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Pacquiao vs. Clottey: What happens if Joshua gives Manny a savage beating?
Pacquiao vs. Clottey: What happens if Joshua gives Manny a savage beating?
February 19th, 2010
By Dave Lahr
Not much has been said about the possibility that WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao could lose and lose big to former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey. After all, Pacquiao is little, and has been put in with a number of fading fighters in the past five years. And even recently, Pacquiao’s opponents have been fighters that were struggling at the time that he fought them. It would be fair to say that other than Pacquiao’s fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008, the last real challenge Pacquiao had was when he fought Erik Morales for the first time in 2005.
The rest of Pacquiao’s fights have come against a number of soft or recently beaten up opposition. Clottey no doubt is badly flawed as well, so there’s a good chance that Pacquiao can beat this guy. On paper, Clottey would seem to be the perfect opponent for Pacquiao to beat and look good against. He’s limited offensively, only throws punches after his opponents unloads on him first, fades early in fights, and tends to lay on the ropes for extended periods of time.
Additionally, Clottey hasn’t faced a lot of top fighters during his career without losing to them. Even Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach says that Clottey isn’t that good of a fighter. But still, Clottey is bigger than Pacquiao, and sturdier than Pacquiao victims Cotto, De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton in the chin department. Clottey also is a good fighter, at least for the first four rounds. Clottey is basically a good four round fighter. After the 4th round, Clottey quickly fades to the point where he seems to resemble a big punching bag on the ropes.
However, I think Clottey might fight above his usually mediocre performances in facing Pacquiao because of what will likely be a huge crowd in the Dallas Cowboy Stadium. We don’t know how Clottey will respond to fighting in front of that many fans, but I’m guessing it’s going to make him a lot more dangerous than he’s looked in years.
At the same time, Pacquiao and his team appear to be a little cocky with their success in the past year. I think they see the Clottey fight as an easy one. I think Pacquiao is going to go right at Clottey with his in and out attacks. But in this case, I think Clottey will be able to hurt the smaller Pacquiao by timing him and nailing him with left hooks to the head as he comes in.
Say what you want about Pacquiao’s great skills, but he’s damn predictable with his in and out attacks. He comes forward throwing his right hook all the time. Since he learned how to throw that punch, it’s almost his main weapon. Clottey just has to make sure he blocks that shot and then fire Pacquiao up with left hooks.
Pacquiao has a great left hand, but even if he lands it, Clottey will take it without any problems. But if Clottey starts hitting Pacquiao with his big shots, I can see it shaking up the small fighters and start causing him problems. Like I said, Pacquiao fought a ton of fading or recently beaten up fighters in the past five years, and for Pacquiao, Clottey, as badly flawed as he is, he still presents a big step up from the likes of Cotto, Hatton, Morales, De La Hoya, Jorge Solis, Marco Antonio Barrera, David Diaz and Hector Velazquez.
Those fighters are who Pacquiao has been dining on in the past five years, and I think Clottey is clearly better than those guys at this stage in his career. That’s not to say that those fighters weren’t at one time better than Clottey, because some of them were. But by the time that they were matched with Pacquiao, I think all of them were the equivalent of a lion without many of his teeth or claws remaining. I think Clottey if he can fight hard for at least seven rounds, he’ll beat the stuffing out of Pacquiao and put himself in position to either stop Pacquiao or earn a close decision.
February 19th, 2010
By Dave Lahr
Not much has been said about the possibility that WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao could lose and lose big to former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey. After all, Pacquiao is little, and has been put in with a number of fading fighters in the past five years. And even recently, Pacquiao’s opponents have been fighters that were struggling at the time that he fought them. It would be fair to say that other than Pacquiao’s fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008, the last real challenge Pacquiao had was when he fought Erik Morales for the first time in 2005.
The rest of Pacquiao’s fights have come against a number of soft or recently beaten up opposition. Clottey no doubt is badly flawed as well, so there’s a good chance that Pacquiao can beat this guy. On paper, Clottey would seem to be the perfect opponent for Pacquiao to beat and look good against. He’s limited offensively, only throws punches after his opponents unloads on him first, fades early in fights, and tends to lay on the ropes for extended periods of time.
Additionally, Clottey hasn’t faced a lot of top fighters during his career without losing to them. Even Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach says that Clottey isn’t that good of a fighter. But still, Clottey is bigger than Pacquiao, and sturdier than Pacquiao victims Cotto, De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton in the chin department. Clottey also is a good fighter, at least for the first four rounds. Clottey is basically a good four round fighter. After the 4th round, Clottey quickly fades to the point where he seems to resemble a big punching bag on the ropes.
However, I think Clottey might fight above his usually mediocre performances in facing Pacquiao because of what will likely be a huge crowd in the Dallas Cowboy Stadium. We don’t know how Clottey will respond to fighting in front of that many fans, but I’m guessing it’s going to make him a lot more dangerous than he’s looked in years.
At the same time, Pacquiao and his team appear to be a little cocky with their success in the past year. I think they see the Clottey fight as an easy one. I think Pacquiao is going to go right at Clottey with his in and out attacks. But in this case, I think Clottey will be able to hurt the smaller Pacquiao by timing him and nailing him with left hooks to the head as he comes in.
Say what you want about Pacquiao’s great skills, but he’s damn predictable with his in and out attacks. He comes forward throwing his right hook all the time. Since he learned how to throw that punch, it’s almost his main weapon. Clottey just has to make sure he blocks that shot and then fire Pacquiao up with left hooks.
Pacquiao has a great left hand, but even if he lands it, Clottey will take it without any problems. But if Clottey starts hitting Pacquiao with his big shots, I can see it shaking up the small fighters and start causing him problems. Like I said, Pacquiao fought a ton of fading or recently beaten up fighters in the past five years, and for Pacquiao, Clottey, as badly flawed as he is, he still presents a big step up from the likes of Cotto, Hatton, Morales, De La Hoya, Jorge Solis, Marco Antonio Barrera, David Diaz and Hector Velazquez.
Those fighters are who Pacquiao has been dining on in the past five years, and I think Clottey is clearly better than those guys at this stage in his career. That’s not to say that those fighters weren’t at one time better than Clottey, because some of them were. But by the time that they were matched with Pacquiao, I think all of them were the equivalent of a lion without many of his teeth or claws remaining. I think Clottey if he can fight hard for at least seven rounds, he’ll beat the stuffing out of Pacquiao and put himself in position to either stop Pacquiao or earn a close decision.
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