FILIPINO BOXING ICON MANNY Pacquiao wants to add another glowing chapter to his fabled ring career, but Joshua Clottey, the Ghanian warrior who has nothing to lose in this fight, longs for lasting recognition.
On Saturday (Sunday in Manila), Pacquiao, regarded as the best fighter of his generation, stakes his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown against Clottey, a dangerous and durable fighter who has yet to be knocked out.
Though smaller and lighter, the 31-year-old Pacquiao has been tagged by oddsmakers as a heavy 8-1 favorite to retain his crown and hand Clottey his first ever knockout defeat.
But Pacquiao, who has stopped his last four opponents—David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto—refuses to predict a knockout, even during Friday’s weigh-in held outside the main entrance of the new and imposing Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Pacquiao, who will be fighting in front of the largest crowd of his career, told the throng outside Cowboys Stadium that he is hopeful of a knockout.
“I can’t promise a knockout, but I want to put on a good show for the people who support me all the time,” Pacquiao told some 2,500 mostly Fil-American fans who trooped to one of the world’s largest domed structures for the official weigh-in of the fight card dubbed simply as “The Event.”
The 32-year-old Clottey, after an initial unofficial try, stepped on the scales first and registered an exact 147 pounds, confirming suspicions that he had to struggle to make the weight. He was seen running and skipping rope in a thermal suit on Thursday, the eve of the weigh-in.
Pacquiao, the only fighter to win seven titles in as many weight divisions, came in lighter as expected at 145 and three-quarter pounds, though this will be the heaviest he has weighed in since he started fighting at 106 lb 15 years ago.
In his 15 years as a professional, Pacquiao has recorded 50 wins (including 38 knockouts), three losses and two draws. More impressive is that he has swept his last 11 fights, mostly against some of boxing’s biggest names, including De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto and Mexico’s best—Eric Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera.
His last defeat was a decision at the hands of Morales in 2003.
Named Fighter of the Decade by both the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Philippine Sportswriters Association, Pacquiao also held world titles in the flyweight (112 lb), featherweight (126), super bantamweight (122), super featherweight (130), lightweight (135) and light welterweight (140) divisions.
Clottey, a big welterweight who has fought at 154 lb twice, is highly motivated knowing that a win over Pacquiao will rank him among Ghana’s greatest fighters—Hall of Famer Azumah Nelson and former world champions Ike Quartey, Joseph Agbeko, David Kotei and Alfred Kotey.
‘I’m ready to shock world’
“I’m bigger and stronger,” said Clottey, who is expected to bulk up to 160 lb at fight time. “I’ve never lost to a southpaw, I have my game plan and I’m ready to shock the world.”
Noted for his granite chin, Clottey is a former International Boxing Federation welterweight titlist with a 35-3 record, including 21 knockouts.
Clottey, who enjoys a 2-inch height and 3-inch reach advantage, also dismissed knockout predictions by Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, saying that much bigger foes have failed to stop him.
The only other time a Filipino and a Ghanaian disputed a world title was in 1963 at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City when Hall-of-Famer and boxing great Gabriel “Flash” Elorde won over challenger Love Allotey by 11th round disqualification in their junior lightweight tussle.
Two other Filipino prospects, bantamweight Eden Sonsona and featherweight Michael Farenas, are seeing action in the untelevised undercard of the pay-per-view fight card being staged by Top Rank headed by Bob Arum in partnership with Texas billionaire Jerry Jones, owner of the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys and the $1.2-billion stadium being bruited about as the eighth wonder of the world.
Sellout crowd
Jones said a sellout crowd of 45,000 is within sight on Friday, announcing during the weigh-in that party passes tickets worth $35 each will be out for sale.
Owing to his superstar status Pacquiao will get a guaranteed purse of $12 million apart from his shares in pay-per-view and gate receipts. Clottey will receive his biggest paycheck ever of $1.5 million.
Ariel Pineda, lead singer of international rock band Journey, will sing the Philippine national anthem.
Sonsona will see action against Colombian Mauricio Pastrana and Farenas will battle American Joe Morales.
The main supporting bout will pit former champion and Pacquiao victim David Diaz against Mexican WBC lightweight titlist Humberto Soto.
Both fighters appeared relaxed at the weigh-in and when Clottey tried to engage Pacquiao in a stare-down, the Filipino boxer just looked down and laughed and then joked with members of Clottey’s camp.
Post-fight party
Pacquiao also talked about his plans after the fight in which, win or lose, he will host a bash and sing with a band.
“After the fight we will have a party,” Pacquiao said.
Clottey’s trainer Lenny DeJesus said his fighter should reach about 160 lb by the time he steps in the ring, giving him a possible 10-lb weight advantage over Pacquiao.
“I will be the stronger than any fight before,” underdog Clottey said. “I am ready.”
Promoters are expecting a sellout crowd for the first fight card in the new stadium, which opened last year. The stadium is the home of American football’s Dallas Cowboys and has been modified to suit a boxing ring which is dwarfed by the size of the venue.
The fighters’ images will be shown on a 72-foot-tall, 40-million-dollar high-definition jumbo telescreen, making it possible for those in the nosebleed seats to see what is going on in the ring.
Greatest fighter of his era
Pacquiao has looked unstoppable in his last three fights and he isn’t showing any signs of losing power as he fights bigger and stronger opponents.
His plan is to wear down the 32-year-old Clottey on Saturday so he can finish him off in the later rounds.
“He is the greatest fighter of his era,” said Roach. “He has seven world championships. When people say who is the next Manny Pacquiao from the Philippines that is a lot of pressure to put on somebody.
“You might have a couple more champions from the Philippines but you are not going to get another guy that’s going to win seven world titles in our lifetime. He is a ‘once in a lifetime’ deal.”
Clottey’s only losses have been to world champions—Miguel Cotto in June 2009 by a close decision, disgraced boxer Antonio Margarito in 2006 and Carlos Baldomir by a controversial disqualification in 1999.
Margarito, who was caught using illegal hand wraps under his gloves for a fight against Cotto, also attended the weigh-in, as did actor Robert Duvall, who joined the two on the main stage.
The fight will start about 10:15 p.m. Dallas time (12:15 p.m. Sunday in Manila) and organizers expect it to be shown live to 80 million homes worldwide.
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer
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