Los Angeles - Filipino welterweight Manny Pacquiao has blown a breath of fresh air into the decaying sport of boxing over the last two years, fueled by a humble charisma, in the ring skill, but most importantly, a string of stirring knock-out victories against the biggest names in the sport.
Fight fans, from the casual to hardcore, love savage stoppage victories and it is no coincidence that Pacquiao's star power exploded by putting away Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and Ricky Hatton without the need of a score card.
So as Pacquiao prepares in Los Angeles' Wild Card Gym, under the careful eye of trainer Freddie Roach for a March 13 bout against challenger Joshua Clottey, the boxing public expects their new fistic idol to dispose of the tough man from Ghana in must the same manner he did against previously noted advisories.
Not to be the bearer of sobering news to the Pacquiao nation, because if anyone can knock-out Clottey it is Manny, but Joshua has never tasted defeat via stoppage.
With a solid record of 35 wins and three losses, Clottey's let downs were via close decisions against Cotto and Antonio Margarito, and a disqualification for excessive head-butting against Carlos Baldomir.
Without all the glitter of names such as Cotto, Hatton, Pacquiao, Erik Morales, or Juan Manuel Marquez, all former Pacquiao foes, Clottey is a workman-like fighters who comes to hang and bang for the entire fight.
If you think I am just an eternal pessimist raining on Pacquiao's parade, you maybe right. I have been known to be a horrible predictor when it comes to the end results of Pacquiao's bouts. According to Lois' Book of Predictions, De La Hoya was going to make Manny do the chicken dance a la Zab Judah, Cotto was going to pulverize the Pinoy, and Hatton would be to rough and rugged.
The betting public slightly favors Pacquiao to defeat Clottey by knockout (odds sit at -140 on a well trafficked Internet sports book).
So the fans and gamblers like Pacquiao by K.O., but don't be surprised if we see Manny go twelve rounds en route to a decision victory - which would be his first since a fiercely contested split decision against Juan Manuel Marquez.
Porter takes unanimous decision
Pacquiao sparring mate and rising junior middleweight figure Shawn Porter improved his undefeated record to thirteen wins by taking a ten round decision from Russel Jordan. The victory marked the first time Porter, fighting on ESPN's Friday Night Fights, went further than eight rounds.
Bell Garden's light flyweight title holder returns to action
WBA light flyweight title holder Giovanni Segura (22-1-1, 18 KOs) returns to action against Walter Tello (14-3, 6 KOs) Saturday night in Acapulco, Mexico.
Fighting out of the South East Los Angeles city of Bell Gardens, Segura (ranked #1 by The Boxing Truth) is in the hunt for a fight with Ivan Calderon (The Boxing Truth Champion).
Segura's fight will be televised Saturday night on the Fox Sports Network at 10 PM.
Source: examiner.com
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