All praises

NEW YORK - Manny Pacquiao says he wishes he could have fought Floyd Mayweather Jr., even though he’s stepping into the ring with the dangerous Joshua Clottey on March 13.

Pacquiao said Wednesday that he thinks Mayweather was looking for a way out of fighting him, and that “maybe Mayweather is scared to lose.”

Click here for stories and updates on the Sinulog 2010 Festival.

The biggest fight in boxing fell apart because of the drug testing protocol, with Pacquiao refusing to have blood drawn more than 24 days before the fight. Mayweather wanted testing done two weeks before the fight.

The Filipino champion will instead defend his version of the welterweight title against Clottey at the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, where promoters are hoping to have 40,000 fans. The fight will be televised on pay-per-view.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao praised his foe in his latest column at Philboxing.com, a sharp departure from his reaction to Mayweather Jr.

“I admire Clottey because during the first time we met, he didn’t say anything bad and he is very thankful that he got a chance to face me in the ring,” said Pacquiao.

Pacquiao, who was originally scheduled to face Mayweather Jr. on March 13, then took a snipe at Mayweather Jr.

“That is what a real boxer is, he’s not talkative. Mr. Clottey knows how to show respect and I admire him for that,” Pacquiao wrote.

Pacquiao added that he saw Clottey fight with Miguel Cotto and admitted that the match could have gone either way.

Cotto won the bout by split decision.

“He is bigger, stronger and he has the power. I will not be overconfident because Clottey is a good, strong ighter,” Pacquiao wrote. (AP/With a report from ML)