Quijano: Will Joshua be Cotto’ed or Hattoned?
Saturday, March 13, 2010
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THE earth will shake when 45,000 boxing fans gathered together at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium--hailed as the greatest stadium on earth--collectively roar their approval as Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey duke it out today.
Our “Pambansang Kamao” will feed off that energy emanating from the animated crowd and has promised to give the fans quite a show.
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Well, he better maintain his focus and execute the game-plan well. Clottey is a very live underdog, quite capable of pulling off an upset if the congressional candidate for the Sarangani district gets too complacent.
Here’s how they stack up:
POWER. Manny has maintained his power in his sojourn through several weight divisions. This is probably why steroid accusations have been unfairly alleged. His last four fights have been via the abbreviated route and there seems to be a Tyson-like buzz whenever he steps into the ring.
Clottey has 20 knockouts in 35 wins. He’s not a knockout artist but he is capable of hurting his opponents and turning the tide of the fight with one of those patented uppercuts. Plus, he’s bigger and presumably stronger at this weight. It’s a close call. ADVANTAGE: EVEN
SPEED. This is a no-brainer. Everything that Manny does well, starts from his speed. Even his power is derived from speed as his punches land with debilitating force behind the tremendous acceleration generated by his fast hands.
Clottey isn’t necessarily a laggard in this department. But unfortunately for him, his opponent is a speed merchant with one of the fastest hands in the business. ADVANTAGE: PACQUIAO
EXPERIENCE. What makes Pacquiao special and worthy of consideration as one of the greatest fighters ever to lace on boxing gloves is the fact that he has amazingly improved upon every performance already fought at the highest level.
There’s a reason why he was voted the fighter of the decade and we’re not talking about our Philippine elections here.
Clottey’s best claim to fame was his win over Zab Judah and the close decision loss to Miguel Cotto. The disparity in championship experience is just too cavernous to compare. ADVANTAGE: PACQUIAO
DEFENSE. Pacquiao’s fleet feet allow him to dart in and out and move side to side to avoid oncoming artillery, but let’s face it- he’s not exactly known for his defense. To the Pacman, a buzzsaw offense is the best defense.
Clottey likes to cover up well behind a peek-a-boo defense and this has netted him some success in thwarting enemy flurries. His longer reach will also come in handy. He’s no defensive specialist but he gets the nod in this department. ADVANTAGE: Clottey
CORNER. Like Manny, Coach Freddie Roach is sui generis. The bespectacled ex-pro boxer is a revered figure in the boxing world, and his seer-like pre-cognitions about how the fight will play out are the stuff of legend.
Unable to bring his main man over for the fight, Clottey had to settle for veteran cutman Lenny Dejesus to work his corner. The latter formerly did cutman duties for Pacquiao during the Barrera and Morales battles and so he professes to know “Wapakman” very well.
But formulating a strategy to overwhelm a legend like Pacquiao will take more than a one-shot deal. If you have any doubts, please go ask Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Sr. about it. ADVANTAGE: Pacquiao
MY PREDICTION. Hand speed will be the key factor in this fight. Clottey will be tough to break down but Manny will overwhelm him with his speed and timely flurries.
Roach has hinted at targeting Clottey’s body and this should be executed to perfection. Constant movement will befuddle Clottey and set him up for probably a referee stoppage in the late rounds with the Ghanian on his feet, but I’m leaning more towards a unanimous decision win for Pacquiao.
LAST ROUNDS. Are on my newest “inaanak” Isaiah Lee Celio B. Tero and birthday celebrants Oscar “Third” Zosa-Tan and Tasha Zosa-Anton. Cheers!
