Nietes predicts Pacquiao’s victory

WORLD Boxing Organization Minimumweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes confidently said that the Filipino champion will be victorious in the Pacquiao-Clottey clash Sunday at 8 a.m. (Manila time) in Dallas Cowboys Stadium, USA.

Nietes said he predicts a 12-round decision on the fight. Though Clottey is big but Manny will outpunched him because of his heavy punches and speed.

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Meanwhile, boxing affecionados in Bacolod City also favor Pacquiao’s victory.

Rev. Henry Guanzon, a well-known boxing promoter, said that Manny Pacquiao will triumph over Joshua Clottey in the late rounds of the fight.

He predicted an 8 or 10 round-TKO in favor of the Filipino slugger. However, this will only possible if there will no other ring side businesses. “We know that pro-boxing is a business and we can’t take that thought,” Guanzon explained.

He further stressed that Pacquiao should also be careful because Clottey is a dirty fighter and often throw head butts.

Nonoy Quaitchon, a veteran boxing referee, shared similar view with Guanzon. “My personal assessment is a halfway stoppage in Pacquiao’s favor. But he (Pacquiao) should be careful because Clottey is a dirty boxer,” he explained.

On the other hand, Negros Amateur Boxing Association president Oscar “Dodong” Bascon picked Pacquiao to win the fight.

“My choice is not because of being a Filipino but because I saw his advantage on the speed and number of punches thrown,” Bascon said.

Pacquiao kept uttering all the right things while preparing to defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight Sunday against Clottey.

He said he respects Clottey’s ability and he is just as intense for Clottey as he was for his stunningly one-sided victories over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

The Filipino champion is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, but that’s always a tenuous perch. And in Clottey, he’s facing a guy who may be as much as 15 pounds heavier when the fight begins and who is a superb defensive fighter with a great chin.

Clottey is a significant underdog in the eyes of the casual fan, but he’s not nearly as big of an underdog to those in the boxing business.

Lenny De Jesus, formerly Pacquiao’s cut man and now Clottey’s trainer, stressed that if anybody who thinks Manny is just going to walk in and blow Joshua away is a joke. “Joshua is one of the elite fighters in the world, too. These are two elite guys in there. Manny’s just the one getting all of the attention,” de Jesus said.

Pacquiao’s getting attention for his string of jaw-dropping victories over larger men and because he’s a rare combination of speed and power. He was so fast that Oscar De La Hoya thought he saw more than one in the ring.

Pacquiao won every minute of every round against De La Hoya until the bout was stopped after eight rounds.

“He’s so fast,” De La Hoya said. “You’re looking for him here and he’s over there. And when he throws his punches, they’re coming so quickly, it’s hard to see them all.”/with reports from Philboxing.com