GRAPEVINE, TEXAS—The biggest disaster of Manny Pacquiao's career?
Oh, that's easy, it would be if he somehow loses to bigger, stronger Joshua Clottey Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium.
It wouldn't totally wreck any hopes of a mega, mega, megafight against Floyd Mayweather by year's end but it would drop the total revenue by a humungous amount.
I said previously and I say now, in the hours after Friday's weigh in which a totally ripped Clottey (the Ghanaian did not have a six pack of abs, it was more like a 14 pack) weighed the welterweight limit of 147 pounds with Pacman at 145 ¾ pounds, that this train wreck is not going to happen.
Clottey, for all his druability and fighting spirit, is a Grade B fighter matching his skills against the world's best boxer pound for pound, a Pinoy phenomenon who has been blistering all foes, knocking them out and into retirement.
Some around Pacman turned into worrywarts after the two combatants posed for photos outside Jerry Jones' gleaming football playpen. How come, they ask, Megamanny wasn't as ripped looking as he usually is?
Look, he's 31 years old but does he train any less diligently than he did before destroying Ricky Hatton and Oscar de la Hoya, among others?
The answer is no so let's not pay much attention to how the Pacman belly was not as impressive as usual. It's called getting older, folks.
Yes, Clottey will look huge, maybe even eight pounds heavier than his weigh in weight, by the time they square off.
Your White Gorilla is unconcerned as being bigger, more buff and all that just means Clottey will be slower and less able to handle Pacquiao's amazing, two-handed attack that comes from weird but effective angles.
In many ways, Clottey is a pedestrian fighter. Do you think promoter Bob Arum and his matchmaker Bruce Trampler selected him because they believe he will derail Pacman?
No, Pacquiao will deliver the goods although maybe not as devastatingly and brilliantly did in annihilating Oskie and Ricky.
I am still calling it Pacman by TKO in 10 rounds.
Pacquiao must be vigilant about headbutts and he can't wrestle inside with the African but he knows all that.
When the bout ends, Pacquiao will have notched his 51st pro victory and, if Floyd disposes of hane Molsey like I am convinced he will come May 1, the Lollapalooza will be back in play.
I'm seeing, with Pacquiao winning here and Mayweather victorious in Vegas, their confrontation as historically inevitable.
They talk about big banks in America which are “too big to fail.” Mayweather-Pacquiao is too big not to happen, blood testing be praised or damned.
When it does, unless role players Clottey and/or Mosley rain on the Manny and Floyd parades, it will be bigger than it could have been before.
Pacquiao can win that fight. You know it, I know it and everyone named Mayweather knows it.
HBO might have play the big bully role to get it done but it will get done.
Clottey is a footnote. Mosley is also a “B side” actor in the larger drama.
Pacquiao wins here, Mayweather's May Day is a good day and their collision course will be reset.
And, as the days, weeks and months roll by, I'm beginning to wonder about this...does Mayweather really think he can beat Manny?
Clottey and Mosley will just set the table for the fistic feast to come at the end of 2010 or the start of 2011.
Bet on it.
Clottey is coming to get respect and he will but he will also go home with his fourth loss.
Bet on it, bet dollars to doughnuts. Bet beer to balut.
Bet the next few mortgage payments.
Neither Joshua nor Sugar Shane are going to jeopardize the Big Dance.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
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