by Defyance Carlos Cinco
Is there anything or anyone that can stop Manny Pacquiao these days? It seems like he’s on a winning streak for the ages now with the man who shares arguably the number 1 spot in Boxing’s mythical pound for pound list being afraid to step in the ring with him. Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s baseless PED’s accusations and extraordinary stipulations caused the March 13th superfight to fall through. Bob Arum has defended his prized ward very well, and has now turned the tables on Oscar Dela Hoya, calling for the once Golden Boy to “sign the PED waiver”.
“The Pacman” has no time to deal with such cowardice. That is why Manny Pacquiao has moved on and is scheduled to fight against a battle tank in Joshua Clottey in Dallas this March, in a fight dubbed “The Event” because of the sheer magnitude and scale of the entire production, and Floyd Mayweather is still struggling to sign the dotted line on a rumored bout with Sugar Shane Mosley.
For Pacquiao, the fight with the tough Ghanaian will be an even tougher test than his bout with Miguel Cotto. Clottey, who hunches and plods forward in attack mode, will be the largest and strongest fighter Pacquiao will have ever fought. The man has a chin made of granite. Clottey has taken the heaviest punches from the top Welterweights including Cotto and the once feared Antonio Margarito. And there is every indication that he will be able to withstand the power of Pacquiao. Pacquiao will once again have to rely on his speed and boxing ability to break down the warrior Clottey in hopes of a late round KO/stoppage, which is the only way to win against Clottey to send a message to the Mayweather camp.
Clottey on the other hand, will attempt to do what David Diaz, Oscar Dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto failed to do in their respective bouts with Pacquiao. He will have to overpower Pacquiao and run him over like a ‘battle tank’, imposing his superior size and strength to wear down the Welterweight kingpin. A win for Joshua Clottey could set him up for bigger paydays against his division’s elite, including rematches with both Cotto and Margarito, whom he both lost decisions to. Not to mention the fame and noteriety of being one of the only few people to ever beat Pacquiao.
One man who has, Erik “El Terible” Morales, makes his comeback against Jose Alfaro in Mexico also this March. Morales, who Pacquiao sent to retirement via 3rd round TKO back in 2006, will be competing in the Lightweight division and working his way back up. At 33 years old, Morales attempts to once again discover the fountain of youth that has eluded him for so long, thus losing his last 4 fights. However, one has to wonder if Morales does indeed recapture the form that made him one of the sports most dangerous fighters, he could enter the mix and challenge both Mexican countryman Juan Manuel Marquez, and Pacquiao at the 147 lb. limit. If so, Morales would not have to drop weight so much which is what really piles on the wear and tear in a fighter’s body through the years. This idea has been thrown around a lot but I think Pacquiao would literally kill him at the Welterweight limit. In my opinion, Morales should never be allowed to step in the ring with Pacquiao ever again. At 147 lbs, prime Morales or not, Pacquiao would obliterate him.
Still, Morales is one man Clottey should turn to, at least in tapes as Morales is the only one to ever deal with Pacquiao’s ferociousness straight up, and come away with a victory. Clottey hopes for the same success in March.
