Pacquiao strategy: Go for Clottey’s body

by Dennis Gasgonia, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 02/17/2010 12:12 AM

MANILA, Philippines – Since Joshua Clottey has a remarkable chin, Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is more likely to attack the Ghanaian’s body.

According to his coach Freddie Roach, Pacquiao will test Clottey’s body like no other fighter has done before.

“He's (Clottey) got a good chin and so forth but nobody has tested his body as much as we will,” Roach said in an interview with FightFan.com. “People with good chins don't always take it into the body.”

Although Clottey was knocked down by Miguel Cotto in 2009, the durable Ghanaian has never been knocked out in a fight before.

However, Roach said that this might change when the power-punching Pacquiao assaults Clottey in the body.

“He's punching really [expletive] hard,” the trainer said of Pacquiao. I mean I wear that body suit, it doesn't help that much. He kills me. He's punching really, really well.”

Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Clottey on March 13 in the match called “The Event”. The bout is slated to take place at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

Secret to good conditioning
Pacquiao, earlier, said that his training is going really well because of his conditioning.

“Maganda kasi na nakuha ko agad ang kundisyon ko kasi hindi ako masyadong matagal nagpahinga,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN Sports commentators Ronnie Nathanielsz and Dyan Castillejo during the live telecast of Pinoy Power 3/Latin Fury 13 on Sunday.

“Last fight ko November so January, nakapag-training agad ako. Nandoon agad ang kundisyon ko,” he added.

In addition to that, Roach said Pacquiao regularly played basketball during his downtime after the Cotto fight.

“He plays basketball everyday… it's like his favorite sport. He runs and runs the court and he came in to the New York press conference [for the Clottey fight] at 148 pounds,” said Roach.

Now he wants to fly, too

The 7-time world champ, meanwhile, met Jessica Cox, the Filipino-American who gained the distinction as the only plane pilot without arms. The pilot has invited the boxing star to be her passenger.

Pacquiao was thrilled to have Cox as his pilot. “I'm excited for that,” he said.

The boxing star also said he plans to learn how to fly a plane with Cox’s help.

"Maybe after the fight, because now I'm busy with my training but after the fight, she can teach me how to," he said.

The Filipino American pilot, for her part, was also excited to meet Pacquiao, too.

"I've heard so much about him and I wanted to ask him if he has moves that he might suggest because of my taekwondo and he does boxing and I thought it would really be neat to get to meet him," she said. With a report from Yong Chavez, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau

Source: ABS-CBNnews.com