ARLINGTON, Texas -- Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey stood face-to-face in the center of Cowboys Stadium yesterday, posed in the traditional boxing stare down after weighing in for tonight's WBO welterweight championship fight.
Clottey looked slightly taller and more chiseled, but that matters little to Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach, who have made a habit of dominating bigger foes like Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto.
"Size doesn't win fights," Roach said. "Skill does."
Pacquiao (58-3, 38 KOs) has shown plenty of skill in recent bouts, capturing back-to-back Fighter of the Year honors with an impressive run of victories over former world champions like Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Angel Cotto.
Having won a sanctioned or linear championship in a record seven weight divisions, Pacquiao has parlayed a bright smile and lethal fists to become an icon in the Philippines and the savior of his sport.
"He has broken into the general conscience of people around the world," said Bob Arum, whose Top Rank promotes Pacquiao. "He truly is a crossover star."
All that could come to an end in tonight's pay-per-view ($49.95) showdown against Clottey, a rugged slugger from Ghana, who was the second choice after talks of a Pacquiao fight with Floyd Mayweather fell through over blood-testing for performance-enhancing drugs.
Clottey, who is based in The Bronx, yearns for the type of respect Pacquiao has gained.
"If I beat Manny Pacquiao, I'm going to be very much happy because he is the best fighter out there," Clottey said. "He is the man now and he's giving me a chance to fight him, and if I beat him, I'm going to be on top of the world. It will be very important to the people in my country."
Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) is known for his tight defense -- elbows and arms tucked tightly against his body, his gloves protecting his chin. He is economical with his punches, almost to a fault, preferring to land when he can do damage instead of punching for show. He likes to lure his opponents into an offensive flurry, waiting for an opening to unleash his powerful uppercut.
"I will throw punches that cause damage," Clottey said.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, is a southpaw blur of ferocity -- always on his toes, bouncing like a piston while firing punches from all angles. Occasionally, Pacquiao may want to feel Clottey's strength, something he did against Cotto. But few have been able to deal with Pacquiao's blend of speed and power, and unless Clotty tags him early, this is a fight Pacquiao should win easily.
"He's good at what he does, but he does the same thing over and over again and he's very predictable," Roach said of Clottey. "He's going to try to change for this fight, but once he gets in he will revert back to it. We are 100 percent ready for his style. He's resilient. The beginning of the fight is going to be very hard because he is a very good opponent and he likes to fight. We will break him down and I am confident the fight will not go 12 rounds."
It's hard not to agree with Roach, who predicted the quick KO of Hatton and the late stop of Cotto. Pacquiao will run for a congressional seat in the Philippines in May, prompting some to speculate this might be his last fight. But why quit when things are just getting good.
PREDICTION: Pacquiao by decision.
george.willis@nypost.com
Source: nypost.com
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