Fit Pacman: Pacquiao passes pre-fight exams

Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao underwent the required pre-fight physical examinations over the weekend and was declared fit to duke it out with Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Texas.

Pacquiao trooped to the San Pedro Medical Center in San Pedro, California to have his reflexes and vital signs checked and according to sportscaster Chino Trinidad, easily passed the battery of tests that included a check on his blood pressure, eye-hand coordination and balance, as well as an eye exam.

The 31-year-old pride of the Philippines also went through blood tests over two weeks before his WBO welterweight title defense against the tough Clottey.

Pacquiao, according to Trinidad, was visibly shaken having his blood taken for tests against performance-enhancing substances.

“Mahirap kapag ikaw ay kinunan ng dugo, lalo na sa aming mga atleta. Ang kailangan namin ay lakas so pag kinunan ng dugo, manghihina ka. Makaka-recover ka lang mga three or four days pa (after)," the Pacman told Trinidad in his TV interview.

The blood testing issue was interestingly the main reason for the fallout of negotiations for his botched megafight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Pacquiao had frowned upon Mayweather’s demands for random blood testing and instead pitched a procedure no more than 24 days before fight night.

For the Clottey fight, Pacquiao believed he has more than enough time to “recover" his strength.

“OK naman yan (blood tests) 24 days before the fight. Makaka-recover pa tayo," he said.

Pacquiao and his team are extremely confident against Clottey, whom trainer Freddie Roach said will fall for the first time in his career.

“Well, the more I watch Clottey, the more mistakes I find in him and I’m very confident Manny is going to knock him out and be the first person to knock him out," Roach said in an interview with the show “On the Ropes" posted on The Mushroom Magazine.

"I know he (Clottey) has a good chin. He’s a tough guy and he’s a nice guy, but just studying the tapes of him, he won’t last 12 rounds with Manny Pacquiao in my opinion," he added.

Pacquiao, whom Roach said is doing great in training, will continue to hold camp at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles until March 8, the day they head to Dallas for fight week.

The Pacman, according to Fight News, is scheduled to hold an open workout on March 10 at the basement of the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine, Texas and join Clottey for a press conference at the Dallas Stadium on the same day. - GMANews.TV

Source: GMAnews.tv

WILL THE SUCCESS OF PHILIPPINE BOXING CONTINUE AFTER PACQUIAO?

February 21st, 2010 | by Oliver Suarez

The Philippines always had a fondness for boxing, the reason that it has always been a hotbed for talented young boxers. The emergence of Manny Pacquiao as a major star in boxing has only added more talent to its boxing stable by influencing many of the country’s younger generation to participate in the sport.

It can be argued that Philippines is as great a boxing nation as Mexico and Puerto Rico. Mexico and Puerto Rico are only more recognized because before Pacquiao, Filipinos were not given the same opportunities to display their skills at the world stage.
But now the country is slowly gaining respect as more opportunities become available to Filipino boxers because of Pacquiao’s popularity and the magnitude of the Filipino market.

The Philippines now currently has four major title holders with Filipino descent: Nonito Donaire, Donnie Nietes, Manny Pacquiao, and Rodel Mayol.

Still, it’s still questionable if the success of Philippine boxing can be sustained after Pacquiao. Would promoters and others continue to invest on Filipino boxers after Pacquiao?

It depends if the most influential figures in Philippine boxing has already set a stable foundation to ensure its continued success after the current pound for pound king retires. Did they properly take advantage of all the opportunities provided by Pacquiao’s success?

They certainly had enough time to develop a stable foundation since Pacquiao has been a star of the sport for quite sometime

The truth is they have not because their priorities may not have been in the right place and thus affected the potential success of many Filipino fighters.

The problem is most of the Filipino boxers are not being provided the best chance to win. Success is great but it can lead to greed and questionable decision making.

Ciso Morales is a great example of a fighter of this questionable decision making. Now some are questioning his heart and courage because of his devastating loss to Montiel. But the question that should be put out is if he was given the best chance to win. Morales is a young kid who has not fought any notable opponent, yet was pitted against a world class fighter in Fernando Montiel. Not only that, he had to go down in weight to face him.

If they are not given the best chance to win, then they are destined to only attain mediocre type of success. Those who are responsible for these boxers’ careers must evaluate their priorities. Do they care more about immediate success and make money in the short term or do they care about the long term success of their boxers?

A great example of how to properly prepare a fighter is Andre Ward. For the longest time, his handlers and he were criticized for not facing elite fighters or fighting for a title. It was because his handlers wanted him to be both physically and mentally prepared before he stepped up in competition. Now, he just beat a world class opponent in Kessler and is now considered one of the best young fighters in the game.

Developing young fighters who can contend is a major factor in ensuring the success of Philippine boxing. This doesn’t only include that they are physically and mentally ready, but ensuring that they are provided the right strategies for their fights and choosing the right opponents that can help them prepare for future fights against elite opponents. Constantly pitting them against journeyman fighters to hype up their record only does more harm than good in the long term.

Filipinos are just like any other sports fans, they want winners and if they are constantly provided mediocre products then sooner or later they will stop supporting it.

If that happens, then Philippine boxing might again be on the outside looking in after Pacquiao. Filipino fighters once again will find it difficult to get those opportunities to fight for world titles against notable opponents.

Another factor that must be answered is if many of the Filipino fans who support Pacquiao are truly boxing fans or just fans of the Filipino icon.

It is a question that is still need to be answered. How many Filipinos who are ‘supposedly’ boxing fans know about other boxers such as Eden Sonsona, Marvin Sonsona, Aj Banal etc? The fact is a great number of Filipinos I’ve come across with are not familiar with any of the names mentioned above and only know Pacquiao.

Will they continue to support and have the same passion for the sport even after Pacquiao in order to entice promoters to keep investing on Filipino fighters?

Nonito Donaire Jr. is a great champion who just keeps on winning and it’s a wonder why he has not gotten the support of more Filipino fans. People are quick to judge him for failing to fight notable opponents. Some of that may be due to some fighters’ hesitancy to fight a fighter of Donaire’s caliber, but it’s also because the financial incentives might not be enough for them to face ‘The Filipino Flash.’

Filipinos need to support Donaire to convince promoters that the Filipino market in boxing is not dependent on Pacquiao. In fact, it might be necessary and not an option because if other Filipino fighters are only achieving mediocre success, then the responsibility of keeping the fire burning for Philippine boxing will all fall on Donaire’s shoulders.

So will Philippine boxing continue its current success after Pacquiao retires? Only time will tell.

What do you think?

Source: boxing.fighthype.com

Joshua Clottey: 'If I Beat Manny Pacquiao, It's Not An Upset'

/21/2010 6:00 PM ET By Lem Satterfield

A native of Ghana who is preparing for a March 13 challenge for the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) crown held by seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 knockouts) of the Bronx, N.Y., spoke to FanHouse recently from his sleeping quarters near his training facility at Fort Lauderdale's Contender Gym in Florida.

This is the first of four diaries for Clottey that will appear regularly on FanHouse as the 32-year-old Clottey enters the most lucrative and biggest fight of his career.

It's 8 p.m. on Thursday evening, Feb. 18. Joshua Clottey is sleeping. Or he was sleeping. Clottey was rustled into consciousness by the third of four calls from media specialist Ed Keenan, insisting that he had to do a telephone interview.

Speaking through a hoarse voice that struggles against his desire to return to slumber, Clottey says, "Okay, I have to do this, so let's go." Clottey knows by now what's coming, and he's growing more and more tired of hearing the same questions.

Questions such as those about Godwin Nii Dzanie Kotey, who was to work Clottey's corner for the first time were it not for visa problems that prevented him from coming to America. In place of Kotey is Lenny DeJesus, under whom Clottey's strategy has been worked out over the past three weeks at the Florida-based gym owned by former two-time world champion, John David Jackson.

"I went to Ghana to try get a visa for my trainer, and it didn't work out for Godwin Kotey. I think that was three weeks ago, and I've moved on. I'm training with Lenny DeJesus, we're training hard, and we're very happy," said Clottey.

"I can't tell you my strategy. I can't and will not tell you what I'm going to do to Manny Pacquiao," said Clottey. "But I'm coming to fight -- I will tell you that. This, I do know: Manny Pacquiao is not that different from anyone else that I've fought."

Pacquiao is, however, a southpaw who has gotten more-and-more powerful as his weight has risen, having gone 11-0, with eight knockouts since his last loss by unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March 2005 as a super featherweight (130 pounds).

Pacquiao has stopped his past four opponents, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and, Miguel Cotto, respectively, while weighing 134, 142, 138, and, 144 pounds.

The most notable southpaw Clottey has fought was Zab Judah, against whom Clottey won a dominant, technical decision.That bout, in August 2008, earned the IBF title for Clottey.

Cotto was coming off of June's split-decision victory over Clottey when Pacquiao dethroned him in the 12th round.

"Manny Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He's just a really good fighter who is out there now who is No. 1 now," said Clottey. "I don't know how he's coming to fight me, but I can tell you that I'm a different fighter altogether than anyone else that he's faced. I'm a really difficult fighter, you see."

Clottey enjoys the fact that, unlike Cotto and De La Hoya, he will be allowed to fight at the 147-pound weight limit rather than being contracted by Pacquiao to fight at catch weights of 145 pounds like Cotto and De La Hoya.

"It is good for me to be at 147. I'm a very big welterweight, so it's not really easy to make 147. I'm going to be big," said Clottey, beginning to warm up. "But I'm going in there and taking it like, 'I'm just going to go in there and do my thing and make people happy.'"

Clottey said that he did not do that with Cotto, against whom he failed to cut off the ring and to take advantage of a fighter who, at times, appeared to be dazed by the challenger's punching power.

"Cotto is a very tough fighter. He had been beating guys and knocking guys out before I fought him. There are people who think that I got robbed. That's because I'm a big welterweight who doesn't necessarily throw a lot of punches, but I throw good punches that are going to connect," said Clottey.

"I felt like I threw more punches that connected well than Cotto did. You don't have to throw a thousand punches that miss a lot. I don't miss punches. I throw punches that land," said Clottey. "I don't throw punches that get blocked. I don't respect that. I want to connect good. After the fight, Cotto's face showed who won and who lost. That's the way I'm coming to fight Manny Pacquiao."

But will those punches be appreciated against a Manny Pacquiao, whose activity level alone could earn a momentum and favor with the crowd and the judges -- perceived or otherwise?

"Pacquiao is coming from a smaller weight to welterweight, and he's going to have an advantage in speed already because he's a smaller guy. I can't throw a lot of punches like Pacquiao will do. But I will connect enough to make him slow down and wear down, and bring his speed down," said Clottey.

"I will also rely on my pressure. But I don't know what Pacquiao is coming to do, so I have to use my head. I don't know if he's planning to move around. But I'm not going to make him chase me. I will be right there," said Clottey. "I want to make this fight so exciting that the fans will have something to talk about. I don't run. I'll keep coming. I'll be there."

Clottey's three losses were to former world champions Carlos Baldomir, Antonio Margarito and Cotto. Clottey led against Baldomir when he was disqualified for head-butting, and was also in front against Margarito before having to fight the final eight rounds with injuries to both hands.

"I've never left the ring feeling like I lost. I feel like I'm undefeated. If I win this fight against Manny Pacquiao, I will never feel like I beat the best fighter in the world," said Clottey.

"I will feel like I had a fight with Manny Pacquiao, the best fighter out there, and I won," said Clottey. "So even if I beat Pacquaio, and people talk about it like it's a big upset, I'll say, 'It's not an upset, but a win.'"

Clottey has heard what Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, has said that the Filipino superstar has planned for him -- and that's a knockout, as in Pacquiao will be the first man to stop Clottey.

"That's okay by me. Because anything Freddie Roach has said, Pacquiao has done. I have respect for him for that. And if I get into the ring, and, the big guy that I am, Pacquiao beats me so bad that he knocks me out, then that says something about Pacquiao," said Clottey.

"But trust me: My training is going very well for this one. I work out in the morning, running from here to the beach. I run on the beach. I go to the gym. I spar," said Clottey, adding that one of his sparring partners has power, and another moves around and boxes.

"Today, I sparred 10 rounds with four-minute rounds and a 30-second rest in between. I'm not really even tired after I'm finished," said Clottey. "I'm in shape. I want to prove to the whole world that this a fight that I can win, and that they should be careful not to write me off."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

De La Hoya must refuse dirty Pacquiao's blood money

Boxing Examiner | Michael Marley

Is Oscar de la Hoya just bugging out or is he heading for the Matterhorn?

De la Hoya must have a new hobby, something to fill the empty hours he used to spend training as a boxer.

Oskie is in the “echo” portion of his starry ring career as in “yesterday's cheers have a short echo.”

Evidently, he misses the spotlight.

Lately, while carrying Floyd Mayweather's water (he has to as the head of Mayweather Promotions is also the Golden Boy of Golden Boy Promotions), de la Hoya has been talking like a mountain climber.

As in trying to elevate himself to the high moral ground, to the rarefied air of being beyond compare.

Exhibit A: "The public will hopefully make him (Pacquiao) change his mind," De La Hoya said. "Why would you not want to earn $40 million? Why would you not want to show the public that all this speculation is nonsense? Be the one to stand up and say it."

Exhibit B: "I know where Mayweather is coming from with this," De La Hoya said. "This was a perfect stage to show the world that, hey, us fighters have nothing to hide. ... It's not like hitting a baseball or running a sprint. These are our lives at risk up in the ring."

Exhibit C: "I believe Mosley will raise his hand and say, 'Take me to the laboratory,' " said De La Hoya, who believes Mosley's protestations of ignorance in his dealings with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative. "And I'll be the first to applaud him."

Mr. Clean: Oscar de la Hoya should not accept possibly dirty money from Pacquiao's fight against Clottey (AP Photo)

But Moral Guardian Oscar doesn't stop there, he has to kick guilty as sin Antonio Margarito in the hindquarters also.

"I'm actually disgusted by the fact they're going over California and weaseling their way into Texas to get a license," De La Hoya said. "Whatever type of cheating you're doing, it's wrong. You should be banned for life."

I applaud this sudden higher calling for Oscar.

And now I pose this question, since he has thrown dirt all over Manny Pacquiao, why would he and his company willingly accept their “blood money without blood testing” receipts from the arch 13 Pacman-Joshua Clottey bout?

Obviously, Oscar thinks or suspects Manny as an illegal drug cheater.

As a man of moral suasion, then how come he stick his hand in Pacquiao's filthy pockets and take his 20 percent which Top Rank will fork over him due to the dumb as a donkey legal settlement thatmuleish Bob Arum admittedly botched in agreeing to?

You're on the higher ground, Oscar. You just can't blithely take Manny money and walk away.

I know you won't refuse the money but about donating 100 percent of your income stream from the fight in Dallas, a promotion in which you only lift a finger to sign your check from Uncle Bob, to a good cause?

I'm sure this “blood money without blood testing money could go a long way to help the people in Haiti.

What about downed but rising Filipino ring warrior Z Gorres? He and his family could surely use a financial injection.

Or, alternatively, you can donate it to the Nevada State Ahtletic Commission coffers in a time when state governments are reeling?

You can specify the funds must go to improving the NSAC drug testing regimen and provide money to do so that the commission does not have.

From your perch on high, you can then style and profile.

That, and only that, will make you the lead dog in curbing drug abuse in boxing.

The gauntlet has been laid down, Oscar, will you pick it up?

I'm not holding my rarefied breath but, hey, surprise us.

Break fresh ground or else just renew your Haper Valley Hyprocites membership card.

Over to you, Oscar.

If you're really Mr. Clean, go into action.

Source: Examiner.com

Clottey right on track

By NICK GIONGCO
February 21, 2010, 5:10pm

Everything about Joshua Clottey’s ambitious quest to knock the pound-for-pound crown off Manny Pacquiao’s head on March 13 in Dallas is right on track.

Despite the absence of his long-time trainer Godwin Dzanie Kotey in training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the last three weeks owing to visa woes, Clottey is doing great in sparring, weight training and conditioning, boxingscene reported a few days ago.

“Everything is good. Everything is fine,” said the Ghanaian slugger. “We are working hard and just getting ready for March 13th.”

“Oh yeah. That won’t be a problem. I train hard and always come in on weight. That is something I really haven’t ever had a problem with,” said Clottey when asked about his weight.

Pacquiao and Clottey are mandated to weigh 147 lbs or less since the Filipino’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title will be on the line before an expected mammoth crowd at Cowboys Stadium.

Vinny Scolpino, who manages Clottey, said the men tapped to help his fighter toughen up for Pacquiao have been doing just that.

“Joshua’s doing good. No problem,” said Scolpino.

Even Clottey’s sparring sessions have been played out as planned.

“Sparring is going just fine,” said Clottey, noting that his sparmates are both unbeaten and are a perfect mix of speed and power.

Source: mb.com.ph

End of the road for Pacquiao's boxing career?

Mississippi Fight Sports Examiner | Brad Cooney

This is what some people are reporting. Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to fight big Joshua Clottey on March 13th, in Dallas, Texas. After that is just a guess. It's still hard to imagine that both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr would opt out of 30 to 40 million bucks to fight one another. Time will tell if that fight ever gets done.

So will the Clottey fight be Pacquiao's last? Don't bet on it. This writer recently posed that question directly to Manny last month. Pacquiao while training at Wild Card Gym, in Hollywood, took a few minutes to respond to the retirement question, "It's hard to say right now. Maybe three of four more fights." According to that response his retirement is not tomorrow, yet not too far down the road either.

It's not crazy to think that Manny may continue on with his boxing career even if he is elected to congress. Pacquiao spoke about the possibility of fighting if he wins the congressional seat, "Maybe I will keep fighting."

Pacquiao fans in Mississippi do not want him to retire. The fans that I spoke with all hope to see him fight at least 5 more years. I took another little tour around Jackson, MS and stopped at a few of the city's best sports bars. Pacquiao's fans spoke about his eventual retirement and the overwhelming consensus was clear, they don't want him to. Jansen Groves, a big Pacquiao fan spoke about it, " I don't even like thinking about the day when Manny goes. He has done so much for the sport, and more importantly for his country. There will be a big void in boxing once Manny retires."

It appears as if Manny's plan is to fight 3 to 4 more fights. Perhaps after Clottey he looks at Mayweather Jr again. If Shane Mosley defeats Floyd, perhaps Manny gives him the payday of a lifetime. Another fan friendly fight would be Manny Pacquiao vs Edwin Valero. There are still a few very interesting matches that can be made for Manny Pacquiao. Will he retire after Clottey? I wouldn't bet on that.

Source: Examiner.com

ARIZA: WE CAN’T ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 21 Feb 2010

“Fighter of the Decade” and the world’s pound-for-pound hero Manny Pacquiao is doing so well in training for “The Event” against Ghana’s tough Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13, that conditioning expert Alex Ariza says “we can’t ask for anything more.”

Ariza told us that Pacquiao sparred nine rounds on Saturday with Steve Forbes who once fought Oscar De La Hoya and went the distance with him and also Raymund Beltran, a regular sparmate of “The Pacman.”

Ariza said Pacquiao showed “amazing speed and power and is ready to go anytime.”

He said it was obvious that Pacquiao was relaxed and happy and looking forward to the clash with Clottey.

After Pacquiao’s workout at the Wild Card Gym of trainer Freddie Roach, Ariza told us Pacquiao was “feeling good and Freddie was obviously happy and had a smile on his face and when they are happy, I am happy.”

Ariza believes there is no welterweight in the world today who could take on Pacquiao and beat him and that includes Floyd Mayweather Jr and Shane Mosley who are scheduled to face-off against each other in May.

Source: PhilBoxing.com