Lenny De Jesus, Pacquiao’s former cutman is now the trainer for Joshua Clottey, who is scheduled to face the Filipino icon this Saturday.
Having been a part of Pacquiao’s team before, he’s made it known that he knows Pacquiao’s weakness and will be able to exploit them. He also said that he trains his fighters to be prepared for 15 rounds and that Clottey will become more aggressive in his fight against Pacquiao and will go for the stoppage if given the chance. Read more about what he had to say below.
OS: What do you think about this fight with Manny. What does it mean to Joshua Clottey?
LD: This is a great opportunity for the African kid Joshua Clottey because you know as I say, you go around the world once and this for us, you going around the world with Manny Pacquiao. It’s a good opportunity to elevate him to another level. This is the time for us to shine, I think. I think we’re going all the way in this fight. I’m very confident, but not too overconfident because we’re fighting an icon and me standing here…Pacquiao is my favorite fighter of all time. You know he has accomplished something that nobody that nobody has. He has 7 world titles; the thing I love about Manny Pacquiao is that hes very passion and lovable all over the world and he’s the number one, not on the planet but the whole world, the whole planet, the whole galaxy because boxing if Manny Pacquiao decides to leave tomorrow, boxing will go down, die. There won’t be another Manny Pacquiao., it’s like my hero Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, you know he’s the heavyweight fighter of this era.
OS: Do you think people are under estimating Clottey?
LD: Yes and no because this is a chance game. You know one good shot can decide a fight, turn a fight. You know boxing is like that…You can’t say which Manny Pacquiao is gonna come to the table or Joshua so it’s an unpredictable business. It’s the first time he’s gonna fight a solid 147 pounder.
OS: And he’s a big 147 pound fighter
LD: He’s a big, solid 147 fighter coming up to 155-60 pounds. He’s 5’9” and he takes a good shot, you know it’s going to be a good test for both of them.
OS: What weight is he gonna come in during fight time?
LD: About 155
OS: What do you think, you knowing Pacquiao, you use to work for him as a cutman. What advantages, do you think that has in preparing Clottey?
LD: You’ll see a different Joshua Clottey. You know I’m a 15 round trainer and I work with many fighters 15 rounds, 14 rounds, 12 rounds and the experience I have and knowledge of being a good judge of character and fighters, I give myself a chance that we can pull it.
OS: You mentioned before that Manny is the same fighter as today
LD: Not in the sense of the word. Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach clicked and you know, you have the four time winner of Trainer of the year in Freddie Roach. I think he’s a great individual, very respectable person, very well rounded person. What I meant was sometimes when you get hit right, when you get hit hard, you go back to your old style. I’ve seen that before. It all depends on how Joshua reacts or how Pacquiao reacts when they get hit both.
OS: As far as for the criticisms of Clottey that he becomes to defensive. Have you guys been working on that on becoming more aggressive.
LD: That’s why I jumped aboard. I’m more of a pusher in the sense that he listens to me and if I see openings, we’ll create openings and we’re gonna throw more punches. Were gonna see a different Joshua Clottey, but not so much different that I think like you said it’s the fight of his life. He’s to show up.
OS: What do you think happens if he wins this fight? Where does it put him in the division?
LD: This will propel Joshua to the next level. He’ll become a star, but not a star like Manny Pacquiao
OS: As far as, you know Clottey had the problems with the trainers. How did the training camp go considering the situation.
LD: Well sometimes fighters, you have to get the best out of them. That comes with respect with each other. When you have respect each other I think you can get a lot out of the fighter. I think we are working on that. That’s one of my keys in getting the best out of Clottey.
OS: Are you surprise by the turn out of the fans considering you guys are fighting in a big stadium and it’s scheduled to be sold out.
LD: We’ll that, we don’t fight the fans, we fight in the ring, we’re gonna fight Manny Pacquiao. He has been in good crowds. He had 16 thousand when he fought Cotto, so you know, there’s no different if there’s 16 thousand or 45 thousand.
OS: As far as predictions in the fight. What do you think will happen?
LD: It will go the distance, but I will not go for the distance because if it’s a good fight not that I’m taking away from Manny Pacquiao favoritism or anything like that, you have go in the business aspect. Manny Pacquiao is the ticket seller, the big man in the boxing business, I don’t think I’m gonna pull for 12 rounds. I’m gonna try to pull for a stoppage or a knock out.
