Thoughts on this fight? This has now been signed for March 13 to be held at a football stadium in Dallas which is to have a capacity of 50,000.

Thoughts on this fight? This has now been signed for March 13 to be held at a football stadium in Dallas which is to have a capacity of 50,000.

better than the cotto fight....

better than the cotto fight....

Better than Pacquiao-Mayweather.

Better than Pacquiao-Mayweather.

It will probably be a more crowd-pleasing fight, but May-Pac is still the fight that everyone really wants to see, no doubt.

This fight is going to be brilliant, awesome matchup plus it sounds like Arum really has some good stuff lined up like the stadium, dallas cowboys cheerleaderss as ring card girls, I can't wait.

This fight is going to be brilliant, awesome matchup plus it sounds like Arum really has some good stuff lined up like the stadium, dallas cowboys cheerleaderss as ring card girls, I can't wait.

Are you a KT alt?

It's a good fight, although obviously it kinda feels a bit like winning a silver medal; great, but not quite what we were all hoping for...

Clottey is clearly a very good boxer, but Pac has so much to his game now in terms of movement and angles that I think he has a good chance of putting on a performance similar to the one against Cotto, only losing a round or two and looking sensational.

Maybe others will disagree with me on this, but while Clottey is skillful, he's not a great counter puncher. Against Judah, for instance, he would often block effectively when a fast combination was thrown, but he didn't really counter them most of the time. He can't do that here because Pacquiao won't slow down or take breaks like Judah did, he'll just keep on punching, then move before Clottey can back him up like he did once Judah finished his attacks.

I don't see Pac as a true WW, in that I'd give him a chance against almost any FW/SFW/LW of all time, but I think he'd be too small for many of the WWs of the recent past. However the division is not as stacked now as it was a decade ago, and I can't see any of the current crop beating him, other than Floyd.

I'm more excited about this fight than the Mayweather fight.

So many of Floyd's fights fail to deliver. Floyd wouldn't take risk against Pac. It would be boring, just like the DLH, Boldamir, JMM etc fights.

I'm not particularly interested in this fight.

I see it as a cunning ploy by Bob Arum. He knows that Pacquiao sells more fights against ANY opponent than Floyd does. He'll then use resulting PPV figures as a bargaining tool to demand a greater split of the eventual Floyd/Pac fight when it happens.

Clottey is a stay busy opponent for Pacquaio. His workrate just isn't high enough to give Pac any probs. Might be the first fighter in some time that Pac is unable to KO though...

I'm not particularly interested in this fight.

I see it as a cunning ploy by Bob Arum. He knows that Pacquiao sells more fights against ANY opponent than Floyd does. He'll then use resulting PPV figures as a bargaining tool to demand a greater split of the eventual Floyd/Pac fight when it happens.
Clottey is a stay busy opponent for Pacquaio. His workrate just isn't high enough to give Pac any probs. Might be the first fighter in some time that Pac is unable to KO though...

This is all a bit iffy. The two fighters have had 3 common opponents and Floyd has outsold Manny on all of them as far as I am aware. Comfortably as well. Maybe Manny is more of a draw now, but Floyd is right up there with him IMO in terms of PPV buys.

So yeah, I don't agree with you.

I do agree, however, that Clottey's lack of workrate will be his downfall. As it was against Margarito and Cotto.

Are you a KT alt?

yes lol...........

My take on this fight is that it is all about Clottey's workrate. He just will not throw enough punches to get it done. It was the same story in both the Margarito and Cotto fights. WHen he was throwing, Clottey was clearly the superior boxer in both of those fights. Better speed, better defence and more effective aggression. The problem was that he got outworked in both of those fights.

It will be a similar story against Manny I think. He will look impressive in patches, particularly early in the fight, but in the end Pacquiao will just outwork and overwhelm him. Still, Clottey's defence is excellent and he has a really good chin, so I think he will go the distance and may take a couple of rounds. It should be a fairly entertaining fight.

My take on this fight is that it is all about Clottey's workrate. He just will not throw enough punches to get it done. It was the same story in both the Margarito and Cotto fights. WHen he was throwing, Clottey was clearly the superior boxer in both of those fights. Better speed, better defence and more effective aggression. The problem was that he got outworked in both of those fights.

It will be a similar story against Manny I think. He will look impressive in patches, particularly early in the fight, but in the end Pacquiao will just outwork and overwhelm him. Still, Clottey's defence is excellent and he has a really good chin, so I think he will go the distance and may take a couple of rounds. It should be a fairly entertaining fight.

Clottey will look ok for the first couple of rounds, but after that he will get absolutley massacred and i expect either corner retirement, rsf, or something along those lines.

Clottey will look ok for the first couple of rounds, but after that he will get absolutley massacred and i expect either corner retirement, rsf, or something along those lines.

Maybe, but Clottey's defence is very good, much better than Cotto's, and he has the power to keep Manny from rushing in constantly. I think Manny wins fairly easy, but I have a feeling Clottey will last all 12.

Maybe, but Clottey's defence is very good, much better than Cotto's, and he has the power to keep Manny from rushing in constantly. I think Manny wins fairly easy, but I have a feeling Clottey will last all 12.

I know I previously said that I wasn't particularly interested in this fight, but I'm slowly beginning to warm to it. I guess I'm still getting over the disappointment of the Mayweather fight being called off.

I guess this fight is the one that is happening now, so I may as well embrace it rather than get all grumpy.

Clottey's defensive skills consist mainly of a nice high guard. Rather than try and evade punches by slipping and weaving he tends to block them. His solid chin will be an asset in the fight as will his power advantage. I think he will last the distance.

I actually see Clottey as a good counter puncher too. I'll go out on a limb and say that he will 'rock' Manny at some point in the fight. It won't be enough to win it for him though, Manny will outwork him. Hopefully we get to see a competitive fight rather than Manny just beating him up.

The only reason I would want Pacquaio to win, is so the Floyd fight can happen at a later date with Manny still holding his aura of invincibility. Otherwise I'll be cheering the underdog...

Yeah I think that is a fair analysis Philfy. I see it happening in a similar fashion.

Interestingly there is a lot of mail right now that Floyd is trying to set up a fight against Nate Campbell. That would be horrible.

Yeah I think that is a fair analysis Philfy. I see it happening in a similar fashion.

Interestingly there is a lot of mail right now that Floyd is trying to set up a fight against Nate Campbell. That would be horrible.

But better than Matthew Hatton?

Floyd is stuck in a tight spot. There's a lot of pressure on him to fight a quality opponent. In reality there would be less than half a dozen names that would be acceptable. Obviously some present too much risk, but he still needs a recognizable name.

It wouldn't suprise me if he ended up fighting somebody like Juan Diaz...

But better than Matthew Hatton?

Floyd is stuck in a tight spot. There's a lot of pressure on him to fight a quality opponent. In reality there would be less than half a dozen names that would be acceptable. Obviously some present too much risk, but he still needs a recognizable name.

It wouldn't suprise me if he ended up fighting somebody like Juan Diaz...

Well Diaz would be even worse than Campbell.

Look, I think enough is enough. It is time Floyd fought a legitimate WW rather than asking these 140 and 135 pounders to come up for him. He is a 100% Welter now, it is time he started fighting them.

Bradley is the other guy being talked about, and whilst he is at least a top 140 pounder in his prime, thus presenting a far better challenge than Campbell, I still wouldn't be really happy with that fight.

It needs to be a Welterweight for mine. Hell, Pacquiao has just blasted out Cotto and now he has gone after Clottey. FLoyd just fought a 135 pounder and now there is talk of him fighting another one. One that is past his prime and wasn't that great to start with. I'd much rather Collazo or Cintron or Quintana or someone like that to be honest. Obviously Martinez and PWill are out of the question.

Acceptable opponents for Floyd:

@ 154. Williams, Martinez
@ 147. Mosley/Berto, Cotto
@ 140. Bradley, Khan, Malignaggi?

Williams - Although he had some limitations exposed against Martinez, Floyd will see this fight as too risky. Williams has an obvious height and reach advantage along with superior punch output.

Martinez - Another dangerous opponent who fights in the division above. He's slick, he's fast and he's too dangerous. Problems would also arise at which weight the fight would take place.

Mosely/Berto - The obvious choice. A credible opponent at the right weight (and very winnable too) with belts on the line. Problems may arise with timing, if Floyd is indeed fighting next in March.

Cotto - Another possible opponent. Coming off that bad loss though, I don't know whether Cotto will be up for it. It'd be a good indicator for PPV ratings though. Floyd will have to try and match Pacquio's dominant win though.

Bradley The top dog at 140. A riskier fight against a live opponent. Might not be enough of a household name...

Khan A Freddy Roach trained fighter which could make things interesting. A huge step up for Khan that I don't think he's ready for. Again, not really a household name in the U.S, but could draw numbers in the UK.

Malignaggi Coming off a good win over Diaz to cement his place among the better fighters at 140. A light puncher who shouldn't trouble Floyd. I don't see either fighter being the aggressor though and would result in a low-action fight.

Then there's fighters that are unaccaptable... Campbell, Diaz, M. Hatton, Callazo.

Callazo...maybe I was thinking Castillo. Either way, no good for me.

Well for starters you can throw Williams and Martinez out of the way. There is absolutely no way in hell Floyd is going to fight either of those high-risk/low-reward guys with potential superfights against Mosley or Pacquiao just around the corner. Just no way in hell.

I think he has made it pretty clear it won't be Mosley or Berto. The window just isn't there. He wants another fight before hopefully getting either Shane or Pacquiao in the second half of the year I think.

Cotto would not take the fight. There is doubts if he will ever fight again. Having copped a couple of severe beatdowns in the space of a few fights and then having to cope with the death of his father - no way Cotto is a possible opponent.

Khan and Paulie are no-gos for me. Khan because he hasn't done jack **** and they would not dream of putting him in against Floyd and Paulie because it would be the worst fight, no worst sporting event, in the history of mankind.

So yeah, its Bradley or Campbell I think. Neither are fights that I like. Personally I think legit 147 pounders like Collazo (who some had beating Berto), Cintron or Quintana are a better option.

Callazo...maybe I was thinking Castillo. Either way, no good for me.

I like Collazo. He is a good, tough, come forward guy that has always given top 147 pounders a good fight. I personally think that is the best option right now.

I like Collazo. He is a good, tough, come forward guy that has always given top 147 pounders a good fight. I personally think that is the best option right now.

I'll have to watch the Berto/Callazo fight, I haven't seen it.

Speaking of tough, come forward guys, has Margarito's suspension ended?

If Clottey keeps punching and keeps backing Manny up for the whole fight he stands a good chance of winning this. If he slacks off, let's Manny get into a rhythm he will lose a decision.

Remember, Clottey comes into the ring at 165-70, Manny comes in at 148-50, we are looking at 15lbs size advantage at least for Clottey, and as high as 20. If he can use that by being aggressive combined with his good defence he can make it a tough night for Manny.

If Clottey keeps punching and keeps backing Manny up for the whole fight he stands a good chance of winning this. If he slacks off, let's Manny get into a rhythm he will lose a decision.

Remember, Clottey comes into the ring at 165-70, Manny comes in at 148-50, we are looking at 15lbs size advantage at least for Clottey, and as high as 20. If he can use that by being aggressive combined with his good defence he can make it a tough night for Manny.

If I thought he could keep his work rate at a high level throughout I would probably pick him to win it.

The trouble is he has a track record of poor workrate, particularly as fights progress, and you really can't afford to do that against Pacquiao and expect to win.

I'll have to watch the Berto/Callazo fight, I haven't seen it.

Speaking of tough, come forward guys, has Margarito's suspension ended?

Yeah, there is talk of him fighting on the Pac-Clottey undercard. Mayweather would never fight Margs though and there are several reasons for that - he is dangerous and at this stage does not offer too much of a reward; he is a cheating cunt; and he is with Top Rank.

I'll have to watch the Berto/Callazo fight, I haven't seen it.

Speaking of tough, come forward guys, has Margarito's suspension ended?

Pretty good fight. I thought Berto edged it but Collazo fought pretty well.

If I thought he could keep his work rate at a high level throughout I would probably pick him to win it.

The trouble is he has a track record of poor workrate, particularly as fights progress, and you really can't afford to do that against Pacquiao and expect to win.

Yeah, that's it. Josh is a guy that really need to get fired up and have his ass kicked in the corner when his wr drops. Because it has cost him his big fights.

We don't all need to punch as much as pwill or margarito, but there's a point where if you just aren't throwing punches you are going to lose rounds.

When Floyd and Hopkins lower their output, they are countering what their opponent throws, and often the reason the pace drops is because Floyd or bernard have acheived that by countering every shot. But Josh just sits back and does 0 at times. He really can't do this vs Manny.

Yeah, there is talk of him fighting on the Pac-Clottey undercard. Mayweather would never fight Margs though and there are several reasons for that - he is dangerous and at this stage does not offer too much of a reward; he is a cheating cunt; and he is with Top Rank.

Margarito will come back at 154 I'm thinking. Probably against a fringe contender. Wouldn't be smart fighting a live body after a year layoff and a KO loss.

Well Diaz would be even worse than Campbell.

Look, I think enough is enough. It is time Floyd fought a legitimate WW rather than asking these 140 and 135 pounders to come up for him. He is a 100% Welter now, it is time he started fighting them.

Bradley is the other guy being talked about, and whilst he is at least a top 140 pounder in his prime, thus presenting a far better challenge than Campbell, I still wouldn't be really happy with that fight.

It needs to be a Welterweight for mine. Hell, Pacquiao has just blasted out Cotto and now he has gone after Clottey. FLoyd just fought a 135 pounder and now there is talk of him fighting another one. One that is past his prime and wasn't that great to start with. I'd much rather Collazo or Cintron or Quintana or someone like that to be honest. Obviously Martinez and PWill are out of the question.

really good post.
Floyd does seem to be dodging the all the top fighters recently.
What a fkn woos.
I think he is just so obssessed now with not losing his 0.
That's the reason behind all this ***** behaviour.

If Clottey keeps punching and keeps backing Manny up for the whole fight he stands a good chance of winning this. If he slacks off, let's Manny get into a rhythm he will lose a decision.

Remember, Clottey comes into the ring at 165-70, Manny comes in at 148-50, we are looking at 15lbs size advantage at least for Clottey, and as high as 20. If he can use that by being aggressive combined with his good defence he can make it a tough night for Manny.

hey, rnt u exagerating when u say josh comes in at 165-170??
he's a w/w ffs..
so he weighs under 147 yet puts on 20 pds in 24 hrs??

Also.clottey like everybody is saying doesn't throw punches.,
Classic example is when cotto was hurt and cut, yet clottey hung back the whole fkn time!

hey, rnt u exagerating when u say josh comes in at 165-170??
he's a w/w ffs..
so he weighs under 147 yet puts on 20 pds in 24 hrs??

Also.clottey like everybody is saying doesn't throw punches.,
Classic example is when cotto was hurt and cut, yet clottey hung back the whole fkn time!

Yeah, people overstate Clottey's size because of the on-the-night weight he had for the Corrales fight a few years ago.

When asked about it, Clottey claimed that Showtime had weighed him while fully clothed. Considering that neither Clottey or any other welterweight has ever weighed that much before, I'm inclined to believe him.

hey, rnt u exagerating when u say josh comes in at 165-170??
he's a w/w ffs..
so he weighs under 147 yet puts on 20 pds in 24 hrs??

Also.clottey like everybody is saying doesn't throw punches.,
Classic example is when cotto was hurt and cut, yet clottey hung back the whole fkn time!

Many fighters rehydrate large amounts. When you are wasting down to a weight, not eating solids the day before etc and then you eat some large meals and a lot of gatorade etc you can easily put on 10, 15 sometimes even 20lbs.

PacMan was coming in at 144 in a 130lb fight. So was Erik.

People who have met Clottey go on about how thick the guy is, he is built like a tank. I wouldn't be suprised if he walked around at over 180.

Yeah, people overstate Clottey's size because of the on-the-night weight he had for the Corrales fight a few years ago.

When asked about it, Clottey claimed that Showtime had weighed him while fully clothed. Considering that neither Clottey or any other welterweight has ever weighed that much before, I'm inclined to believe him.

Hasn't Margs come in fight night at some ridiculous weights as well? To be honest I don't think 15 pounds is too much of a stretch. It is incredible how much weight these guys can drain off.

Hasn't Margs come in fight night at some ridiculous weights as well? To be honest I don't think 15 pounds is too much of a stretch. It is incredible how much weight these guys can drain off.

Yeah, a lot of the welterweights seem to come in about 160ish.

I think the most I remember seeing (apart from the Clottey fight on Showtime) was when Cotto was at LWW and came in at something like 158. No wonder his chin was shaky at that weight, draining and then rehydrating 18lbs.

But I find it hard to believe that Clottey really was 170 against Corrales. Gaining 23lbs overnight when you've never done it before or since just sounds a bit iffy.

Yeah, a lot of the welterweights seem to come in about 160ish.

I think the most I remember seeing (apart from the Clottey fight on Showtime) was when Cotto was at LWW and came in at something like 158. No wonder his chin was shaky at that weight, draining and then rehydrating 18lbs.

But I find it hard to believe that Clottey really was 170 against Corrales. Gaining 23lbs overnight when you've never done it before or since just sounds a bit iffy.

Yeah, I agree that 170 sounds like too much, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the bigger Welters are getting up around 165, which is still pretty massive.

Yeah, I agree that 170 sounds like too much, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the bigger Welters are getting up around 165, which is still pretty massive.

Yeah, it's pretty amazing the amount of fluid these guys lose to weigh in. Even the smaller guys rehydrate close to 10 pounds come fight night. I think Vic Darchinyan put on 12 pounds overnight for the Agbeko fight.

Rumour is now Cotto will be fighting Yuri Foreman in June. Sounds like it could be an interesting match-up.

Yeah, I don't like to see it really.

I watched Andrade-Steiglitz earlier. Fighting at 168, they came into the ring at 173 and 176 respectively. If either of them were against a boxer who put on 15 or more pounds then they'd be giving away a full division in size.

It also creates a bit of a dilemma. If you try and come in as big as possible, you risk being slower than usual and maybe draining yourself. If you don't though, you risk stepping into the ring with a guy who is a division bigger than you, who will be stronger, able to take a better punch etc.

Yeah, I don't like to see it really.

I watched Andrade-Steiglitz earlier. Fighting at 168, they came into the ring at 173 and 176 respectively. If either of them were against a boxer who put on 15 or more pounds then they'd be giving away a full division in size.

It also creates a bit of a dilemma. If you try and come in as big as possible, you risk being slower than usual and maybe draining yourself. If you don't though, you risk stepping into the ring with a guy who is a division bigger than you, who will be stronger, able to take a better punch etc.

My main problem is that it is unsafe. A lot of the deaths in the sport are attributable to draining.

There is no way around it though. If you go back to same-day weigh-ins it would be even worse. Guys would be trying to drain and re-hydrate all on the same day.