Dallas, Texas: World Boxing Council (WBC) President Jose Sulaiman has expressed confidence that Filipino pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will demolish Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the Dallas Cowboy’s Stadium here.
Whether it’s knockout or via decision, Sulaiman told www.philboxing.com that Pacquiao will win without doubt.
“Pacquiao… Pacquiao will win,” Sulaiman said to boxing reporter Dennis Guillermo during an interview at the Gaylord Texan Hotel.
As “The Event” nears, Freddie Roach is banking on a game plan that calls for “relentless attack” as the basis for his bold prediction that his prized fighter Pacquiao will stop challenger Clottey in the middle rounds.
Roach figures that with the Pinoy fighter’s excellent footwork and vaunted hand speed, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 by knockouts) would overwhelm Clottey (35-3, 20 by knockouts), a dangerous former welterweight champion who has never been stopped in his career.
“We will attack him like he’s never been attacked before,” Roach said of Clottey, 32, a rugged natural welterweight with a propensity to transform fights into roughhouse brawls.
Roach said Pacquiao is in peak condition following eight weeks of rigorous training at Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California.
The 31-year-old Pacquiao displayed flashes of his blazing hand speed and quickness of feet during a public workout Tuesday afternoon at the Gaylord Texan hotel before some 1,000 fans and media men.
Although the mild-mannered Pacquiao is the type of boxer who does not predict the outcome of his fights, a member of Team Pacquiao said the Filipino star promised Roach he would go for a knockout as his birthday gift to the renowned trainer who celebrated his 50th birthday on Friday.
Roach had earlier predicted a late-round stoppage by Pacquiao, but he later amended that forecast to a knockout in the sixth or seventh round because of what he called “perfect preparations” and Pacquiao excellent conditioning.
With an 8 to 1 wager on the Filipino icon, Clottey said he does not mind being a heavy underdog against Pacquiao, the only fighter to win seven world titles in as many weight categories.
But the Ghanaian challenger is offended by Roach’s knockout predictions and he would be pleased to prove the American trainer wrong.
I am a welterweight “I’m not a flyweight, or a bantamweight. I am a welterweight and welterweights only throw punches that connect. I can throw shots which connect and land and cause damage,” Clottey told newsmen.
“Manny Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He’s just a really good fighter out there who is No. 1 now.”
Roach said there is nothing Clottey can do in the ring that scares him.
But he warned Pacquiao to be wary of Clottey’s headbutts, joking that next to the uppercut Clottey’s most potent weapon is the headbutt.
Even Malaca?ang Palace is advising Pacquiao, through Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar, to watch out for the “dirty tactics” of Clottey in the March 13 bout.
“We fully expect Manny will win the match, as long as he won’t be hurt by Clottey’s dirty tricks,” Olivar said.
According to Don Stradley, in an article in The Ring Magazine (April 2010), “The most dangerous weapon in Clottey’s arsenal and what Pacquiao will have to be most aware of is undoubtedly Clottey’s head.”
“The sheer contour of it is menacing, the forehead bulging slightly as if nature designed Clottey with the specific intention of giving other fighters headaches and bad cuts.” With report from Josef T. Ramos
