Freddie Roach, who has a penchant for proving pinpoint accurate in his predictions, said Pacquiao’s victory will come by knockout in his defence of the World Boxing Organisation 147lb belt.
Eerily accurate with his visions of how Pacquiao’s last three fights – against Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto – would unfold, Roach originally predicted a ninth-round knockout of Clottey, but is that confident that “perfect preparation” could result in a sixth- or seventh-round knockout.
That goes against conventional wisdom. Clottey, with 35 wins from 39 contests, has never been knocked out in his three defeats (one draw) to date with two of those on points, and one by disqualification.
Pacquiao, 50-3-2, with 38 knockouts, remains the only boxer ever to notch up world titles in seven weight divisions. “Manny is in the best shape of his life, and looked very, very sharp in our final sessions. I’ve never seen him sharper,” said Roach, trainer of the year in the United States for the last three years, who turned 50 this week.
Roach habitually makes the Filipino phenomenon adhere to a strict game plan on fight night. Against Clottey, they claim that they are opting for “relentless attack” from the opening bell, a method which will rely on Pacquiao’s devastating hand speed and astonishing footwork.
“We’re going to throw Clottey off in the first four rounds. He will never been attacked like this before," said Roach of Clottey, who returns from a close split decision loss to Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao’s last victim by a technical knockout in the 12th round in November 2009.
Although Pacquiao has made a clear favourite by the bookmakers, Clottey remains a dangerous opponent, for his unpredictability, and propensity to turn contests into a roughhouse brawl. Clottey will weigh 155lbs – 10lbs more than the Filipino – when the two square up in front of 50,000 fans at Jerry Jones’s Cowboys Stadium.
Clottey also has a record for landing low blows, holding, and notably, head butting. Pacquiao did struggle with unorthodox, awkward fighters earlier in his career. Last year, the Ghanaian left Miguel Cotto with a cut which required 20 stitches to close, as the result of a headbutt.
There are theories that the most dangerous weapon in Clottey’s arsenal is his head, and while Roach has already been vocal about it, Pacquiao must remain conscious of it when they are working on the inside.
Clottey insists Pacquiao will underestimate the challenger’s desire at his peril. “I'm not a flyweight, or a bantamweight. I am a welterweight and welterweights only throw punches that connect. I can throw shots which connect and land and cause damage. Manny Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He’s just a really good fighter who is out there now, who is No1 now,” said Clottey.
Meanwhile, the feud between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jnr continues. Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, has confirmed that Roach and Pacquiao are still pressing ahead with legal action against members of the Mayweather camp over allegations made that Pacquiao may have taken performance-enhancing drugs. Pacquiao strongly denies all the claims.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
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