5 reasons Pacquiao-Clottey is competitive ... and 5 it isn't -- The Ring

By Doug Fischer and Michael Rosenthal, The Ring

RingTV.com Co-Editors Doug Fischer and Michael Rosenthal have different takes on the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Fischer thinks it will be a competitive fight, Rosenthal doesn’t.

Here are Fischer’s five reasons the fight will be competitive and Rosenthal’s five reasons it wont.

WILL BE COMPETITIVE

1. SIZE: Clottey is a natural welterweight. Pacquiao has delivered in his two welterweight outings, but it should be noted that Oscar De La Hoya foolishly came in too light and Cotto is not a large 147 pounder. Clottey, who stands around 5-foot-8, is not a tall welterweight but he’s very compact with dense muscle. The Ghanaian, who fights comfortably and effectively at junior middleweight, has not weighed in the junior welterweight range since he was 19 years old. It wouldn’t be a shock to insiders if Clottey weighed a rock-solid 160 pounds on fight night for Pacquiao.

2. DEFENSE: When Clottey covers up behind his high guard, his opponents might as well be fighting a bowling ball. He tucks his chin behind his gloves, offering only the top of his bald head as a potentially dangerous target, while his forearms and elbows almost completely cover his stomach and frontal rib area. Clottey, who seldom drops his hands, also does a good job of leaning away from punches. Few fighters love a shootout as much as Pacquiao because the dynamic southpaw does his best work against aggressive opponents. Clottey’s hit-and-cover-up tactics may frustrate the Filipino, who will have a difficult time landing clean punches to the bigger man’s chin and body.

3. DURABILITY: Even if Pacquiao is able to penetrate Clottey’s high guard, the welterweight contender has the last line of defense for any fighter lucky enough to have this attribute: a rock-solid chin. Although Clottey, who has never been stopped in a professional bout, was dropped by a stiff jab from Cotto in the first round of their bout (the only time he‘s ever been down), he has never appeared to be seriously hurt in a fight. Both Cotto and Zab Judah are known for their power but neither fighter could hurt or discourage Clottey, even when they landed clean shots. Antonio Margarito set an all-time CompuBox record of 1,675 total punches thrown in a 12-round bout against Clottey and never came close to hurting the Ghanaian.

4. BODY PUNCHING: Every hardcore fan knows about Clottey’s quick jab and his textbook left uppercut, but he also has a crippling left to the body with which he’s able to punctuate one-two combinations or sneak in after he lands his uppercut. Clottey’s left to the body is hard and accurate enough to have stopped junior middleweight opponents and it was a key punch in giving both Cotto and Margarito fits in their tough 12-round outings with him. Pacquiao proved to have world-class welterweight whiskers during his showdown with Cotto, but how well does he take a genuine 147 pounder’s punch to the body?

5. UNDERRATED FOOTWORK: Clottey’s not known for his lateral or in-and-out movement because he’s not a stick-and-move specialist but his foot placement (balance) and footwork is better than many fans realize. Clottey’s footwork is subtle but effective. He is very good at taking half a step out of his opponent’s range while blocking in-coming punches with his gloves and then stepping back in range to catch them off guard. Clottey is also good at pivoting to the side of his opponents when in close and catching them with punches at an angle. Like his fists, his feet are deceptively quick; not as quick as Pacquiao’s but perhaps fast and nimble enough to trouble the 4-to-1 odds favorite.


WON'T BE COMPETITIVE

1. TALENT: Sometimes we overanalyze matchups, asking and then trying to answer myriad questions in our minds. Who’s bigger? Who has a better chin? Who’s in better condition? Who’s in a better state of mind? Who has more big-fight experience? Who has a better trainer? These and many more are legitimate questions. However, one question supersedes all others: Who is better? The answer is obvious in the case of Pacquiao vs. Clottey. The Filipino has evolved into a near-perfect fighting machine – skilled, fast, powerful, resilient, experienced, well-prepared, you name it. Clottey is very good, nothing more. This fight will not be close.

2. TRAINERS: The difference here couldn’t be more stark. Pacquiao works with the leading trainer in the world , Freddie Roach, with whom he has developed a zen-like rapport. Roach sculpted a very good, but raw slab of Filipino marble into a work of art. Clottey is being trained by Pacquiao’s former cut man, Lenny De Jesus, who also has some training experience. Godwin Kotay normally works with Clottey but couldn’t get a visa to enter the U.S., reportedly leaving Clottey very upset. Roach and De Jesus won’t be fighting but guidance in preparation and in the corner during the fight can be the difference between success and failure.

3. SPEED: Pacquiao’s opponents seem to have the same reaction after they fight him: “Man, this guy is fast.” His blazing-quick punches also come from all sorts of crazy angles, which makes him all the more baffling. And his foot speed might be more impressive than his hand speed. Pacquiao darts in, punches and darts out before his opponents have a chance to react. Clottey said he’ll be able to hit Pacquiao enough to slow him down – as he did against quick-handed Zab Judah -- but I don’t think he can do it this time. Pacquiao’s ability to land fast, hard punches and avoid Clottey’s counters because of his mobility will be the key to the fight.

4. WORK RATE: One criticism of Clottey is that he doesn’t throw enough punches, which he attributed to the fact he’s a welterweight and not a smaller fighter. Welterweights, he said, must focus more on quality than quantity when punching. That isn’t going to cut it on March 13. Even if Clottey frustrates Pacquiao to some degree with his defensive skills and lands some counters, he will get outworked and lose a one-sided decision or get stopped late anyway. Clottey would have to change his approach to boxing to match Pacquiao’s pace, which isn’t going to happen. Clottey’s only chance to win is to hurt Pacquiao and then take him out. That isn’t going to happen, either.

5. POWER: We’re told that Clottey is the bigger and stronger man, which might be true. Still, Pacquiao is the big puncher in this matchup. You saw what happened when he nailed Miguel Cotto for the first time; Cotto retreated the rest of the fight. Clottey has a better chin than Cotto, meaning he might be able to withstand a good shot or two. However, he will be able to take only so many before he breaks down and Pacquiao finishes the job. One of two things will happen after Clottey feels Pacquiao’s power: He will try to fight back and get knocked out in the middle to late-middle rounds or he will follow Cotto’s lead and go into survival mode. Either way, Clottey loses.


Doug Fischer can be reached at dougiefischer@yahoo.com


Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com


Source: ringtv.com

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8CN Exclusive: Alex Ariza -- 8CountNews

By Brad Cooney, 8CountNews.com

8CountNews caught up with Pacquiao conditioning coach Alex Ariza. The big fight is coming up on March, 13th just a few weeks from now. 8CN got Ariza's thoughts on Manny's progress thus far in camp. Ariza also shares with us his prediction of the outcome of this fight. Check out what else one of the best conditioning coaches in the world had to say.

8CN - Alex, how is Manny looking so far in camp?

AR - I think we are right on schedule, maybe even a little ahead of it. He looks great, the weight is great, the conditioning is great. He boxed really well today so I think we are right on.

8CN - So you feel good about where Manny is so far?

AR - Oh yes, I think we are right on. I think if we were going to fight Clottey this Saturday we would be ready to go.

8CN - Is there anything that you do in preparing Manny differently in this camp as opposed to other camps?

AR - No pretty much the same thing, but with one exception. Clottey is strong so that's my biggest concern. We focused a little more on strength training. The physical punishment Manny might take is my biggest concern. Clottey is so much bigger, but we will have Manny ready for whatever comes his way.

8CN - Are you happy with Manny's focus? There seems to be good focus so far.

AR - I am not a big fan of LA training because of all of the people here. I thought we had a good camp in the Philippines last fight. Manny trained well over there, but he looks good over here too!

8CN - Do you have any predictons for us?

AR - I don't think Clottey will last 12 rounds. I think Clottey might just stop because he will get hit too much. I think Clottey will get tired of getting hit. If Manny moves the way he's been moving in sparring? I just don't see Clottey being able to take the beating that he is going to get.

Source: 8countnews.com

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Breaking News: Vazquez Jr stops Sonsona in Round 4

Boxing News World

A wicked left hook to the body finished the job for Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. Marvin Sonsona could not beat the count. The official time was 2:01 of the fourth round.

Now WBO super-bantamweight champion at 25 years of age, Vazquez improved his record to 18 wins and 1 draw, 15 KOs.

19-year old Sonsona (now 14-1-1, 12 KOs) suffered the first defeat of his young boxing career. Sonsona, who was forced to vacate his superflyweight title for not making the contracted weight of 115 pounds in his last fight against Alejandro Hernandez, skipped the bantamweight class.

Both fighters started off cautiously. A couple of left straights by Sonsona to the head of Vazquez earned him the 1st round on my scorecard.

But it was Vazquez onwards. Vazquez's punches began to find their targets opening a small cut under the left eye of Sonsona.

In the fourth round, Vazquez landed a series of blows to the head and body of Sonsona while the latter was trapped on the ropes. A massive left hook to the liver sent Sonsona to the canvas and ended the fight.

- Marshall N. B., marx1047@lycos.com

Joshua Clottey on Manny Pacquiao - Part 2 to 6 -- Doghouse Boxing

Doghouse Boxing

Joshua Clottey on Manny Pacquiao - Part Two

Do you think you need to throw more punches to win the fight? Against Cotto it seemed as if you needed to throw more…

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I think you are right. You know, I’m not a flyweight. I am not a bantamweight. I am a welterweight and welterweights only throw punches that connect. I can throw shots which connect and land and cause damage. Not throw a lot of punches that he is deflecting and blocking. If you look at the last fight, I won the last round. He threw punches and I blocked them and I threw punches and they connected. I will throw punches that cause damage.

My training is going to show when I get in the ring, but with Manny Pacquiao you don’t have to miss with him. When he is throwing you have to let him do it. Like you said, they come from many angles. I have my plan.

Manny has made tremendous improvement as he has moved up in weight, which has caused suspicion. Do you have any reason to believe he is doing anything illegal and why aren’t you requiring to take additional tests?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I don’t want him to do that because I respect him too much. He is a very nice guy to be honest with you and I feel comfortable around him. He is nice and respects everybody and I know where he is from. I don’t think Manny Pacquiao is doing that thing. If he is doing that thing, he is killing the sport. Between he and God, it is going to some day be a problem. I wouldn’t make him do that steroid thing because I believe in him. I know he throws a pot of punches. I respect him for that so I couldn’t ask him to do that..

Joshua Clottey on Manny Pacquiao - Part Three

What would a victory mean to you?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: A victory would mean very, very more than a lot to me. That’s why I am so happy about this opportunity. And second, if I beat Manny Pacquiao I am going to be very much happy, because he is the best fighter out there. 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 and that is very important in life.

What was it like growing up?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: When I was a young boy growing up I saw the boys in the area and I

said I wanted to fight them. I fought one and then I wanted to fight again like a revenge. I beat him and I became a boxer. My life was not easy for me at all. I had to go all over the world to become champion. I came to America after fighting in England where things were very wrong. Then I came here and things were moving along with Top Rank and Bob Arum and I have to give thanks to them.

These are both your fighters and it must be difficult for you…how do you see this fight playing out?

BOB ARUM: Of course I have and the more I play it over in my head I realize how competitive this fight is going to be. Nobody, with any real certainty, can predict this fight. Everybody knows how Manny Pacquiao fights. Everybody knows the angles that he throws punches from. Everybody knows that Joshua Clottey is a tremendous defensive fighter and can put a real hurting on an opponent. Everybody knows that Clottey is the bigger man and Manny is the smaller man. People talk about how much Manny has gone up in weight, but he really hasn’t gone up much. He couldn’t make 130 so he fought at 135 pounds. He was 138 when he fought Ricky Hatton. If he gets on the scale now at the weigh-in weighing 142 or 143 that’s because he ate breakfast and lunch on the day of the weigh-in, so if he had to he could still make 135 pounds. The idea that suddenly Manny Pacquiao has become a big man is just not true. Joshua has the size and he is a natural welterweight…Manny Pacquiao isn’t and that makes intrigue in the fight. Even Joshua would admit that Manny is the favorite in the fight because he has such a great resume but I can go either way.

Joshua Clottey on Manny Pacquiao - Part Four

What do you think Manny’s weak spots are?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: No matter what people are going to talk about him, he is the best now. When he beats guys, like in the Cotto fight, he beats guys that don’t have a good defense. I have a defense. I will never say anything bad about the guy because he is the best now. When I walk in the ring with Manny Pacquiao and I lost, I will tell everybody I lost the fight. But I keep telling people I didn’t lose the Cotto fight because I don’t feel that I did. When I walk into the ring, I do what I want to do to win the fight, to do my best.

When I walk into the ring I will know what I need to do to win the fight.

What areas do you need to improve to become great?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I trained a lot for this fight. I trained really hard for this fight. I trained when I was in Africa. I run to the beach from my house here and I do everything I can. That is good for me because I am going to be fighting the best guy out there and if I don’t prepare correctly and he is hitting me with the punches he throws, he is going to hurt me so I am protecting myself at the gym. So when I get to the ring I will be fine. I promise everybody a good fight, that’s what I’m telling you.

How surprised were you when this fight came about?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I wasn’t really thinking about this fight at all. But I know I can fight anybody and I know I can beat any boxer. It looked like somebody didn’t want to fight. All the guys were talking about Pacquiao vs. Mayweather and it looks like he didn’t want to do it and it’s good for me. If they didn’t do it, I get in. I feel like it was a blessing from God.

Bob, can you talk about the venue?

BOB ARUM: As you will see on March 13, there is no stadium or arena in the world like Cowboys Stadium. It is an architectural marvel – just the paintings alone. But that is not what makes an exciting event. What makes the event super exciting is that screen that goes from one 20 yard line to the other and is super high definition. The screen will be 30 feet above the ring. Every replay and every punch in the fight will be seen in really high definition. Indeed, as pretty as the Cowboy Cheerleaders are, wait until you see them on that big screen, it is something really special. Until you see it and until you’re there, it is very difficult to describe the experience. I know that they just had the NBA All Star Game and the players were on the bench waiting to get in as the game was going on and many of them were watching the game on the screen rather than right in front of them on the floor.

When I saw the Cowboys-Eagles game sitting in Jerry Jones’ box, I found myself half the time watching the game on the screen than watching the field just because just because the picture is so incredible. I think that’s what helps make it. It has lounges, the Patrón Lounge, the concession stands. Yankee Stadium has a lot of that but it is really an experience to be in the huge arena and watch an event.

What about Margarito, was it a disappointment he not being on the card?

BOB ARUM: We are disappointed. The Texas Commission said they would have to hold a hearing and if they did we realized we wouldn’t get a result until it was too late. So instead we did the Humberto Soto/David Diaz lightweight championship in its place.

Did steroid testing come up in the negotiations for this fight?

BOB ARUM: My view is that is not a topic for negotiation. That is something for the commission to decide. If a boxer would like more stringent testing than is applicable in that state, he should go before the commission, present his case and let the commission decide. It is not for a bunch of amateurs to start talking about and start making demands – that is what’s called chaos. That’s what you have to do and that’s what you have commissions for. You go before the commission and you tell them I want such-and-such done and you let the commissioners decide – that’s what they are getting paid for – to handle those kind of questions.

VINNY SCOLPINO: I couldn’t agree with Bob more. If the commission wants to implement other drug testing rules, let them implement them. We abide by the rules that are set for us then we move forward. Manny is a super champion and we all hope he is doing the right thing. If the commission finds it in their drug testing – they find it. We were going to abide by the rules set by the state. W are professionals in the sport, Joshua is a professional and if that commission in that state says to do this, we do it.

Is 40,00 people still a target?

BOB ARUM: We didn’t set the stadium up for 40,000, we set it up for 45,000 and we are on our way to selling out.

There are a lot of Hispanics in Dallas. We are selling a lot of tickets to Hispanics. On the principal undercard bouts we have Hispanics. We have Jose Luis Castillo fighting Alfonso Gomez, John Duddy, who is Irish, fighting Michael Medina, a Mexican from Monterey, middleweight, and David Diaz against Humberto Soto for the WBC lightweight title. On the non-televised portion of the card, it is loaded with Hispanics like Roberto Marroquin of Dallas – the Hispanics and Mexicans will be well-represented. Manny Pacquiao has fought many Mexicans and when I was down in Mexico identified Manny as a Filipino/Mexican and the Mexicans in California feel that Manny is one of them.

When did you feel it was a reality to be having a fight at Cowboys Stadium?

BOB ARUM: Well, you remember back when we were involved in the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, Jerry had called me at home. I knew Jerry, he had come to a couple of fights and he said, ‘Bob, we want the fight in Cowboys Stadium.’ We set up a meeting and Mayweather’s guy, Richard Schaefer, canceled the meeting the day before and it was kind of embarrassing for us. I knew in my mind that Cowboys Stadium would be a great venue for this fight. When the Mayweather fight fell out and the fight was made with Joshua Clottey, the first call I made was to Jerry Jones. I told him I want to come out and make a deal with Cowboys Stadium. He invited me out and it was in conjunction with the Cowboys-Eagles game. I was there that night and the next day, Jerry, Todd [duBoef] and myself and Jerry’s staff and Steve Jones had a meeting and we made a deal.

Could you get more than 45,000?

BOB ARUM: That’s up to Jerry. Right now everyone would have a tremendous view of the fight. We could expand but right now we are on target to sell the 45,000 tickets and we’d be very happy doing that. I know yesterday we sold 350 tickets and we are on course to do that again today. By the time the fighters get into town, we would have sold well over 40,000 tickets. We would then have 3,000 or 4,000 tickets to go and it would be up to Jerry to expand.

Are you worried about the training situation?

VINNY SCOLPINO: I think Lenny [DeJesus] brings a lot of experience, probably over 40 years and he was with Pacquiao during many of his fights. Lenny has always been more than just a cut-man, he also trains a lot of fighters. He brings a wealth of experience, he knows the business, he knows what to do in the ring whether he’s a cut man or whether he’s a trainer. So we are comfortable. Joshua is comfortable with him and we are ready to rumble. We feel comfortable coming out of that rind with a victory with what we are doing. Josh was training in Ghana with another trainer and we tried to get that trainer in but we weren’t sitting on the sidelines hoping and praying that that trainer would get in. We had plans. If the trainer joined us from Ghana we would love it. Right now we are comfortable with what we have and Josh is a true professional. Josh is so excited to get in that ring with Manny. We are ready to rumble. When that bell rings, everything changes. Right now they are respectful of each other and are true professionals, but when that bell rings, those hats come off. Fists are going to fly.

Joshua Clottey on Manny Pacquiao - Part Five

Are you disappointed your trainer could not get to the States, there were reports you brodke down and wept, is that true?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: It is true. We have been together for a very long time. If he could get his visa, I would fly him here. They are not going to give him his visa and I can’t wait for him because I have to get ready to fight and my life is on the line. When I get in the ring my trainer will give me motivation. I had him in Ghana for weeks and that matters. In other fights, my cut man, Lenny, was pushing me a lot so I thought I would use him as my trainer.

Are you ready for Manny Pacquiao and how do you plan on beating Manny Pacquiao?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I am very much ready for Manny Pacquiao. I keep telling people that I am going to fight and I know it’s not easy. It’s not going to be easy for me and it’s not going to be easy for Manny Pacquiao because I am going to fight the guy who the people think is the best.

I have never watched his tapes. I never sit down and watch him and I never sit down and talk about him. The only thing I think about is me and what I have to do when I come into the ring. I have been training very hard for myself to get to the ring and do my best. When I get to the ring, the fight will start and that’s what I’ll do.

Will your size make a difference in the fight like it did in the Cotto fight?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I am not talking about whether I am bigger or stronger than Manny Pacquiao. I don’t want to talk like that because little guys beat the big guys out there. I am not thinking about that. The writers make the story so good. I know I’m big and I’m strong but I’m not thinking about that. I just train to get in the ring to do my best. I just know what kind of a fighter he is. I just have to be me. That is most important to me.

I have known Lenny and he is a very good man. He was my cut man with Cotto. So my trainer could not get a visa and I picked him to be my trainer for this fight. Miguel Diaz used to be my cut man but he will be with Manny Pacquiao for this fight.

Joshua Clottey on Manny Pacquiao - Part Six

Do you feel Pacquiao-Mayweather could be made in the future?

BOB ARUM: Life goes on, that what these boys fight for. If Joshua beats Manny, who knows? If Mosley beats Mayweather then we do a Mosley-Clottey fight. That’s what makes boxing interesting. If I did a walkover fight, for example, Pacquiao and Malignaggi, which was at one point bandied about, people would say I was just keeping Pacquiao busy and they would have been right. But there is danger in Manny losing this fight. Clottey is a very dangerous fight. There is also the chance that Mosley goes back to the fountain of youth, which he got for the Margarito fight and if he gets in the ring with Mayweather could very well beat Mayweather – the Mosley that fought Margarito. If these were walk-over fights, nobody would give a damn. The fight that everyone wanted to see didn’t happen for one reason or another and I’m not here on this call to cast blame on the other side, but on March 13 we have a really good fight, a competitive fight, a fight that could go either way and a fight that will be Manny Pacquiao’s toughest fight.

Did you say you haven’t watched tape of Manny’s fights?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: That is right. I never watch tapes of people. I don’t like watching tapes but I know how he fights. When I get to the ring I know how he is going to be.

Negotiations to get to this fight?

BOB ARUM: In all the fights that I’ve done, this whole series of fights, the Hatton fight, the De La Hoya fight, the Cotto fight…it was never any kind of serious problems in the negotiations. There were a couple of problems that went back and forth and the Mayweather negotiations threw me for a loop because they became so acrimonious and so in a lot of ways nonsensical, that it led me to believe rightly or wrongly that the Mayweather side never wanted to do the fight. Now the negotiations for the Clottey fight took about 24 hours. They contacted Clottey in Africa and I spoke to Vinny and Pat English the lawyer and we put it together quite promptly. But that has been that way with every fight, that we can put it together without much back and forth. Whether it was the presence of Al Haymon because we had problems with the Williams fight with Kelly Pavlik, I don’t really know. I just know that the Mayweather negotiations were extremely difficult and extremely acrimonious and kept the fight from happening.

If we believe, and I certainly believe that boxing is a big-time sport, boxing is on a crest and boxing isn’t a niche sport or a dying sport, but it’s a big-time sport and putting it in big stadiums like Cowboy Stadium, like Yankees Stadium, like the new stadium in the Meadowlands, proves that point. Because when you put your product in venues like that, what you’re saying to the world that boxing is a big-time sport and can hold its own past any other sport. We know what’s happening in Mexico…boxing is getting higher ratings than soccer and certainly any other sport going on regularly on terrestrial TV on a Saturday night. We know it from Germany where arenas are constantly sold out and the ratings are through the roof, we know if from England and the Philippines and Japan. We don’t know it yet from the United States but I’m telling you, it’s like the sleeping giant that is there. Boxing in the U.S. will takes its place the same way that it is doing it in the rest of the world like a big-time sport. Putting these events in these stadiums will prove that and demonstrate that.

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I would like to thank the media and all the questions that they ask me and the answers that I put through. I want to thank God and Bob Arum and the Top Rank crew. I am very happy that this fight is coming up on the 13th of March and I’m going to do the best that I can.

BOB ARUM: I am really looking forward to March 13 and this great event in Cowboys Stadium. The telecast is $49.95. I have explained the undercard and it will be a great night of boxing. Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders all over the place, fireworks. It will be a real event and that’s why we have named it THE EVENT. More importantly this will be the best fight you have seen. This will be the toughest for many Pacquiao. You’ve heard today how determined Joshua Clottey is and you’re going to see fireworks in the ring and that’s what boxing is all about. Thanks for being on this call and we’ll see you on March 13th.

Source: doghouseboxing.com

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Joshua Clottey Training Videos -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

A native of Ghana who is preparing for a March 13 challenge for the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) crown held by seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), of the Philippines, Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 knockouts), of The Bronx, N.Y., has been speaking with FanHouse from his training quarters facility at Fort Lauderdale's Contender Gym in Fla.

The bout against Pacqauiao is the biggest in the career for the 32-year-old Clottey (pictured above, with trainer Lenny DeJesus), whose only losses were to former world champions, Carlos Baldomir, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto.

Clottey never has been knocked out, and is known for his steller defense and punching accuracy.

Under new trainer, Lenny DeJesus, Clottey claims to be in the best shape of his life heading into the bout with Pacquiao.

"I have more confidence this time around because I'm taking this fight like if I win, I have bigger things ahead. I have so much respect for Manny, so that gives me more confidence because I respect the guy," said Clottey recently, telling FanHouse that he weighed 154 this past Thursday.

"I respect the guy because, if he has the chance, he can stop me," said Clottey. "So I respect him because of that, and because of that, I'm more confident."









Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

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