By Chevy Jackson
I’ve been busy all week and just wanted to make sure I sent in my prediction before the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight tonight. I’m actually disappointed that this fight was even made. I, like everyone else wanted to see Floyd Mayweather Jr. beat Manny Pacquiao. I will order the HBO ppv anyway because I love boxing and this should be interesting to see 40,000 boxing fans at the new Cowboys stadium.
Strengths and Weaknesses of each fighter:
Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 Knockouts)
Strengths: Fast hands, fast feet, throws punches in odd angles, very good stamina.
Weaknesses: Weak chin, leaves himself open to counter punches, lacks ring IQ and has trouble adapting or figuring out his opponents, over commits to his power shots, lacks fundamental boxing technique.
Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 Knockouts)
Strengths: Iron chin, strong defense guard, good counter puncher, naturally bigger, can take punches and move forward.
Weaknesses: Lacks killer instinct, too defensive minded, tends to gas out in later rounds, tendency to get hand injuries, too economical with his punches.
My Official prediction for Pacquiao vs. Clottey:
I feel the hungrier fighter will prevail, sure, Manny Pacquiao has the fans on his side at Cowboys stadium, but fans don’t win fights. Clottey has more to prove and nothing to lose. Clottey has never tasted the fame and glory that Manny Pacquiao has, and wants to make a name for himself, while Pacquiao is more interested in singing and politics.
Pacquiao looks like he is taking Clottey very lightly, and the last time he took an opponent lightly was in 2005, when he fought Erik Morales and got out boxed and schooled in a 12-round beat down.
I am not sold on the Pacquiao hype at all, he has never really impressed me much. People say he is no longer a one dimensional fighter but I disagree. I believe he was blessed with great match making by Freddie Roach and Bob Arum.
Now on to the fight.
Pacquiao won’t be able to bully Clottey at all in this fight. I see Clottey taking the punches and smiling back at Manny, like he did with Miguel Cotto’s punches. Pacquiao will be lost after round 3 and not able to adjust to the closed defense style of Clottey. Pacquiao will be frustrated and it will look like Tito Trinidad vs. Winky Wright, Tito just kept throwing punches and not landing anything clean on Winky and Tito looked confused. Tito couldn’t break Winky’s guard and kept getting hit with a sharp jab after he threw combos.
Pacquiao will be confused like Tito Trinidad was. Pacquaio doesn’t have the ring smarts to adjust to a fighter or figure them out, the best at this is Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather doesn’t watch tape, he adjusts to his opponents style in the ring, that is true boxing skill and ring IQ. Pacquiao doesn’t have that, he just tries to rely on his aggression, boxing is a sweet science and you need to be smart and pick your shots, not throw wild punches and see which one lands.
Pacquiao won’t be able to take Clottey’s punches. I see Pacquiao dropping a few times before the 6th round and the fight getting stopped on cuts or Manny Pacquiao quitting in the corner in the 8th round due to his inability to find an opening and enforce his will over the bigger African fighter.
Joshua Clottey’s size and tight guard will be the key to victory, Clottey will be the first live opponent for Manny Pacquiao since Juan Manuel Marquez.
Clottey by stoppage in 8 rounds.
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