By BARRY HORN, The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON – Manny Pacquiao was the puncher, Joshua Clottey the punching bag.
Pacquiao had little trouble landing punches at will on center stage in a packed Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night as Clottey appeared content to make it back to his stool round after round.
Pacquiao, considered the best fighter in the world at any weight, won an easy unanimous decision to retain his WBO welterweight crown. It was almost a shutout in the eyes of three ringside judges. Clottey won only one round on two of the three judges' scorecards. He won none, according to judge Duane Ford.
A crowd announced at 50,994 at the stadium's boxing debut watched Pacquiao's first defense of the 147-pound title he won in November from Miguel Cotto. A champion in seven weight divisions during his career, Pacquiao, the pride of the Philippines, improved his record to 51-3-2 with 32 knockouts. Clottey, who is from Ghana, dropped to 35-4.
"I have to tell you this is the first time I have lost a fight," said Clottey, who believes he fought well enough to have won his previous losses.
Clottey said Pacquiao was simply "too fast" for him to have tried to trade punches.
It was a historic night for boxing in Texas and the United States. It featured Pacquiao, the biggest star in the sport, fighting before an enthusiastic throng with Cowboys cheerleaders flitting in and out of view. To make sure no one could forget whose house it was, three Cowboys cheerleaders sang the national anthem.
As impressive as it was, the crowd wasn't close to the record for boxing paid attendance in Texas. The Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez WBC welterweight title bout in 1993 sported a paid attendance of 58,891 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Pacquiao came out the aggressor from the opening bell as Clottey was contentedly took punches with his arms up protecting his face. Little changed as the fight continued.
A fight almost broke out in the third round as Pacquiao and Clottey began exchanging punches. But Clottey backed down as Pacquiao was relentless in going to Clottey's body in an attempt to get him to lower his arms.
Pacquiao continued as the aggressor, landing combinations at will, in the fourth round as Clottey appeared content to have last another three minutes.
Clottey finally backed Pacquiao into ropes early in the sixth round, but it was only momentary as it seemed to invigorate Pacquiao, who continued to dominate with jabs and combinations.
But despite being content to take punches, Clottey never appeared hurt. It was as if he was waiting for Pacquiao to tire of punching. He might as well have been waiting for Godot.
Clottey began showing life in the 10th round, but it was too little, too late.
bhorn@dallasnews.com
Source: dallasnews.com
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