much money and pride involved for the fight not to happen.
Abangan (wait for it) as the telenovelas would say.
* * *
As alternative, we’ve got bull-strong Joshua Clottey, a 5-foot-8 welterweight to wage war against Pacquiao.
Experts and ardent followers of the fight game know Clottey’s achievements and near wins: a 35-win, 3-loss and no-draw record; never been knocked out; a close, some say controversial, loss to Miguel Cotto.
Clottey goes by the sobriquet “Grand Master,” a calm moniker that feels like a departure from the tough, macho-man nicknames of fighters today.
* * *
And yet chat with the ordinary Pacquiao fan in the streets and you’ll find out that despite Clottey’s high-profile fights and skill and tenacity, he is still an unknown to many Filipinos.
We’re not talking about the passionate fight fans that send comments to the boxing forums or come up to me in coffee shops to talk about the scoring of a close fight. They know who Clottey is.
We’re talking about the Pacquiao fans who latched on to big time boxing simply because the Filipino pound-for-pound king has done what no other fighter has achieved: winning titles in seven different weight categories and becoming a certified headliner of the sport.
Many of them are not fans who can recite fight records with their eyes closed or replay fight highlights with both arms. They follow Pacquiao.
* * *
These are fans who know Mayweather because he’s had fight extravaganzas with Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.
There would have been no problem knowing Mayweather, who is also great TV material because he gives the media the sound bites they need.
But enough of Mayweather for now. He didn’t want Pacquiao that badly and so he will have to wait for another time.
* * *
But don’t worry. In time, when the usual media run-up to the March 13 fight night gets going, we’ll know so much more about Clottey.
That’s just the way it is with Pacquiao opponents, save for Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, De La Hoya and Hatton who were already known to Filipinos.
To name a few, we’ve gotten to know Oscar Larios, Jorge Solis, David Diaz and Cotto a little better because Pacquiao battled against them.
With his superstar status across the globe, Pacquiao’s spotlight rubs off nicely on not-so-popular opponents.
* * *
Get to know Joshua Clottey in the next two months. We’ll learn everything about his background, training, fight views and plans if he gets by Pacquiao.
He’s due for quite a payday but Clottey knows that the road could just be opening up for bigger fights if he snaps Pacquiao’s 11-victory streak since 2005, when he lost the first Erik Morales fight.
After March 13, we won’t be saying “Clottey, who?” that much.

Source: sports.inquirer.net

Rusty Clottey Could Fall in Early Rounds of 'The Event' Match

Joshua Clottey risks being knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in the early rounds of 'The Event' due to his lack of tune up fight during the past 10 months after his last fight with Miguel Cotto in June 2009 at the Madison Square Garden in New York
Former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey could fall in the early rounds of his fight with Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao dubbed 'The Event' on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The possibility of an early ending in favor of Pacquiao is not remote. Pacquiao's initial assault in the first few rounds will determine the the state of preparedness of the Ghana boxer. Once Pacquiao finds out that Clottey is not physically conditioned, it could lead to a sustained attack by the pound-for-pound king and finish off Clottey for good in the early rounds. Clottey is coming out to face Pacquiao on March 13 after a 10-month hiatus that boxing analysts say made the Ghana boxer rusty. Clottey's last major fight was with Miguel Cotto at the Madison Square Garden in New York last June 13, 2009 or almost 10 months ago. He lost the fight on a split decision. For his upcoming fight with Pacquiao, Clottey is coming from a 10 long months of R&R and that could make him a little rusty. Clottey, a.k.a. 'The Hitter' said he plays soccer to keep him in top shape. But staying out of circulation for 10 months without serious tune up fight could take its toll on the boxer's physical preparedness. On the other hand, Pacquiao is fresh from his recent fight with Miguel Cotto which happened only last November or barely four months ago. Joshua Clottey is a welterweight boxer from Accra, Ghana who now lives in Bronx, New York. He ia 33 years old and stands 5'8" with a reach of 70 inches. He fought 39 times winning 35 with one no contest. Pacquiao is 31 years old, stands 5'6.5" with a reach of 67 inches.Clearly Clottey is the superior fighter with a 3" advantage in reach and a 1.5" in height. Overall, Clottey is the bigger fighter. The Pacquiao-Clottey match will be held at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on March 13, 2010.

Source: digitaljournal.com

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Pacquiao No. 1 in star cutman's list

MANILA, Philippines - Veteran cutman Ruben Gomez, who has worked the corners of at least 70 champions in over 300 world title bouts in 30 years in boxing, said the other day Manny Pacquiao is by far the best fighter he’s ever been involved with.

Gomez, 59, is in town to serve as cutman for Brian Viloria in the IBF lightflyweight titleholder’s second defense against Colombian challenger Carlos Tamara at the Cuneta Astrodome tomorrow.

Through the years, Gomez has seen champions come and go but he said none comes close to Pacquiao’s ability to shine in and out of the ring. Among the stars whom Gomez has worked with were Roberto Duran, James Toney, Diego Corrales, Robert Guerrero, Fernando Montiel, Paul Williams, Hilario Zapata, Rosendo Alvarez and Frankie Liles.

“What Manny has done is unheard of in boxing history,” said Gomez referring to the Filipino icon’s feat of capturing seven world titles in seven different weight divisions. “Right now, he’s in the driver’s seat. He’s the man. It doesn’t matter whom he fights – Floyd Mayweather or Joshua Clottey. Fans come out to watch him.” Gomez, who was in Pacquiao’s corner the night he wrested the IBF superbantamweight crown on a sixth round stoppage of Lehlo Ledwaba in Las Vegas in 2001, said there’s no doubt in his mind that Mayweather is scared of the WBO welterweight champion.

“Mayweather just doesn’t want to fight Manny, that’s all,” said Gomez. “That talk of taking steroids is crazy. You can’t let a fighter dictate the rules on drug-testing.

It’s none of his business. The state athletic commission doesn’t bend the rules for anybody. Mayweather stood to earn $25 million for the fight so there’s no other reason why he backed out. It’s certainly not the money.”

Gomez worked Pacquiao’s corner until he was replaced by Lenny de Jesus who was later changed by Joe Chavez then Miguel Diaz.

“Manny thought he was being short-changed and often asked me about what he should be earning from his fights but I never told him anything since I had nothing to do with the business side,” said Gomez. “But I was accused of messing with his mind. Then, before the (Emmanuel) Lucero fight in 2003, I was suspected of being in cahoots with medical examiners when Manny tested positive for hepatitis. It was so unfair. I knew all along the test results were faulty because I was with Manny and Brian when they drew blood and we all thought the handling was very unprofessional. The day before the fight, they took blood from Manny again and he tested negative.”

But all that is behind Gomez now.

“Boxing isn’t my living so I don’t need the aggravation,” said Gomez. “I was born in Los Angeles, brought to Mexico before I was one year old, went back to LA when I was 16, finished only up to second year of college then at 26, became self-sufficient dealing in real estate. I’m lucky I own several buildings and I do boxing because I love it.”

Gomez arrived here with his wife Maria Pompeya last week. They have two children – Eddie, 39, is a Harvard University anthropologist and Ruby, 33, works at the New York University.

“My idol growing up was Duran,” said Gomez, a kendo-karate practitioner. “I used to watch him train and fight. I became friends with his managers Carlos Zeleta and Luis Spada who was also a trainer and cutman. I took an interest in being a cutman and learned from Spada and Curo Dosman. Eventually, I started to work corners and I took care of 80 percent of Latino fighters in the US. In 1986, I went to Manila for the first time with Zapata who fought Dodie Boy Peñalosa.”

Gomez said aside from being a cutman, he also co-managed several champions but has solely managed the affairs of only one titlist, John David Jackson who campaigned in 1984-99, held the world middleweight and lightmiddleweight titles, fought Bernard Hopkins and finished with a record of 36-4, including 20 KOs.

Gomez said the worst cut he ever handled was when Liles suffered a bad gash that left his eyelid hanging out in the fourth round yet went the distance to win a decision in 12.

“Of all the fights I’ve worked, the most emotional was when Brain knocked out Ulises Solis in the 11th round to win the IBF title in Manila last year,” said Gomez. “I cried like a baby. It was such an unforgettable moment. Brian came back from the depths to win and that was really special.”

Gomez said he’s never had trouble with Viloria because he doesn’t cut easily. But he doesn’t take any chances and in every fight, he’s armed with his “magic potion” of coagulants like adrenaline 1/1000, avitine and thrombine – substances approved for use by regulatory boxing authorities.

Gomez said Viloria’s re-emergence makes him tough to beat on Saturday.

“Tamara’s very capable,” said Gomez. “He’s got a good resume. But Brian has a gift. He’s ready. He’s now more experienced, more mature. You can’t believe how popular Brian is, even in Mexico. When he fought there two years ago, in the undercard of a Jorge Arce fight, he was mobbed by fans. That was before he fought Solis so you can imagine how much more popular he is now after beating Solis and defending against (Jesus) Iribe. He’s refocused himself. I can see it in his eyes. The old Brian is back.”

Source: philstar.com

“I Feel Like A Football Player”-Manny Pacquiao

On a report released by a Philippine Morning Show “Umagang Kay Ganda”, he told the crowd that he feels like a football player. Manny was amazed by the introduction, he liked it, because it is first time to be at the Cowboys Stadium. He and Joshua Clottey wore Cowboys Jerseys when they faced the media at the Cowboys Stadium. The said venue includes cheerleaders positioned beneath a large video screen according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Manny Pacquiao’s next fight is on March 13, 2010, he is scheduled to defend his WBO title against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey. Their fight will be held at the Cowboys Stadium, a $1.2 billion stadium and the bout was called “The Event”. Pacquiao has a record of 50-3-2 (with 38 knockouts) while Clottey has 35 wins (20 KOs), 3 s and 1 no contest. Manny will have his training at the Wildcard Gym in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California after he finished his promotional activities.

Source: dailyworldbuzz.com

Pacquiao: Floyd scared to lose

NEW YORK — While hyping his coming fight against Joshua Clottey here on Wednesday, Manny Pacquiao took at shot at Floyd Mayweather Jr., saying the undefeated American chickened out of their proposed fight because he was "scared to lose."
"He didn’t want to fight me," Pacquiao said, shrugging his shoulders. "I think maybe Mayweather is scared to lose."
In a press conference at the Madison Square Garden announcing their March 13 fight in Dallas, Texas, Clottey profusely thanked Pacquiao for agreeing to fight him, then smiled for photographs while hugging two Cowboys cheerleaders.
There was no animosity as the two shook hands, spoke glowingly of each other and promised fight fans something to remember.
Pacquiao’s proposed fight against Mayweather fell through after the American, who once held the pound-for-pound mantle until the Filipino star came along, insisted on blood testing 14 days before the fight.
Pacquiao had blood drawn from him the night before losing to Mexican Erik Morales and has vowed never to let it happen again.
"When Manny gives blood, he feels weak for about two days," trainer Freddie Roach said.
"I’m still focused on my training and focused on the fight (with Clottey). I understand May-weather is making alibis to cancel the fight. I’m not the one making alibis. The main thing is he doesn’t want to fight. I have to train differently for Clottey’s style," Pacquiao said.
Of Clottey, he said: "He’s got the size and he’s tough. He can take a punch. He can stand and fight toe-to-toe. I don’t want to underestimate Clottey because he’s a former champion too and he’s a nice guy."

Source: malaya.com.ph

Pacquiao VS Clottey This Coming March

The number one pound-for-pound boxer of the world, the Philippines’ pride, Manny Pacquiao, will be in the battle ground again as he will be fighting a boxer from Ghana, Joshua Clottey this coming March. The dream match between MannyPacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been canceled because of fizzled out talks between the two boxers. So, Manny will fight Clottey instead of Mayweather Jr.

As the record says, Clottey had a so-so records from his past fights. He won in the fight between him and Zab Judah last August 2008 but lost a split decision to Miguel Cotto this last June. Clottey is a great boxer but the fact that he was defeated by Miguel Cotto who was defeated by Manny Pacquaio, then there’s a huge probability that Pacman will win the fight against the Ghanaian boxer.

The Pacquiao VS Clottey battle will be another huge event in the boxing history and to the world. Catch it this coming March.

Source: dailyworldbuzz.com

Pacquiao vs. Clottey Press Tour Huge Success, Pacman off to Training Camp

Manny Pacquiao – With the conclusion of the two-city press tour promoting his March 13 bout with Joshua Clottey, boxing’s pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao is all set to head back to the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles to begin his training.

The two press conferences held in Dallas and New York City were both extremely successful, creating a feeling of excitement for all those anticipating the fight. First stop was Dallas, where the fight will be held at the state-of-the-art Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Billionaire Jerry Jones, owner of the stadium and co-promoter of the fight, rolled out the red carpet to welcome both fighters.

New York City’s presser proved to be equally successful. The two fighters, as well as trainer Freddie Roach and Top Rank chief Bob Arum, answered questions from the assembled media. Pacquiao and Clottey gamely posed for photographs, all the way smiling and showing nothing but the utmost respect for each other.

With the conclusion of the two-city tour, the two groups went each their separate ways to make their respective preparations. Pacquiao is set to open his training camp on Thursday at the Wild Card Gym where conditioning expert Alex Ariza is already raring to get his hands on the seven division champion.

With only a little over seven weeks to go before the fight, Ariza along with head trainer Freddie Roach is confident that they could whip Pacquiao into the perfect fighting condition. Pacquiao and Clottey will be disputing the WBO Welterweight crown currently held by the Filipino.

Source: twominutenews.com

Manny Pacquiao - Boxing or Politics Ramifications of Wearing a Suit

Manny Pacquiao will turn his attention to a different kind of battle come March, 30. The boxing sensation will run for a congressional seat with campaigning to start shortly after his scheduled defence of his WBO welterweight title against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey at the Cowboy’s stadium, Arlington, Texas on March 13. Presidential elections, legislative elections and local elections in the Philippines will be held on Monday, May 10, 2010

manny pacquiao in a suit

A second attempt at a congressional seat may be the toughest fight of the Filipinos career, he was defeated in 2007 when he ran for the congressional seat in General Santos city, where he began his boxing career.

Born to a poor family in the Bukidnon province, Philippines, the young Pacquiao started working as a baker and construction worker before embarking on a boxing career. Pacquiao became the personification of the term rags to riches. Intuit in his fighting, Pacquiao takes on the responsibility of fighting for a nation.

The Philippines has not had someone like Manny Pacquiao for many years, the last time the country felt proud as a country and a race was Cory Aquino in 1986. Pacquiao success is different from what Cory gave the nation but it leaves similar feelings and pride.

Should Pacquiao be successful in his political endeavours the ramifications on his career in the ring remain to be seen. A bout with Floyd Mayweather could dissolve once again and be unlikely for this summer. You have to ask yourself would the Filipino people prefer to have their national hero sitting in an office, or in the ring competing on the world stage. Could he do both? Would a political career lesson the fighter? My guess is Pacquiao will bring more hope, pride and honour to his people competing in the ring. At 32 he has many years to concentrate on a political career.

Source: theboxinghistorian.com

PACQUIAO TRAINING CAMP OPENS ON THURSDAY

The training camp of pound-for-pound boxing hero Manny Pacquiao opens on Thursday (Friday, Manila Time) at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles and according to conditioning expert Alex Ariza that’s when Pacquiao sets aside the fun and games and begins to train relentlessly.

Ariza told us that Pacquiao was in a jovial mood when they exchanged text messages while Pacquiao was returning to Los Angeles from a highly successful media event at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

Ariza said he texted Pacquiao asking him when he wants to start running and “Manny responded, in March,” which gave Ariza the impression that the super star of boxing was relaxed before he starts his training grind for the showdown with tough Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys stadium on March 13.

Pacquiao, as always, has kept physically fit despite a hectic schedule of shooting political advertisements, playing pool and handling commercial endorsements and business deals, by playing basketball on a regular basis although trainer Freddie Roach essentially frowns on this.

The New York press conference with Clottey, Roach and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum also had a bevy of attractive Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in attendance, clearly underscoring the determination of Dallas Cowboys stadium owner Jerry Jones to make “The Event” a resounding success.

While Pacquiao’s focus is on the Clottey fight, the prospect of a mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr later this year, possibly in September or November, still lingers in the background although the initial effort to arrange a fight that the fans have been longing for, collapsed on a cut-off date for random drug testing.

Although Pacquiao told the media he was focused on his training and the Clottey fight and asked them to “forget about Mayweather,” the undefeated former pound-for-pound champion, Pacquiao went on to claim that Mayweather was “making alibis to cancel the fight and doesn’t want to fight because he’s scared to lose.”

Underscoring his amiable nature which Clottey reciprocated, Pacquiao referred to the bigger former world champion as “a nice guy” and noted that he’s got size and “is tough and can take a punch. He can stand and fight toe-to-toe and I don’t want to underestimate him.”

While Pacquiao is set to begin training on Friday, Clottey has been training for the past two weeks and like most Pacquiao opponents has gotten a head-start on the champion whose WBO welterweight title will be on the line.

Meantime Ariza informed us that three Filipino fighters who will be seeing action on the Top Rank “Pinoy Power III” card at the Las Vegas Hilton on February 13 are training at the Wild Card gym. The fighters are veteran, former two-division world champion Gerry Penalosa who battles another former two division world champion Eric Morel in a WBO bantamweight title eliminator, world-rated Bernabe Concepcion who faces tough Mario Santiago.

Also working out at Wild Card under Pacquiao’s Filipino trainer Restituto “Buboy” Fernandez is promising Philippine bantamweight champion Eden Sonsona who is being handled by Pacquiao and his adviser Michael Koncz.

Koncz said he has plans of putting Sonsona on a Top Rank fight card in Mexico which will be co-promoted by Fernando Beltran before hopefully getting him a world title shot should he win impressively. Although Bob Arum told us he has one slot vacant for a Filipino fighter on the Pacquiao-Clottey card, there’s no word on whether Sonsona would be the one to fill up the slot although Koncz indicated it is highly unlikely.

Source: philboxing.com

Manny Pacquiao to battle Joshua Clottey amid cloud of performance-enhancing drugs

In the ring, Manny Pacquiao is nearly indestructible. The Filipino fighter has stockpiled seven titles in as many weight classes. But Pacquiao is less durable outside the ropes, and he admits to being hurt by Floyd Mayweather Sr.'s claims that he took performance-enhancing drugs.

"I don't want people thinking that I cheated," he said. "I'm an honest fighter."

Pacquiao refused Olympic-style drug testing as a condition to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr., a stipulation that ultimately torpedoed the fight.

"People now think that we're trying to hide something," said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer. "It hurt him a little bit."

Pacquiao spent part of Wednesday's press conference at the Garden to promote his March 13 welterweight clash with Joshua Clottey of the Bronx denying that he is a drug user.

Pacquiao has never failed a drug test.

"I'm disappointed that (the Mayweathers) had to say those things, but all that stuff isn't true," Pacquiao told the Daily News. "I never took anything like he's saying. I just want to show all my fans that I'm clean and I'm not cheating."

In December, Pacquiao filed a defamation suit in federal court in Las Vegas against the Mayweathers. He is said to be seeking damages in excess of $75,000, plus punitive damages.

Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, said it was the randomness of the drug testing that made his fighter uneasy.

Pacquiao gave two vials of blood the day before he fought Erik Morales in 2005 and lost a decision. He has won 11 fights since.

"He said he felt weak going into that fight because of the blood test," Roach said. "And they couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't be tested a day before the (Mayweather) fight."

Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, does not believe Pacquiao's standing has been damaged. The cable giant decided to broadcast the Clottey bout, which will take place at new Cowboys Stadium, on Pay-Per-View after an 11th-hour negotiation with Arum on Tuesday.

"In a weird way, all the attention that this has gotten will help Mayweather and Pac Man when they eventually fight," Greenburg said. "Other than Tiger Woods, nobody has knocked them out in terms of media attention."

http: nydailynews.com

Manny Pacquiao preps for Joshua Clottey

NEW YORK — Critics called Bob Arum crazy when he supported Manny Pacquiao's decision to walk away from a potential $40 million payday for a March 13 fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. over blood-testing issues.
The colorful promoter joked Wednesday that they must've thought he completely lost his mind when Arum picked Joshua Clottey as Mayweather's replacement. Clottey isn't Pacquiao's primary competitor for pound-for-pound supremacy and he doesn't boast Mayweather's mainstream fame, but he's widely viewed as a high-risk, low-reward threat to end Pacquiao's remarkable run since he last lost a fight nearly five years ago to Mexico's Erik Morales.
"This is a tough fight for us," Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, told reporters at Madison Square Garden to promote the March 13 clash in Arlington, Texas. "Joshua is a big, strong welterweight."
Ghana's Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs, 1 NC) is a tough former champion who many ringside observers believe beat Miguel Cotto in their welterweight title fight last June 13 at the Garden. Puerto Rico's Cotto was awarded a split-decision win, however, which secured Cotto's November fight against Pacquiao in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) dominated Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) in such surprising fashion, a Pacquiao-Mayweather match became boxing's must-see attraction.
Negotiations finally fell apart after representatives for Pacquiao and Mayweather couldn't come to an agreement on time frames for Olympic-style drug testing following mediation two weeks ago in Santa Monica, Calif.
Pacquiao already had filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, which represented Mayweather in the negotiations, because they've at least insinuated that Pacquiao has used performance-enhancing drugs. Clottey, who is managed by Oakland's Vinny Scolpino, made no such suggestions during negotiations.
Clottey claims he won't make the same mistakes Cotto made in the ring against the Filipino southpaw, either.
"Cotto is stronger than Pacquiao," Clottey said. "But Cotto [didn't] respect Pacquiao. He [thought] Pacquiao is too small to hurt him. I'm not thinking that at all. I will give him a lot of respect. With that, he's not going to surprise me with any punch."
Clottey, 32, is considered a smart, defensive-minded fighter who sometimes doesn't throw enough punches against top opponents.
But he has never been knocked out and has beaten former welterweight champ Zab Judah (38-6, 26 KOs, 2 NC) and the late Diego Corrales (40-5, 33 KOs) in recent years. He has lost on points to Cotto and former welterweight champ Antonio Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs, 1 NC), and by disqualification to former welterweight champ Carlos Baldomir (45-12-6, 14 KOs).
Pacquiao, 31, said Wednesday he thought Clottey defeated Cotto. He also expects a much more difficult fight against Clottey than his 12th-round TKO over Cotto.
Pacquiao doesn't know what to expect from Mayweather, though, if he defeats Clottey. If Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) fights Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs, 1 NC) — a proposed Pacquiao replacement — Pacquiao expects Mosley will win, which would ruin the Pacquiao-Mayweather momentum they had before the blood-testing controversy.
If Mayweather overcomes Mosley or another opponent, Pacquiao still won't count on facing him.
"I'm not the one who's making alibis to cancel the fight," said Pacquiao. "I think the real thing is he doesn't want the fight."

Source: northjersey.com

Margarito Inked To Fight Carson Jones on Pacquiao/Clottey Undercard

Antonio Margarito will get his license to box reinstated in Texas on the undercard of Pacquiao/Clottey.

"Tony has applied for a license and we're optimistic they'll grant it to him," said CEO of Top Rank Bob Arum.

Top Rank is so sure of this, they've already signed an opponent to face Margarito March 13 from Cowboys Stadium, reports Dan Rafael of ESPN.com.

Bobby Dobbs, manager for the 24-7-1 (15 KOs) Carson Jones, said the bout agreement was "just a standard contract," and made no mention on what would happen if Margarito did not become licensed.

Known as the "Tijuana Tornado," Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs) became the "Tampered Tornado" when Shane Mosley's trainer, Nazim Richardson, objected to the way Margarito's hands had been wrapped by his trainer, Javier Cepatillo. Upon further inspection, the wraps were shown to have been tainted with a plaster-like substance. The California State Athletic Commission added on to the pain brought by Mosley in a nine-round drubbing that January night by suspending both Cepatillo and Margarito's licenses for a year.

Despite threats that Margarito would fight in Mexico to spite American boxing commissions, Margarito served his time, and has filed for a license to box in Texas. According to the Association of Boxing Commissions, Texas has every right to grant Margarito a license if it feels fit.

"We cleared everything with the ABC and we're hopeful that the Texas commission will approve his application, which we're very optimistic about," Arum said. "The ABC had to give the OK that an athletic commission is free to license Margarito if they so feel and that the California revocation does not prevent them from doing it in 2010, which it might have in 2009. Texas has a letter from the ABC. Now it's up to the Texas commission."

For Carson Jones' sake, he had better hope Arum's hunch is right; Jones turned down a lucrative ShoBox date in February against Freddy Hernandez.

But Arum stands by his prediction. "We didn't fight in Mexico," he said, claiming his threats to go south of the border were in the "emotion of the moment." "We waited the year by design and we're hopeful the commission sees that [Margarito] sat out."

Source: 411mania.com

Pacquiao to fight Clottey at Cowboys Stadium

NEW YORK—Boxing sensation and world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao returned to New York City Wednesday, Jan. 20 to promote his upcoming fight against Joshua Clottey, dubbed as The Event and scheduled for March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
The press conference was the second of only two scheduled press events to promote the fight. Pacquiao and Clottey announced their fight first in Texas on Tuesday.
This early, Pacquiao said that he is going to work and train hard to make sure that the fans get what they deserve when they watch the match which will take place in the biggest NFL stadium in the country.
"Like in my previous fights, I promise that the viewers will get a good match. I cannot promise I’d win because I know that Clottey is a very strong fighter," Pacquiao said.
Considered the best fighter in the world and the pound-for-pound king, Pacquiao will defend the WBOwelterweight title in the first boxing match to be played in the $1.2 billion facility.
"As they say, everything is bigger in Texas," promoter Bob Arum said, and promised that the fight will live up to its billing, and like Pacquiao’s past three fights, will also become a mega-fight.
"We will see boxing like it has never been seen before," he added.
Last November, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) beat Miguel Cotto, who beat Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) last summer. However, that fight was a split decision that many felt should’ve gone to Clottey, a native of Ghana who lives in Bronx, New York.
The fight marks one of the biggest world championship fights to be held in a major U.S. sports stadium since the Muhammad Ali-Ken Norton World Heavyweight Championship at the Yankee Stadium in 1976, which was also promoted by Top Rank.
"We want to have big fights here," said Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, during the press conference in Texas. "This is the first step to doing that, and I’m excited we could get a fight like this here," he added.
The stadium will be configured for over 40,000 fans, with elevated floor seating similar to the NBA games.
"I have wanted to bring a major boxing event to North Texas for many years, so why not bring in the biggest and the best," said Jones. "Manny Pacquiao is boxing’s No. 1 pound for pound attraction and the world champion. Manny defending his title against Joshua Clottey is not just a great fight, it is "The Event", and one we can showcase to the fullest in Cowboys Stadium. We’re going to promote this like it was the Super Bowl."

Source: asianjournal.com

Pacquiao is the most exciting and best fighter -- Clottey

NEW YORK – Forget Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr.
Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is gearing up to fight New York’s “Grand Master” from Ghana, Joshua Clottey.
Dubbed as “The Event,” there is no better place to announce the Pacquiao-Clottey fight than the Madison Square Garden in New York, known for its place in the history of boxing.
Before promoters like Don King and Bob Arum moved boxing to Las Vegas, many of the biggest boxing fights were held here, including the first Joe Frazier vs Muhammad Ali bout.
“I’m not gonna promise I’m gonna win the fight but I will do my best to give an honor to my country and of course to give an honor to the boxing fans and to give a good fight, to make people happy, to make you guys happy,” said Pacquiao during the press conference.
The 32-year-old Clottey may be bigger and stronger than 31-year-old Pacquiao, but he lost to Miguel Cotto in a 12-round split decision. Pacquiao, meantime, beat Cotto in November via technical knockout in Round 12.
Clottey, a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion, said he is not about to underestimate the little Filipino champ.
“If Pacquiao beat me down, this is the first time I lost a fight… I’m fighting with the most exciting fighter and the best fighter out there, I don’t have to think I’m gonna knock down Pacquiao, that’s no good for boxers, thinking that you’re gonna knock your opponent out and will surprise with little punches and by the time you realize, you lose,” the Ghanaian said.
Pacquiao will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Clottey on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
Out of a question
Promoter Bob Arum told the press that Clottey is a better opponent for Pacquiao than Mayweather. He even said a Pacquiao-Mayweather clash would hardly be a fight.
“Mayweather-Pacquiao is a one guy running [Mayweather], the other guy trying to hunt him down [Pacquiao], I mean that’s sorta interesting, to a fight where you know Manny will have no trouble knowing where Clottey is, Clottey will stand up and fight,” said the Top Rank Promotions big boss.
Team Pacquiao said even if they are given the best deal and if the right conditions are met, fighting Mayweather is already out of the question.
Arum once and for all set the record straight on why Pacquiao refused the drug testing procedure that was too close to the March 13 fight.
“I know if you want blood testing after the fight, that you subject the fighter to the risk of infection, if you’ve ever been in a dressing room after a fight you know that it’s not sanitized,” he said.
Pacquiao added, “I’m agree to blood testing but not the day of the fight, I tried that before on the day of the fight, the [Erik] Morales one and I lost the fight because my body I feel so weak and I didn’t recover.”
All-out support
The Pacquiao-Mayweather bout may have gone down the drain but fans in New York still believe that no matter who Pacquiao fights, he will always continue to bring pride and honor to his homeland, the Philippines.
“I called out sick just to show our support to Manny Pacquiao,” said Linda Tumanda Clifton of New Jersey.
Ronnel Padagas from the Bronx, New York expressed his loyalty to the pound-for-pound king: “I’m always for Pacquiao, so whoever he fights, we’re all Filipinos. Best luck for Paquiao.”
Mikhael Tividad, who is also from the Bronx, said: “The Clottey-Pacquiao [fight] is going to be action-packed, so it’s really gonna be worth the pay-per-view, the money that we’re gonna be paying, good for the fans, good for boxing.”

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

It’s Clottey first, Floyd later for Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is not giving up hope for a megafight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. sometime in the future. In the meantime, though, his eyes are firmly trained on a more immediate business to take care of – the tough Joshua Clottey, who’s out to take away his WBO welterweight title on Mar. 13 at the Cowboys Stadium.

“I’m still hopeful that the fight (Pacquiao-Mayweather) will push through some other time. It’s gonna be a good fight if it happens," Pacquiao admitted during Wednesday’s press conference for the Clottey fight at the Madison Square Garden in New York (Thursday in Manila).

Pacquiao and Mayweather, two of boxing’s biggest draw, were supposed to duke it out on Mar. 13 in Las Vegas until negotiations bogged down due to disagreement over dope-testing procedures.

Team Pacquiao has named Clottey as the Pacman’s new opponent and with the card billed “The Event" formally up and running, the Filipino ring icon has shifted his attention to the Ghanaian.

“I’m still focused to [on] my training and focused to [on] the [Clottey] fight. Forget about Mayweather—he doesn’t want to fight [me]," said Pacquiao, slamming Mayweather for making “alibi" for pulling out of the superbout. "I think Mayweather is scared to lose, you know? He’s scared to lose."

The camp of Mayweather is reportedly trying to set a showdown with Sugar Shane Mosley following the breakdown of talks with Pacquiao and the withdrawal of Andre Berto from his supposed duel with Mosley.

Mayweather the 32-year-old Clottey may not be but the pride of General Santos is not underestimating the Ghanaian, an ex-IBF 147-lb titlist himself, one bit.

“(I’m most concerned about Clottey’s) size and he’s tough. He can take a punch. He can stand and fight toe-to-toe. I don’t want to underestimate Clottey because he’s a former champion too and he’s a nice guy," he said.

Clottey believes he is, indeed, naturally bigger but unlike Pacquiao’s previous foes like big boys Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, he won’t take for granted the Filipino’s seeming small frame.

“The reason why Pacquiao is most of the time beating the guys is people don’t realize he’s too small and as small as he is, he’s going to dodge your punches or move away from them. It’s like he’s going to fly, you see, because he’s too tiny. So those people are dangerous. Forget about the weight. Forget about how big I am. If he’s in front of me, then he’s too small in front of me; you can’t even see him," he said.

“I think I’ll have a defense that will surprise him a little bit," added Clottey.

Source: gmanews.tv

HBO picks Pacquiao over Floyd

IF ever a statement needed to be made about who is the super star of boxing today, HBO has made it clear its choice is Manny Pacquiao and not Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum’s confidence that HBO would pick Pacquiao was confirmed at the kick-off press conference for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys $1.2-billion stadium in Texas.
Arum also announced that the business of Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer to stage a Mayweather fight against an unnamed opponent on the same March 13 date was dead.
Pacquiao and Clottey were greeted by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and owner Jerry Jones, along with over 1,500 fans including big names in Texas for the press conference to launch “The Event,” which Arum believes will draw a crowd of some 40,000 to the venue.
Arum predicted last week that it would be the biggest and best press conference in boxing history and he wasn’t wrong.
“It was a fun announcement. With the stature of Pacquiao, we’re going to be able to put on a unique fight,” Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times quoted Jones as saying. Arum told Standard Today earlier that Jones was disappointed at the loss of his team to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC playoffs, but added: “He’s got Pacquiao and that should make him very happy.”
Jones told The LA Times he appreciated having some coming excitement: “I needed this today. Before I came here, I didn’t have the usual juice in me. I was dragging.”
At the press conference, Pacquiao was his usual polite and humble self.
“It’s going to be a good fight. Clottey’s a good fighter, a top fighter and he’s bigger than me. I have to prepare hard for this fight and train hard and focus,” said Pacquiao, knowing that Clottey is a brawler, can take a punch and can also hit hard.
For his part, Clottey was full of respect and admiration for Pacquiao but warned the Filipino boxing icon: “This fight is going to be a hell of a fight. I love Manny Pacquiao. He is one of my favorite fighters. He’s a throwback fighter. If you throw at him, he’ll throw back at you. I know what I’m going to face”
Pacquiao was in awe at the sheer magnitude of the fight in a high-end stadium like Dallas. “It’s amazing. I feel like a football player.”
Tickets will cost much less than if the fight was held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where only top celebrities, high rollers and Filipino and Filipino-American fans, who hero-worship Pacquiao watch the fights at the venue.
With ringside tickets costing $700 and other seats a mere $50 which will go on sale on Sunday, Arum believes that they may exceed the original estimate of 40,000 fans and indicated that if more seats are needed, they could have around 60,000.

Source: manilastandardtoday.com

Sub-text to Pacquiao-Clottey is Khan-Hatton

After the bathos of a collapsing house of cards surrounding drug-testing disagreements between the respective camps of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, the gloom lifts slightly.

Although the main pugilistic press event across the pond in the last 24 hours was to promote Manny Pacquiao’s next grievous assault on Ghanaian Joshua Clottey, the sub-text from coach Freddie Roach yesterday was ramping up Amir Khan’s prospects of a contest with weather-worn Mancunian Ricky Hatton.

Boxing lurches from the blue to the red corner in imponderables at times, the rags to riches tales of exponents simply a colour pallet to the complexities that go on above many of the fighters’ heads. Mayweather-Pacquiao had the world expectant, and then punched us square in the jaw. Then the cards collapsed. Bob Arum’s early pronouncement that the super-fight had been made was too good to be true. Now, as ever, the long wait…

But after the smokescreens, Pacquiao – in spite of facing an African opponent on March 13 – insisted yesterday that he believes the contest with Mayweather, expected to gross $200 million and outsell all pay per view buys in history, will happen later this year. Let’s hope so.

But Pacquiao must remain mindful that Clottey will not concur with such a script. Mayweather will toy with Pacquiao’s mind if he should end up as damaged goods against Clottey. Beware the Ides of March, O Filipino idol. Plus, in May, there is the distracting force, of the Philippine elections, in which the boxing whirlwind continues to insist he will meet his next extra-mural challenge.

Yet the undercurrents are now beginning to take shape. Khan’s move under the banner of Golden Boy Promotions can only hasten, according to Freddie Roach, the prospect of a showdown with Hatton, currently in Australia, drinking deep in sunshine.

I spoke with Khan’s father, Shah, yesterday, who told Telegraph Sport that the contest with Marcos Maidana, the mandatory challenger to the Boltonian’s WBA 140lb crown, is not yet decided, in spite of profligate reports to the contrary on internet forums this week. The news was viral, simply based on a WBA statement. Read between the lines. All that statement said was that purse bids were off.

Khan, based in Los Angeles at Roach’s Wild Card Gym, may put his title on the line against Maidana in April, possibly on the 10th, maybe on the 17th, undercarding on the second date beneath Bernard Hopkins. But watch this space.

On that note, it could mean a congested April boxing schedule for Britain’s world champions. David Haye is slated to defend the WBA heavyweight title against John Ruiz on April 3, in the UK, with Carl Froch putting his WBC supermiddleweight title on the table against Mikkel Kessler in Denmark on April 17.

Back on the Golden Boy-Khan axis, I understand there are reservations about Maidana on two fronts. Golden Boy Promotions want Khan’s US debut against “a name” the American public recognises, and against whom Home Box Office can raise the curtain with the launch of a new star.

Maidana may not, for them, have the necessary stripes to his name. Moreover, Roach, in brazen honesty, has concerns about Maidana’s style (26 knockouts in 27 outings), having told Telegraph Sport over the New Year that the Argentinian may be a poor match for Khan at this stage in his career. Brazen. Yes. For Khan might be a world champion, but he is far from the finished article. Roach says Khan is only halfway there.

It is boxing’s raw protectionism, which generates debate, and yet which has been a part of the sport since men licensed to duke it out raised both hands to their chins.

With Khan having left British promoter Frank Warren’s stable to sign with Oscar de la Hoya’s promotional firm, Roach expects an all-British fight with Hatton to be assembled with alacrity.

“Yes, 100 per cent and it’s going to be a good fight. Ricky asked me if I would train him when I was in the UK the last time and Ricky’s a good guy but I can’t say I think he should retire one moment and then train him in the next, so I won’t be training Ricky. But if he is going to fight again I would like Amir to fight him, yes.”

As for Khan’s move to Golden Boy, Roach said: “I think it’s a very good move. They’re good operators and he’s happy with so as long as he’s happy with it I think it’s a good move. Golden Boy has options on Maidana,” Roach said. “We want to build that fight up and make it bigger. Maidana’s a good fighter.”

A good fighter. And right now, possibly a step too far for Khan. But in Roach’s view, Khan’s perfect warm-up would be to dazzle in the lights against Hatton. Khan, even now, may have far too much speed and youthful zest for his fellow Lancastrian.

Golden Boy will announce Khan’s next move soon, at a press conference in the UK – before the 23-year-old sets off for his next 8-week training camp in California, under the watchful shadow of Roach. Intriguing times…

Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk

Pacquiao Praised Clottey for his Civilized Behaviour Off the Ring

Celebrity boxer Manny Pacquiao praised his opponent Joshua Clottey for not engaging in 'trash talk' to gain an added advantage and for treating his opponent with respect .The Pacquiao-Clottey match dubbed 'The Event' will be held on March 13 in Texas, USA
Popular Filipino boxer and WBO lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao is all praise for Joshua Clottey, his new-found opponent after his 'break up' with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.in their botched fight scheduled for March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In his statement issued after the promotional press conference held at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlngton,Texas, where they will clash on March 13, Pacquiao said Clottey is a real boxing professional. He is not a 'trash-talker' and treats his opponent with respect.. That is what I want in a boxer, he added.
Pacquiao said he was present at the Madison Square Garden in New York when Clottey fought Miguel Cotto and is of the opinion that Clottey might have won that fight. Clottey lost to Cotto on a controversial decision that drew protests from the Clottey team.
The Filipino boxing icon said Clottey is a dangerous opponent and has never been knocked out in his professional boxing career. He is also bigger and has an advantage in height and a very strong fighter.'I will not be over confident because Clottey is a good, strong fighter, he added.
The Pacquiao-Clottey match came about after the most anticipated fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Matweather, Jr. failed in the final stages of negotiation due to disagreement of the parties on blood testing protocols
Asked what will it take Pacquiao to win over Clottey, the Filipino boxer's trainer Freddie Roach thinks speed and power will be Pacquiao's advantage over Clottey.
Roach said they are ready to go 12 full rounds with Clottey because he is big, strong guy and a tough fighter. He has never been knocked out and Pacquiao's goal is to give him his first knock out.

Source: digitaljournal.com

PACQUIAO-CLOTTEY NEW YORK PRESSCON PHOTOS

1/20/10, New York City,N.Y. -- "THE EVENT" --- Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao (R), General Santos, Philippines talks to reporters during a press conference in New York City Wednesday to announce his upcoming World Welterweight championship "The Event", against #1 contender Joshua Clottey,Ghana which will be held on Saturday, March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas,Texas and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.



(L-R) Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, General Santos, Philippines and #1 contender Joshua Clottey,Ghana pose during a press conference surrounded by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in New York City Wednesday to announce their upcoming World Welterweight championship "The Event", will be held on Saturday, March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas,Texas and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.




Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao(ctr), General Santos,Philippines talks about "The Event" during a press conference in New York City Wednesday to announce his upcoming World Welterweight championship against #1 contender Joshua Clottey,Ghana which will be held on Saturday, March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas,Texas and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.





(ctr L-R) Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, General Santos, Philippines, Hall of Fame Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and #1 contender Joshua Clottey,Ghana pose during a press conference surrounded by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in New York City Wednesday to announce the upcoming Pacquiao vs Clottey World Welterweight championship "The Event", which will be held on Saturday,March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas,Texas and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Source: philboxing.com

Pacquiao trainer already pondering Mayweather gameplan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has welcomed the challenge of devising a gameplan for fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. if a showdown between the greatest pound-for-pound boxers can be arranged.
The much-anticipated clash collapsed in negotiations over Mayweather's demands for random Olympic-style blood testing.
Roach was at Madison Square Garden to promote Pacquiao's March 13 WBO welterweight title defense against former champion Joshua Clottey of Ghana, but the bespectacled trainer was happy to talk about tactics for a possible Mayweather fight.
"We watched some tapes," Roach told reporters. "His style gives us difficulties. He doesn't like to engage that much."
Pacquiao, 50-3-2 and the only man to hold world titles in seven different weight classes, is a brawler in the ring, while Mayweather (40-0) is a supremely skilled boxer.
"It would be a very scientific fight. The smartest guy wins that fight, not the strongest guy," Roach said.
"I don't like him that much, but he's a great fighter and is good at what he does. It was a big challenge. And we wanted that big challenge. Hopefully, it will happen some day."
Roach said getting at the slick Mayweather was the trick.

"You have to really set traps for him. When you catch him in the corner or on the ropes, you've got to really take advantage of it. Break the body down.
"Really press him and see if he really is that gym rat that trains so hard. Can he fight a fast-paced fight for 12 rounds? He fights at his own pace. You can't let him be comfortable.
"You've got to force him. But you can't go straight in, because he's a great counter-puncher.
"The game plan has to be perfect."


Source: in.reuters.com
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