ARLINGTON – Joshua Clottey is bigger and stronger than Manny Pacquiao. He won his first minor 147-pound title back in 1999 when Pacquaio was still a 122-pounder dabbling in the super bantamweight division. Clottey won the IBF welterweight title in 2008, a year before Pacquaio beefed up to win his WBO 147-pound crown.
Still, not many give Clottey, a plodding fighter with a chin of stone who has never been knocked down, much of a chance against Pacquaio, who has relied on speed and furious combinations in growing himself into the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
Pacquiao will be the prohibitive favorite tonight when the two enter the ring for the first major boxing match inside Cowboys Stadium.
That's because Pacquiao has made a living moving up in weight to fight bigger, stronger men. The favorite son of the Philippines, who fights left-handed, has retired his last four opponents in brutal knockout fashion. Pacquiao (50-3-2 with 38 knockouts) has won his last 11 fights.
And then there is this: A giant payday awaits Pacquiao when his promoter and Floyd Mayweather's promoter can agree to terms. He could earn three or four times the $8 million he should make against Clottey.
Why would Pacquiao and his handlers risk that treasure for relative chump change? Undoubtedly, the reasoning goes, they know that Clottey, whose take will be $1.5 million, will be theirs for the taking.
But in boxing, just as in all sports, you never can be certain. Ask Buster Douglas, who entered the ring a 42-to-1 underdog to Mike Tyson in 1990 and emerged the heavyweight champion of the world.
Clottey, a native of Ghana who fights out of the Bronx, has lost only three times in 38 fights. Once he was disqualified for head-butting, once he broke his hand in mid-fight, and in his last bout back in June, he lost his chance to win the WBO welterweight title from Miguel Cotto by split decision when he inexplicably stopped fighting hard in the late rounds. Cotto then lost the title to Pacquiao in November.
The 5-9 Clottey weighed in Friday at 147 pounds. Pacquiao, 5-51/2, weighed in at 145 ¾ . By fight time, Clottey is expected to hydrate and beef up to as much as 155 pounds. Pacquiao should remain the same weight.
"I am bigger than him," Clottey said after a training session this week. "I have every advantage on him ... and I know how to fight southpaws. I know what he is going to do. He's going to throw a lot of punches."
And batters knew Nolan Ryan was going to throw fastballs.
Although he is primarily a counterpuncher, Clottey, 32, moves forward in the ring. Pacquiao, 31, will rely on hand speed, quick feet and finding odd angles to make sure he does not remain a stationary target. Neither Pacquiao nor his trainer, Freddie Roach, was eager to share their game plan this week.
"We will try our best to give people a good fight and make them happy," said Pacquiao, who is expected to be a heavy crowd favorite.
COWBOYS STADIUM FIGHT SCHEDULE
PAY-PER-VIEW FIGHTS
10 rounds, middleweights –John Duddy, New York (28-1, 18 KOs) vs. Michael Medina, Monterrey, Mexico (22-1-2, 17 KOs)
10 rounds, welterweights –Jose Luis Castillo, Sonora, Mexico (60-9-1, 52 KOs) vs. Alfonso Gomez (21-4-2), Guadalajara, Mexico
12 rounds, WBC lightweight championship –Humberto Soto, Los Mochis, Mexico (50-7-2, 32 KOs) vs. David Diaz, Chicago (35-2-1, 17 KOs)
12 rounds, world welterweight championship –Manny Pacquiao, General Santos, Philippines (50-3-2, 38 KOs) vs. Joshua Clottey, Accra, Ghana (35-3-0, 21 KOs)
EARLY FIGHTS (NOT ON PPV)
Eight rounds, featherweights –Salvador Sanchez, Mexico (18-3-2, 8 KOs) vs. Jaime Villa, Midland (8-7-2, 3 KOs)
Eight rounds, featherweights –Michael Farenas, Gubat, Philippines (26-2-3, 23 KOs) vs. Joe Morales, San Antonio (20-13, 4 KOs)
Six rounds, super bantamweights –Roberto Marroquin, Dallas (12-0, 9 KOs) vs. Samuel Sanchez, Dallas (4-1-1, 0 KOs)
Note: Order of early fights to be determined
bhorn@dallasnews.com
Source: dallasnews.com
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