Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey Fight Preview, Prediction

On March 13, Manny Pacquiao will defend his WBO Welterweight Title against Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Obviously, the boxing world was hoping to see Pacquiao face Floyd Mayweather, but this is at least a reasonable replacement. Clottey is a top welterweight and a tough out for any fighter at this weight. Having the bout take place in a football stadium adds a little something extra to this fight. It will be nice to see the sport take center stage in a U.S. city other than Las Vegas, NYC, or Atlantic City. The stadium setting allows fans to hearken back to a time when boxing was big enough to pack the biggest stadiums in the country. It will be a big event.

Pacquiao vs. Clottey Live Stream Preview

Manny is a sizable favorite in this bout and for good reason. His entrance into the welterweight ranks has seen him pick apart his opponents. De La Hoya and Cotto never looked to be winners in their fights with Pacquiao. Many are not surprised that Manny has been able to succeed at welterweight, but it’s safe to say the manner in which he has blitzed through his competition has left fans slack-jawed in admiration of this great little warrior from General Santos City.

Pacquiao and Clottey are what you would call young veterans. 2010 marks the 16th year of both men’s professional careers. Pacquiao and Clottey are only 31 and 32, respectively. In other words, they know what they’re doing and still have plenty of youth to do something about it.

There is no secret what Pacquiao brings to the table at this point. A super-fast and concussive puncher, Manny has added a few new wrinkles to his game since coming up in weight. He moves beautifully, rarely leaving himself in a vulnerable spot for too long. He has improved his right hand to the point where it is a formidable weapon in its own right. Perhaps even more impressive is his advanced vision of what happens in the ring. It has been enough to make him the best fighter in the sport.

What can Clottey bring to the table to counteract this?

Size: Clottey, while only about 2 inches taller than Pacquiao, is a bigger man. He always seemed to be a welterweight a little on the big side. He has been fighting in the 140’s ever since he turned pro. He looked bigger than Cotto when he fought him. When Pacquiao was still fighting at flyweight, Clottey was already a welterweight.

Durability: Clottey’s bread and butter. 15 years in the game, and I’ve never seen him in danger of being stopped. Usually, top fighters with such a long career behind them have showed a time or two when they were on the verge of being stopped. Clottey, however, has been able to survive his bouts with such offensively explosive fighters as Antonio Margarito, Zab Judah, and Cotto without ever being seriously hurt. He is a rare case—a hard nut to crack.

Defense: Clottey is not an easy guy to land clean shots on when he goes into a defensive posture. He can hide behind his arms and gloves well and knows how to ride out the storm. Manny’s recent opponents have been easy to find. Perhaps, Clottey has the right mix of defense and durability to give Pacquiao a difficult night.

Bad Signs for Clottey

Power: Clottey looks like a power puncher and sometimes throws punches that would lead one to fancy him a hard hitter in the ring. It is therefore a bit surprising to reflect on the fact that he has scored only one KO since 2004, spanning 11 fights. Those are bad numbers for those banking on Clottey’s strength to win the day.

Work Rate: There have been times when Clottey doesn’t move his hands enough. With dwindling power numbers, Clottey will have to escalate this part of his game to stand a chance with Pacquiao. Sometimes, it appears that Clottey is either on the offensive or the defensive. He will have to be able to do both at the same time if he hopes to threaten the pound-for-pound number-one guy in the game.

Ring IQ: Not to question the man’s ring smarts, but there have been times when his strategic outlook hurt him more than anything his opponent was doing. In the Cotto fight, it appeared Clottey was gaining a strong foothold in the middle rounds. He was troubling Cotto greatly. As the bout went into its final few rounds, Clottey inexplicably took his foot off the gas and let Cotto sweep the final stanzas to earn a controversial, but well-deserved split decision. One can never tell exactly what is going on in the mind and body of a fighter in a demanding fight, but it seemed Clottey had enough in the tank to close the show, but he didn’t do it for some reason.

The “Book” on Clottey

He is a very good fighter, but he is not great. There’s a little something extra that separates the very good from the great and Clottey has not showed it yet. The greats find a way to win, especially when they are in imminently winnable situations. Clottey has not yet answered the call for greatness. He was ahead against Margarito before hand problems rendered his offense non-existent. Then against Cotto, he again found himself in a fight he could win, and at the end of the day, he didn’t get it done.

Intangibles

Will Manny suffer a letdown? After being so close to fighting Mayweather, is there a chance for Manny to let his focus slip a bit here? Will he be overlooking Clottey as if this is just a stay-busy fight? Can Clottey find that something extra? Knowing that he isn’t getting any younger, will the severity of the situation give way to a renewed spirit? Fighters can sometimes rise to the occasion when their careers are on the line. Clottey surely knows that he is not likely to receive any further opportunities like this one. The now or never scenario might just light a fire under him.

Pacquiao vs. Clottey Prediction

There is almost nothing in Manny Pacquiao’s career to suggest he will be anything but peak for this mega event at Cowboys Stadium. There is still work for him to do in the sport. He wants to leave an indelible stamp of greatness on the sport. He has a vision of what he wants to accomplish. It seems almost inconceivable that he would somehow phone this one in, being on the cusp of not only fighting Floyd Mayweather, but also being so close to establishing an all-time great legacy worthy of being in the top pantheon of all-time greats.

Clottey is not going to go quietly and meekly, however. I think Manny’s speed and movement will give him an incredibly difficult evening. I see Clottey able to get some bodywork done and drive home a series of meaningful shots on Pacquiao in the form of uppercuts and straight rights. Clottey will be pumped up. He will feel a greater urge to let his hands go to curtail the fury of the Filipino juggernaut.

At some point in the middle rounds, Clottey will begin to incrementally lapse into a more defensive posture. He will remain dangerous and continue lashing out with enough menacing punches to keep Manny honest. As the late rounds approach, the only suspense remaining will not be whether Clottey can pull out the win, but whether or not he can last the full route.

A late stoppage is not an unlikely result. The feeling here is that Clottey’s grit, chin, and defense will be enough to see him through to the final bell. In a dominating performance, Pacquiao will win 10-11 rounds for a resounding decision victory.

Prediction: Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision.

Source: www.proboxing-fans.com

Manny Pacquiao will face Joshua Clottey

Manny Pacquiao will face Joshua Clottey in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium on March 13. The super fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is officially dead, as Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said he closed a deal Sunday for Pacquiao to meet Joshua Clottey in the ring. This is the main event of Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight.

Arum said he met former President George W. Bush at the game, who said he would attend the fight if he does not have a speaking engagement that night.

Arum said he was amazed by the new stadium, which will initially be configured to seat around 45,000. That figure can increase, he said, if there is sufficient demand. The top ticket will be $700.

Pacquiao vs Clottey Fight Video

Pacquiao vs clottey Live Stream fight Video will be coming on this march 13 2010. The fight between the two of most popular boxer fighter around the world are Manny Pacquiao is been on his winning fight against Miguel Cotto in last October 14, 2009, Pacquiao win in TKO Against Cotto in 12round of their fight, in January 11 2010 Pacqiuao and clottey singed to face on each other on his coming fight of this two great fighter in the history of boxing the fight of this two boxer will be held in place of Jerry Jone’s Cowboys Stadium.

“Bob was persistent in keeping this alive as a place for Manny’s fight,” Jones told ESPN.com, while celebrating the deal with Arum and duBoef. “I’m so glad Bob came back to us. We are so excited about this event and that we will be able to bring a big fight here for the Hispanic boxing fans, and all boxing fans in this area, which are also Dallas Cowboys fans. It’s important for us. Manny is such an exemplary athlete.” Let us keep up to date for the upcoming fight of Pacquiao Vs. Clottey.

Pacquiao vs Clottey Tickets

Wondering to buy Tickets for the much awaiting fight between Pacman vs Clottey. Here is the way to find out more details to get it.

Jerry Jones and Bob Arum, owner of the Dallas Cowboys and chairman of Top Rank, respectively, announced today that Cowboys Stadium would be the site of THE EVENT: MANNY PACQUIAO vs. JOSHUA CLOTTEY World Welterweight Championship. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with the Dallas Cowboys and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Clottey will take place, Saturday, March 13 and will be produced and distributed Live on HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

This marks one of the biggest world title fights to be held in a major U.S. sports stadium since the Muhammad Ali – Ken Norton World Heavyweight Championship in Yankee Stadium in 1976, also promoted by Top Rank.

Pacquiao and Clottey boast a combined record of 85-6-2 (59 KOs) -- a winning percentage of 91% and a victory by knockout ratio of nearly 70%..

Tickets to Pacquiao vs. Clottey go on sale This Saturday! January 23 at 10 a.m. CT. Priced at $700, $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50, tickets can be purchased in-person at the Cowboys Stadium box office in Arlington, or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.

“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?” asked Jones. “Manny Pacquiao is boxing’s No. 1 pound for pound attraction and the world champion. Manny’s title defense 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. This will be the fight to remember.”

Cowboys Stadium will be configured for over 40,000 fans for THE EVENT with elevated floor seating similar to NBA games.

“Jerry Jones knows exactly how big and important THE EVENT is, which is why it was so easy to put this deal together,” said Arum. “As a lifelong Giants fan I had to receive special dispensation from Steve Tisch, the Giants’ Chairman and Executive Vice President, to bring this event to Cowboys Stadium and he blessed the deal. If Jerry could sell me on Cowboys Stadium and the North Texas market, you know he is going to have no problems selling out Cowboys Stadium on March 13. We are ready to roll up our sleeves and promote Manny’s debut as World Welterweight Champion. Manny Pacquiao is the Lone Star of boxing. There isn’t a more appropriate place in the world for him to fight! Like Yankee Stadium, when it hosted so many great world title fights, including Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson and Ali, I feel a new era in boxing is about to begin at Cowboys Stadium.”

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, will be defending the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title he earned in his last fight, produced by a 12th round knockout of three-time world champion Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao’s victory made him the first man to win seven titles in as many different weight divisions, with his last three world championships coming by way of knockout. The consensus Fighter of the Year for the third time in the past four years, Pacquiao’s resume features victories over future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Lopez and Cotto. His knockout victories over Cotto and Hatton made him the 2009 pay-per-view king, exceeding two million buys combined.

Clottey (35-3, 21 KOs), a native of Accra, Ghana, now fighting out of Bronx, NY, captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight title in 2008 by trouncing three-time world champion Zab Judah. His career has been a highlight reel of thrills featuring victories over two-division world champion Diego Corrales and undefeated contender Richard Gutierrez and a close decision loss to world champion Antonio Margarito. In his last fight, Clottey lost a controversial split decision to defending WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden. Clottey is currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBO and No. 4 by the World Boxing Association (WBA).

Cowboys Stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world's largest HDTV video board, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Features
of the stadium include a capacity of up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year round. In addition to being the new home of theDallas Cowboys, the stadium will host the 2011 Super Bowl, the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and the 2014 NCAA men's basketball Final Four as well as high school and college football, concerts and special events. For more
information, go to http://stadium.dallascowboys.com.

Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey News Conference

MANNY PACQUIAO and JOSHUA CLOTTEY NEWS CONFERENCE - ANNOUNCING WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT! Tomorrow! Tuesday, January 19 at 1 P.M. CT Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas ARLINGTON, TEXAS (January 18, 2010) – Congressional candidate and boxing’s No. 1 pound for pound attraction and only seven-division world champion MANNY “PacMan” PACQUIAO, his trainer world-famous FREDDIE ROACH, and former world welterweight champion and current No 1 contender JOSHUA CLOTTEY, along with Dallas Cowboys owner JERRY JONES, will host a news conference luncheon to announce THE EVENT: PACQUIAO vs. CLOTTEY World Welterweight Championship.

The news conference will be held at Cowboys Stadium (900 East Randol Mil Rd., Arlington, Texas 76011), Tomorrow! Tuesday, January 19, beginning at 1 p.m. CT. This will begin their two-city tour which will conclude on Wednesday, January 20, at Madison Square Garden in New York (doors open at 11:00 a.m./news conference begins at Noon.)

Pacquiao camp says fight with Clottey set for March

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will put his title on the line against Ghanaian Joshua Clottey in March after talks for a bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. fizzled out this week, the Filipino's promoter said on Friday.

The planned fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather Jr. broke down when negotiations between the two sides hit a snag over the American's demand for a rigorous dope testing procedure.

Pacquiao's new opponent beat Zab Judah of the United States for the IBF Welterweight title in August 2008 and lost a split decision to Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto last June.

"This is a better fight," Bob Arum of Top Rank, Pacquiao's promoter, told Reuters in a telephone interview. "(Clottey's) a real strong, aggressive and hard punching African from Ghana and he poses a real test for Manny."

Arum said a location for the fight would be decided on Monday.

News of the Pacquiao-Clottey bout pours cold water over talk that a match with Mayweather, which was expected to be one of boxing's biggest revenue-producing fights, could be salvaged in time for March.

Mayweather Jr. had issued a statement on Thursday that said he still wanted to fight Pacquiao, but Arum said any possible fight between the two sides would have to wait.

"There's always later in the year and there's next year, it's up to Mayweather. But if he starts this nonsense again with testing or anything then let him take a walk," said Arum.

"We are not going to get into a debate with him ever again on stuff that we know nothing about and that only regulators really can understand."

Mayweather's camp had called for random blood and urine sampling prior to and after the proposed fight with Pacquiao in March.

Pacquiao agreed to have blood taken for testing before the initial media conference and immediately after the fight but would not agree to have blood drawn within 30 days of the bout.

The commission that would have overseen the fight in Las Vegas only requires urine testing.

"We have commissions who regulate this sport, if (Mayweather Jr.) wants any special testing he should address it to the commission that will have jurisdiction over the fight," said Arum.

Source:News.yahoo.com