Pacquiao vs Clottey
Joshua Clottey believes he has the tools to end the winning streak of Manny Pacquiao in Dallas on March 13.
The tough Ghanaian lost a controversial decision to Miguel Angel Cotto in his last fight in June, with Pacquiao handing out a 12-round beating to the same opponent later in the year.
Clottey is something of an afterthought for Pacquiao after the much-hyped match with Floyd Mayweather fell through, but the 32-year-old says he is ready to cause a shock.
"I wasn't really thinking about this fight at all," he told boxingtalk.com. "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 v Mayweather and it looks like he didn't want to do it, and it's good for me. I feel like it was a blessing from God."
While Clottey, whose record stands at 35-3 with 20 kos, will have a natural size advantage over Pacquiao, he insists it is not his superior strength that will be the key, but his defence.
"When he beats guys, like in the Cotto fight, he beats guys that don't have a good defence. I have a defence," he said. "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."
He also said that while naturally lighter boxers like Pacquiao can throw a higher volume of punches, his more accurate blows will eventually tell.
"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."
While Clottey respects Pacquiao's star quality he knows that beating him would be a life-changing experience.
"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," he added. "It will be very important to the people in my country and that is very important in life.
"When I walk into the ring I will know what I need to do to win the fight."
Source: sportinglife.com
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