Clottey’s mistakes will cost him dearly – Roach

Pacquiao vs Clottey
By NICK GIONGCO

DALLAS, Texas - Freddie Roach said the mistakes Joshua Clottey made against Miguel Cotto would cost the Ghanaian fighter dearly.

“He can’t afford to do that against Manny (Pacquiao this Saturday),” said Roach, referring to a few instances in their June 2009 brawl that saw Clottey allow himself to get pounded on the ropes.

“If he does that, he’ll get knocked out,” said Roach, stressing that not only does Pacquiao hit harder but is much faster than the Puerto Rican, who struggled against Clottey in carving out a 12-round split decision.

Roach once thought that it would likely take all of 12 rounds for Pacquiao to stave off Clottey’s challenge before cutting it down to about nine rounds after weeks of viewing the African on tape.

Then just before Team Pacquiao left Los Angeles, Roach told Filipino scribes that the pound-for-pound king would likely struggle in the first four rounds before taking full control en route to a stoppage in rounds six or seven.

Roach had also noted that Clottey moves in “straight lines” and that would make it easier for Pacquiao to place his punches, blows that he believes has enough power to shatter Clottey’s anvil jaw.

Roach has been in Pacquiao’s corner the last nine years and called the shots in each of his fighter’s previous 17 fights on American soil.

Source: mb.com.ph