Champs pick Manny but expect 12-round fight

JOSHUA Clottey was a barely in the picture when Manny Pacquiao began fishing for an opponent after winning the 147-pound belt against Miguel Cotto last year.

The Ghanaian faces Pacquiao in Las Vegas today, but two Cebu-based world champions and three other local boxers think he’s still just an afterthought and has no chance of winning.

Where they differ is on how it will happen.

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“I think this fight will go the distance and Manny will win by decision,” World Boxing Organization (WBO) Donnie Nietes said in Cebuano. Nietes, who is preparing for his own title defense, was fresh off his sparring session when interviewed yesterday.

But Jonreil Casimero, who downed Cesar Canchilla four times to win the WBO 108-pound title last year, sees the fight ending early. Casimero is the interim WBO light flyweight titleholder.

“Clottey has no chance against Manny. Manny will knock him out in the third round,” said Casimero.

Clottey lost to Cotto by a unanimous decision in June 2009.

Though Pacquiao (50-3-2 with 38 KOs) is defending his 147-pound title, this is the first time since the Oscar de la Hoya fight in 2008 that he will be fighting at 147 pounds. His match against Cotto was at 145.

During the weigh-in, Pacquiao, who was supposed to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. until negotiations bogged down, made it at 145.5 pounds, while Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) stood at 147.

The weight difference won’t be a factor, according to Nietes.

“He (Pacquiao) is impossible to beat. He is very strong and very fast while Clottey isn’t that fast. I believe Manny can take Clottey’s punches,” said Nietes.

Cebu will be on heightened alert today and police officers are under orders to include in their patrols those places holding public viewings of “The Event.”

Acting Cebu Provincial Police Director Erson Digal said he does not want to hear of police personnel slacking off to watch the match without paying attention to calls for help from the public.

He declared Cebu Province under heightened alert as of 6 last night to make sure police officers stay on their toes.

After the match, all police stations are also required to submit a report of the crime situation in their areas, which will also be submitted to higher headquarters.

Cebu City Police Chief Patrocinio Comendador said he reminded his personnel not to let their guard down. And instead of staying glued to their TV sets, he wants them to conduct checkpoints.

Though crimes are usually rare during Pacquiao’s matches, Comendador said this is no reason to be complacent because some crimes happen after the match.

11-win streak

The odds are in Manny’s favor, 5 to 1.

Though Pacquiao has been beaten thrice before, he is on an 11-fight winning streak. He last lost to Erik Morales during their first match at 130 pounds five years ago, March 19, 2005.

Since then, Pacquiao has climbed to number one on the pound-for-pound list, with victories over the likes of Ricky Hatton, dela Hoya and Miguel Cotto.

Add Clottey to that list, according to Casimero.

“Clottey just stands in front and waits. He doesn’t move away from punches,” said the 20-year-old Casimero, the youngest of the current Filipino world titleholders.

Casimero will watch “The Event” live at the IPI Gym in Mandaue City along with a few fellow boxers. Nietes was undecided yesterday on where to view the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight.

Like Nietes, his stable mate and close friend, top-rated fighter Milan Melindo feels today’s fight will go the whole 12 rounds. Michael Domingo and Rey Bautista are confident that the fight will end prematurely and in brutal fashion.

“This will be a great fight, a competitive one. But Manny will win this one by unanimous decision,” said the unbeaten Melindo. “There will also be a chance that this will be stopped in the 10th, 11th or 12th round. But Clottey won’t get knocked out because he is tough and he keeps on coming.”

Melindo and Nietes have reason to be cautious since though Clottey has lost thrice, he has never been knocked out.

“I haven’t seen a whole Clottey fight, but I believe Manny will win in the eighth or ninth round by KO or TKO because he is stronger than Clottey,” said Domingo.

Bautista was even bolder.

“It will take one or two rounds for Manny to beat Clottey,” said Bautista, who will be returning to the ring in a boxing event in Dubai next month alongside Melindo. “Nobody can beat Manny. The most that I’ll give Clottey is six rounds.” (EKA/With MEA)