Pacquiao expects close fight vs Clottey
MANILA, Philippines – It will be tough and it will be close.
World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champ Manny Pacquiao said he expects his March 13 date with challenger Joshua Clottey to turn out just like the Ghanaian boxer’s match against Miguel Cotto.
“Sa tingin ko pa nga, close ang labang iyon at puwede ring si Ginoong Clottey ang nanalo,” Pacquiao said, referring to the June 2009 fight between Clottey and Cotto.
Cotto got a split-decision win, but many fans felt it could have been gone either way.
“Ganyan din ang dapat kong asahan sa laban namin sa Marso 13,” he added.
Pacquiao said the size and ability of Clottey, who has won 35 fights against 3 losses, makes the Ghanaian fighter a very dangerous foe.
Pacquiao has 50 wins against 3 losses.
Clottey stands 5-feet-8 and is a full welterweight, while Pacquiao, the only boxer to win 7 world titles, is 5-feet-6.5 and last fought at a 145-pound catch weight.
“Naniniwala akong isa siyang mapanganib na kalaban,” said Pacquiao, who has started training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.
Still in good condition
Pacquiao’s physical conditioning expert, Alex Ariza, meanwhile, said Pacquiao is still in good shape two months after his 12th round TKO victory over Cotto last November.
“He is looking sharp already,” Ariza said in a report by InsideSports.ph.
Trainer Freddie Roach agreed that the Filipino boxer is in “pretty good shape” at 148 lbs.
“We’re gonna start sparring one day earlier than normal and get the rounds in,” Roach said. “We'll have the game plan down by next week.”
Not giving up on Pacman-Floyd
Meanwhile, boxing promoter Oscar de la Hoya said that despite the bitter feud with the Pacquiao camp, he hasn't given up on trying to convince Pacquiao to fight his client Floyd Mayweather.
"That fight has to happen," De la Hoya said Tuesday of the proposed bout, which fell apart earlier this month over a drug-testing procedure dispute. "It's too big not to happen. We just have to cross one hurdle."
Speaking at a news conference Tuesday to promote a non-title junior welterweight fight, de la Hoya said Mayweather and Pacquiao will fight sooner than people think.
Pacquiao, boxing's pound-for-pound king, was already scheduled to square off against Mayweather on March 13, but they couldn't agree on a 10-day gap in the timing of the pre-fight drug tests.
"The public will hopefully make him change his mind," de la Hoya said. "Why would you not want to earn 40 million dollars? Why would you not want to show the public that all this speculation is nonsense? Be the one to stand up and say it."
De la Hoya also said Mayweather and Shane Mosley are in talks for a possible bout on May 1 which will likely be in Las Vegas. With a report from Agence France-Presse
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Was that a close fight?
Was that a close fight? LOL... It was a punching bag against a boxer... We need to see floyd vs manny...
malapit nah...
malapit nah... woooooooooo
Pacquiao vs Clottey
pacquiao vs clottey
i doubt if clottey can keep up with manny
Pacquiao vs Clottey
Good Fight
Pacquiao vs Clottey is a different thing.. This will be an exciting Match..
Close fight...
just like when Pacquiao-Cotto fight...
Funny
He expects close fight? Why should he? He is the best and most boxing analysts know this will be an easy fight for Manny Pacquiao.
It's cool man. If came out as
It's cool man. If came out as mean, I apologize I didn't mean to. I'm glad you cleared up that you're not pacnuthugger. I'm a proud Pacquiao fan but I can't stand those pactard fans. I think they're embarrassing and gives us Filipinos a bad name. Manny certainly doesn't act like the way they do.
Battle of the Champions? Heck yeah. Classic match bro.. The other bottle? We'll never know for sure just like we'll never know long Margarito was fighting with loaded gloves (he'll never admit to it). The strange thing about that fight was they never did a drug test after the fight. If they did, Pryor would've been caught if there really was stuff on his drink. Hiccup in the system or on purpose? Who knows man..
@ adel, lidocaine
hey man i was just curious about
the mayweather and xylocaine connection.
i didnt want to sound like a pac hugger there.
yeah, i acknowledge that my fault is not
doing research. hey adel hope were cool,
thanks for the info. and nah man, ofcourse
i wont use youtube as a source, its just the closest
thing that i can use for a sample that
maybe we can talk about.
hey adel maybe i can learn a thing or two again,
have you seen the pryor-arguello fight? during the time out, pryor's trainer was giving pryor the "other bottle". did that ever been exposed? usually, if boxers/trainers are trying to cheat, whats in that "other bottle" ?
thanks.
@ starshine, XLOCAINE
You get your facts from YouTube? Are you freakin serious? You know you can see videos in YouTube also that claims Aliens have visited our planet. Or punk kids doing idiotic crap. Yeah right! YouTube is a credible source of information (sarcasm). First of all tell me which part in the video that said it's not banned in Nevada specifically? Listen dude, I used to work at the NSAC up until 2005 and I can tell you for a fact that Lidocaine is a banned substance in Nevada within a timeframe. You can't use it with in one week of a fight and most especially not during fight night. If you seriously want and is willing to accept the truth, you can write or call the commission in NV. Tell them you're an athlete participating in an event in Nevada and would like to request a list of banned substance and they'll give it to you.
Here's the address:
Athletic Commission
555 East Washington Avenue,
Las Vegas, NV 89101-1066
Or call (702) 486-2575 (if you live in the U.S.)
Everyone in the boxing circles knows that Mayweather has had hand problems for the past few years now and that he has used Lidocaine. A lot of boxers with injured hands have used it including Dela Hoya. The fact is since 2004, Lisocaine cannot be used within a week of a fight and that will show up on urine testing. And the effects of this anesthetic only lasts up to 2 hours. If you're wondering what Lidocaine is.. Xylocaine is Lidocaine.
Seriously man do some real research before you make comments that'll make you look ignorant and stupid. And don't your research on Filipino boxing forums. You can google: Lidocaine or Xylocaine banned in Nevada and I'm sure you'll get your real answers. This is an issue spread around by ignorant, retarded Pacquiao fans (aka Pactards). I'm a Pacquiao fan but I'm also unbiased. I'm not making an issue out of it because there is none. I don't find an issue on it because I know for a fact that the substance in question is indeed a banned substance in NV. The writers and media are not making an issue out of it because they know it is a banned substance in NV.
Pacquiao vs Clottey
I like the Joshua Clottey proposed fight. Clottey is one rough and tough boxer so it'll be interesting. At least Manny is showing balls again by fighting a bigger and tougher guy unlike Floyd who once again from what I heard will be fighting a smaller fighter in Malignaggi. (link removed) will be a war.