Japan Hit By 6.6 Earthquake

A strong earthquake hit off the eastern coast of central Japan on Sunday, rattling buildings across a broad swath of the country, including the crowded Tokyo capital.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, and the government said there was no danger from tsunamis.

The quake had an initial estimated magnitude of 6.6, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. It hit at 0808 GMT on Sunday, or 5:08 p.m. local time.

The earthquake was centered about 50 miles (80 kilometers) off the eastern coast of central Fukushima Prefecture, and struck at a depth of 25 miles (40 kilometers).

It was strong enough to gently sway buildings in Tokyo, about 185 miles (300 kilometers) to the southwest, for several seconds.

Television images from the regions near where the quake was centered showed no damage, with cars driving normally.

Japan's early warning system predicted the earthquake just before it hit, with public broadcaster NHK interrupting a sumo match to warn residents to take cover.

The country is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. In 1995, a magnitude-7.2 quake in the western port city of Kobe killed 6,400 people.
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Earthquake Hit Surigao

  A magnitude-5 quake rocked Surigao del Sur province in Mindanao Sunday evening, with state seismologists warning of possible aftershocks.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake was recorded at 5:50 p.m., with the epicenter traced to 38 km southeast of Tandag.

It said the quake was tectonic, and was felt at Intensity III in Lingig, Surigao del Sur; and San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.

The quake was also felt at Intensity II in Bislig, Surigao del Sur; and Barobo, Surigao del Sur.

While Phivolcs said there was no damage to property expected, residents should expect some aftershocks.
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Illegal Gambling behind Politician

Local politicians in the Caraga region are behind the proliferation of Swertres, a three-digit illegal gambling funded by wealthy businessmen in the region, a nongovernment group claimed.

In a statement, the Movement for Good Governance also said 6 out of 10 residents in Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur — mostly 20 to 50 years old — are hooked on the game.

“Most of them are ordinary folks but the illegal numbers game’s financiers were [are] traders. Some [are] politicians," the group said in a statement over the weekend. It did not elaborate.

Locals would rather gamble on Swertres given its minimum bet of a peso rather than on the government-run lotto, which costs at least P10.

The group also claimed Swertres financiers who earn P500,000 to P1 million daily give protection money to a popular radio station it did not name.

“[The radio station’s] freedom fighter image is only a camouflage. It is actually relentlessly and undoubtedly corrupt," the movement said.

The Movement for Good Governance also expressed alarm over the addiction of students to video games, fueled by the proliferation of internet cafés near public and private schools.

“This affects the quality of education because some skip classes just to play their favorite video games in internet cafés," it added.
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Another Singing of RP Anthem Criticized

 The National Historical Institute said Sunday it was filing a complaint against Journey lead singer Arnel Pineda for changing the tone and tempo of the Philippine national anthem when he sang it before the Pacquiao-Clottey bout in Texas.

Pineda sang "Lupang Hinirang" (Beloved Land) during Pacquiao’s successful bout against Joshua Clottey of Ghana on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), his powerful, high-pitched voice filling the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

But Teddy Atienza, chief of the Heraldry Section of the NHI, was not pleased. A "24 Oras" report quoted him as saying that they would file a complaint against Pineda before the Department of Justice for his "wrong" version of the national anthem.

The NHI is the government body tasked to ensure respect for the national anthem, Philippine flag and other national symbols.

Under Section 37 of Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code, the national anthem must be sung in accordance with the original musical arrangement of composer Julian Felipe, who gave it a marching tempo. Violators may be fined P5,000 to P20,000 or jailed for a year.

Pineda, for his part, defended his version, saying he had sung it with all his heart. He said he would ask his lawyer to deal with the complaint once it is filed.

Pineda, who rose to fame in 2007 when members of the US-based band discovered him on YouTube, belted out before a crowd of almost 51,000 boxing fans his somewhat slow rendition of "Lupang Hinirang."

The singer, wearing a brown long-sleeved polo with native prints, started well in the song but faltered when he tried to raise the pitch — a practice frowned upon by the National Historical Institute — of the final part of the anthem. The crowd cheered nonetheless.

Cheers and jeers

"What happened to your voice and to the anthem?" asked a fan of the singer on his Facebook fan page.

"Ba’t iniba mo ‘yung [last notes] ng anthem (Why did you change the last notes of the anthem)?" asked another. "Parang malalagutan na ng hininga (You sounded like you were running out of breath)," still another said.

Some, however, praised Pineda for a job well done.

"Good job Arnel! Your patriotic rendition of ["Lupang Hinirang"] was awesome. You made me so proud to be Pinay," a fan said. "I love you Arnel Pineda. Beautiful anthem, beautiful voice," another said.

The institute has criticized a number of Filipino singers who had sung the Philippine national anthem in recent fights of Pacquiao for supposedly creating their own interpretation of the song.

Crooner Martin Nievera’s rendition of "Lupang Hinirang" in Pacquiao’s fight against British Ricky Hatton in May 2009 caused an uproar for its deviation from the prescribed musical arrangement.

Aside from Nievera, pop girl group "La Diva" also received a failing grade from the National Historical Institute for its version of the anthem during Pacquiao’s match with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in November 2009.

"I’m sure you guys will be proud," Pineda told GMA News before his fight with Clottey.

Other singers

The NHI earlier noted that if properly sung with a two-fourths beat and 100 metronomes, the national anthem should last 53 seconds. Pineda’s version was 89 seconds long.

Among the singers reprimanded by the NHI for deviating from the song’s original form were Charice Pempengco, Jennifer Bautista and Christian Bautista. The latter is remembered for leaving out several lines of the anthem during a boxing match of Gerry Peñalosa in Muntinlupa in 2007.

All three singers have apologized, claiming they had not intended to change some notes.

Singers like Sarah Geronimo, Lani Misalucha and Kyla, whose versions of the anthem at different Pacquiao matches had lasted for over a minute, have also been criticized by the NHI for turning the national anthem into a ballad.

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Who's Next for Pacquiao?

 Well — now what?

Where does Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO) go after cruising so easily to a unanimous decision win over welterweight contender Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KO) at Dallas Cowboys Stadium on Saturday?
The NFL team’s owner Jerry Jones has his answer — right back to the $1.2 billion stadium in Arlington, Texas, for a mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“I think, God willing, we could have a fight here that would beat the NBA All-Star game, which was over 108,000 people,” Jones said following Saturday’s fight. “I believe we can have a fight that would do that.”
Pacquiao looked every bit a fighter in need of a tougher challenge Saturday, dominating Clottey from one exchange to the next and winning every round on one judge’s scorecard. The other two judges each awarded Clottey one round.
The fight was so lacking in difficulty that it actually frustrated Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, who criticized Clottey for the defensive strategy he used from the opening bell.
“If it was my fighter, I would be disappointed in him that a world title was on the line and he didn’t try to win,” Roach said. “I would rather die trying to win than just survive. It’s hard to knock a guy out when all he’s trying to do is survive, and that’s what he did from the start.”
Clottey threw just 399 total punches in the fight, landing 108 of them. Pacquiao, on the other hand, threw 1,231 total punches and landing 246.
Although Pacquiao was favored to win the fight, there were concerns he might have trouble with Clottey’s size advantage.
That proved not to be the case, however, as Clottey’s inactivity prevented him from ever posing a serious threat.
“Sure, we pitched a shutout against a middleweight,” Roach said. “But that middleweight should have used his (expletive) power. Let’s face it, I’m frustrated he didn’t show up to fight.”
Clottey, who appeared for the post-fight press conference, had no apologies for his performance and marveled at the speed Pacquiao showed during their fight.
To the Ghanaian fighter, it was the kind of speed that would give Mayweather trouble should the two ever meet.
“I lost a fight for the first time tonight,” Clottey said. “All of the last ones I didn’t think I lost, but I lost to Manny Pacquiao."
“I’m going to be frank — I’m a very, very strong fighter and I prepared hard for this fight. But Manny is too fast. I think he would give (Mayweather) lots of problems,” he said.
Mayweather was originally supposed to fight Pacquiao this weekend, but that fight fell through in January after the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on Mayweather’s demands that Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing.
Pacquiao went on to take Saturday’s fight against Clottey while Mayweather signed a deal to face Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 1.
Both fighters took heat when the fight fell through. Some said Pacquiao should simply agree to blood tests if he had nothing to hide, while others accused Mayweather of using Pacquiao’s fear of needles to avoid facing him.
According to Roach’s theory, neither story is right.
Roach believes that Mayweather, who ended a near two-year absence from boxing last September by coming out of retirement to face Juan Manuel Marquez, needed extra time to prepare for a fight with Pacquiao.
“I don’t think he’s scared,” Roach said. “My thoughts on it are he needed more time. Getting one fight under your belt isn’t enough to get you sharp to fight a guy like Manny Pacquiao. The blood tests are all (expletive). He doesn’t care about that.”
Now that the Clottey fight is over, Roach has expressed a desire to sign a fight with Mayweather, even if the undefeated fighter loses to Mosley this spring.
If negotiations fall through again, Roach said, there are other options for Pacquiao, including a third meeting with Marquez and undefeated prospect Edwin Valero. But none of them hold much weight compared to a meeting with Mayweather.
According to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, that fight will remain doomed if Mayweather again insists on changing the drug-testing rules himself.
“Manny wants to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr., but if that fight takes place, it will be because both fighters sign the contract and all the extraneous issues are not raised,” Arum said. “The issue of drug testing is not for one fighter to raise. There are honorable people who are charged with the policy of administering items such as drug testing.”
While Roach agrees in not giving up to Mayweather’s demands, he said that the parties involved will only get so many shots to work out their differences before the public gives up on the fight and moves on.
“Every time (Pacquiao and Mayweather) fight somebody else, it will fade and people will be less interested in that fight,” Roach said. “It has to happen now.”

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Pacquiao Dominance Over Clottey

 Around noon on Saturday, Manny Pacquiao held a fan-packed mass in one of the ballrooms at the Gaylord Hotel.
   Former foe Marco Antonio Barrera attended, and held his right hand high to confer a prayer and blessing for Pacquiao, then the former made the sign of the cross.
Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey made thunderous entrances in a raucous crowd at Cowboys Stadium, estimated at over 50,000.
   The stadium was a sight to behold.
Ringside, several rows back, with Examiner.com colleague Michael Marley, the crowd cheers seemingly echoed and reverberated against the roof and walls to further amplify the noise.
   According to Bob Arum at the post-fight press conferences, it was the third largest boxing draw in history for an indoor setting.
Pacquiao cruised to a unanimous decision victory, as the Filipino idol successfully defended his WBO welterweight crown.
   Pacquiao now focuses his attention on campaigning for Congress in the upcoming May elections.  In an after-fight interview, trainer Freddie Roach expressed his interest in a showdown with undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

   The defensive-minded Clottey allowed little openings, but himself suffered a landslide loss in the judges' scorecard due to Pacquiao's sheer workrate.  CompuBox estimated that the Filipino threw more than 1,200 punches.
At the post-fight conference, I asked Joshua Clottey: "If you could fight this fight all over again, would you do anything differently?"  The classy fighter answered that he did his best tonight.  That Pacquiao was just too fast.
   As the Ghanaian fielded questions from the press, there was a heartbroken sadness in his voice.  It was as if he was thinking that he failed his country and his people against the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
"I did my best," he said.  He fought with pride and honor.
   Clottey felt that he won against Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto.  "I lost for the first time and it was against Manny Pacquiao."
   Jerry Jones expressed his hope that more fights will be showcased in his stadium.  It IS the eighth wonder of the world.
And it hosted both a Filipino legend and an honorable Ghanaian.
   'Air Pacquiao' leaves for Los Angeles on Sunday.  The Pacman sang his hearts out at the post-fight concert which ended at 3 am in the morning.

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Readers talk back about the leaders they want

(The Inquirer’s “MY VOTE, MY TURN” asked Inquirer readers to send in their thoughts on hot topics and issues that best define the 2010 election, character traits the next president should possess, political heroes the next president should emulate, and bad traits and political scandals the next administration should avoid.
The questionnaire was published in two waves—from June to July last year, and in February. In all, it elicited a total of 840 responses. The Inquirer compiled and collated the answers. Highlights of the study.)
Question 1: Key issues
The 2010 election is really about change and democracy.
It’s about “change, choice and direction,” said Tom Fresinido, who sent his response via fax. Kerwin Lu of Davao, on the other hand, said the 2010 election is about “changes that can be done and who can do it.”
Of the 840 responses, 239 (28.5 percent) cited election, democracy, voters, politics and citizens, as what the May elections are really about.
Respondents said the main issues in the next elections are: Having a new leader and changes (20.4 percent), restoration or renewal (11.1 percent), corruption, morals and trapos or traditional politicians (9.4 percent), poverty, economy and other issues (8.5 percent), President Macapagal-Arroyo (7.5 percent), governance and leadership (6.2 percent), voter’s maturity (1.5 percent), intentions, visions and party platforms (1.3 percent), nationalism and youth (1.2 percent).
Others cited fate of the country, love, honor, integrity, peace, freedom, discipline and faith (4.5 percent).
Question 2: Positive traits
“Our next president needs to be capable of knowing right from wrong and, of course, of doing the right thing,” said Nympha Cabrera of Naga, Camarines Sur.
For Domino Kay Ortega of Baliuag, Bulacan, the next president “needs to be capable of living and upholding good values despite having greater power.”
Alex Melchor Tupas of Cavite said: “May puso, may pangarap, may konsensiya (He or she must have heart, vision and conscience).”
Thirty-five percent of readers like Cabrera, Ortega and Tupas cited moral ascendancy or ethical leadership as the top trait of the next president.
The next must-have traits of the next president are: Political will, competence and leadership (27 percent), selflessness and upholding the common good (24 percent), credibility (23 percent), bringing about changes and transformation (10 percent), loving the country (4 percent).
Other respondents cited the ability to address specific concerns like poverty (4 percent), unifying the country, ensuring the country’s security and protecting the environment (5 percent).
Included in the category of responses coded as moral ascendancy and corruption-free leadership are: Moral ascendancy (good moral fiber, unsullied, unblemished, honorable, exemplary/model leadership, principled with “hiya” and delicadeza) which garnered 21 percent; God-fearing/God-loving, which totaled 7 percent; not corrupt/anticorruption, which collected 7 percent.
Included in the category of credibility are responses which cited sincerity, honesty, trustworthiness, integrity and transparency.
When these two categories are combined, a high 58 percent of the readers said the next president should be a moral, clean and credible leader.
Most of the readers, however, gave multiple answers expecting the next leader to be able to be clean and credible. Not only that, he must be able to exercise political will and be an effective leader.
A reader from Cavite said the next president needs to be “incorruptible, with vision and good governance.”
He should be capable of “demonstrating an inspiring blend of courage, integrity, hard work, selflessness and love of country,” said Rodolfo Neri Marasigan of Davao del Sur.
A total of 37 percent said he should have political will, competence and leadership. He should be an agent of change, a redemptive healer who can improve the economy. He must be able to uplift the socioeconomic cultural fabric of the nation, as well as regenerate morality and galvanize the people to action.
In short, he should be a “Jack of all traits,” according to reader Jerome B. Felipe.
Question 3: Role model
The next president should follow in the footsteps of the late President Corazon Aquino.
Aquino topped the list with 207 responses or 24.6 percent naming her as their model for president.
Aquino topped the tally before and after her death in August that plunged the whole nation into mourning.
Her husband, the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., had a total of 145 responses or 17.3 percent of respondents look up to him as a good leader.
A total of 69 respondents or 8.2 percent, however, did not name any role model for the president.
Former President Ramon Magsaysay, who was well-loved by the masses during his time, got 57 mentions or 6.7 percent, while the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, was listed by 42 respondents or 5 percent.
Yvonne Borromeo of Muntinlupa said the next president should be like Aquino, Magsaysay and “other Asian public officials who bow out of public office in the face of scandal or wrongdoing.”
Other political figures in the top responses included Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew (2.9 percent), US President Barack Obama (2.7 percent), India’s political icon Mahatma Gandhi (2.5 percent) Andres Bonifacio (2 percent) and former President Ferdinand Marcos (1.4 percent).
Presidential candidates also figured in the study: Sen. Manuel Villar (1.2 percent), Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (1.1 percent), Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III (1 percent), Sen. Richard Gordon (1 percent), former President Joseph Estrada (0.5 percent) and Bro. Eddie Villanueva (0.2 percent).
Aside from political figures, respondents also mentioned biblical figures: Jesus Christ (0.7 percent), King Solomon (0.5 percent), King David (0.2 percent), the Good Samaritan (0.1 percent), King Benjamin (0.1 percent) and Moses (0.1 percent).
Also mentioned were comic book hero, Superman (0.1 percent) and TV drama series character, Santino (0.1 percent), a boy gifted with the power of healing, among others.
Question 4: Negative traits
Corruption topped the list of things the next president should not be capable of. Some 368 respondents or 45.6 percent cited it.
“The country’s next president should not be capable of dipping one’s hands into the country’s coffers,” said Manuel Gappe from Manila.
Readers asked to finish the sentence, “The next President should not be capable of ____” gave the following answers: Graft (8.5 percent), cheating (6.5 percent), self-interest (6.1 percent) and stealing (6 percent) as responses.
Others also cited the scandal-tainted National Broadband Network deal with Chinese corporation ZTE (5.6 percent) as well as the Hello, Garci scandal (4.4 percent), two major controversies that rocked the Arroyo administration.
Common answers also included: Lying (5 percent), abuse (4.3 percent), greed (3.2 percent) and scandals in general (3.2 percent).
From Italy, too
Of the 840 responses sent in by the Inquirer readers, 37 percent were from Metro Manila, 29 percent from areas in Luzon outside Metro Manila, 12 percent from the Visayas and 14 percent from Mindanao.
Two percent of the responses came from Italy, Macau, Maldives, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and the United States. Seven percent chose not to indicate their location.
The bulk of the responses or 64 percent was sent via SMS, 25 percent e-mailed their answers and 10 percent responded by fax.
Results of the study do not reflect the views of all the Inquirer readers as they included only the views of respondents who answered the questionnaire. Multiple responses were considered for all the items.

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Cloud Seeding...is it the answer?

 Lacking “seedable” clouds, the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Air Force have stopped cloud seeding operations in the province.
Col. Joven Ronan, chief of the PAF Tactical Operations Group 2 based in Cauayan City, said the team could not find clouds suitable for seeding because of the unpredictable weather.
Ronan said the team had made 24 sorties, flying almost daily on Cessna LC-210 aircraft since February. But the operations failed to induce strong rains in agricultural areas in Cagayan Valley.
DA regional director Andrew Villacorta said the decision to stop seeding operations were made by DA and PAF officials on the recommendation of the involved personnel.
“Based on their experience, at this time the seedable clouds are rare… Our weather is really very unpredictable,” Villacorta said.
He said the DA had set aside P5 million for seeding operations in the region. SN-Aboitiz, the firm running Magat Dam in this town, contributed P1.8 million for operations in the dam area.
He could not say how much had actually spent before the operations were stopped last week.
While the cold front brought light rains in coastal areas and some towns in Cagayan Valley on Friday, the volume of rainfall failed to raise the water level of Magat Dam.
Saturnino Tenedor, the dam and reservoir division chief, said that while there were rains in the dam’s watershed area in Lagawe, Ifugao, the water level at the reservoir continued to drop.
The water at the reservoir measured 152.74 meters above sea level on Friday, way below its maximum level of 193 masl.

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Will Life Be Able in Orion Nebula's Latest Discovery?

The chemical fingerprints of potentially life-building molecules have been detected in the Orion nebula by Europe's Herschel Space Observatory.
The Orion nebula is a nearby stellar nursery, brimming with gas, dust and infant stars. It is known to be one of the most prolific chemical factories in space, although the full extent of its chemistry and the pathways for molecule formation are not well understood.
Researchers have used one of Herschel's instruments, which looks at the cosmos in the far infrared wavelengths of light, to provide more insight into how organic molecules form in space.
By sifting through the pattern of spikes in Orion nebula's light signature, or spectrum, astronomers have identified a few common molecules that are precursors to life-enabling molecules, including water, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, methanol, dimethyl ether, hydrogen cyanide, sulfur oxide and sulfur dioxide. Each spike in the spectrum corresponds to a particular molecule.
"This HIFI spectrum, and the many more to come, will provide a virtual treasure trove of information regarding the overall chemical inventory and on how organics form in a region of active star formation. It harbors the promise of a deep understanding of the chemistry of space once we have the full spectral surveys available," said Edwin Bergin of the University of Michigan and the principal investigator of the HEXOS Key Program on Herschel.
Because of Herschel's unique infrared observing abilities, this new spectrum is already an improvement on previous one's taken of the Orion nebula.
"We obtained this spectrum in a few hours and it already beats any other spectrum, at any other wavelength, ever taken of Orion," said Frank Helmich, Herschel HIFI principal investigator of SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research.
Built by the European Space Agency, Herschel launched in May 2009 on a mission to scan the universe in the far-infrared range of the spectrum. The observatory is expected to last until 2012 and has the largest single mirror ever built for a space telescope.

• Images: Spectacular Nebulas
• Video — The Herschel and Planck Missions
• New Image Penetrates Heart of Orion Nebula

• Original Story: Life-Enabling Molecules Spotted in Orion Nebula

SPACE.com offers rich and compelling content about space science, travel and exploration as well as astronomy, technology, business news and more. The site boasts a variety of popular features including our space image of the day and other space pictures,space videos, Top 10s, Trivia, podcasts and Amazing Images submitted by our users. Join our community, sign up for our free newsletters and register for our RSS Feeds today!
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Pacquiao Edges Clottey

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.
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