Pacman, Clottey going for KO

DALLAS, Texas – Manny Pacquiao, acknowledged as the greatest fighter today, puts his reputation on the line Saturday evening here (Sunday noon in Manila) when he takes on Joshua Clottey of Ghana at the Cowboys Stadium, before what should be the biggest boxing crowd in recent years.

Promoters have considered all 45,000 tickets sold, and by the time Pacquiao, the WBO welterweight champion, climbs into the ring at the center of the $1.2-billion stadium, millions more will be watching in Canada, Puerto Rico, Russia, Europe, Mexico, all of Asia and the rest of the United States.

For Pacquiao, so much is at stake in this fight. As the current pound-for-pound champion, there is tremendous pressure for him to deliver, even if the fight odds – which make him an 8-1 favorite – say it should be a walk in the park. Many are looking for a knockout, whether it comes early or late.

But as usual, the Pacman is not promising anything.

“I’m not going to promise a knockout. But I will do my best to make the people happy. I don’t want to disappoint the fans,” said the 31-year-old who has baffled some ring experts and most of his opponents with his meteoric rise from a champion in the 112-lb division more than 10 years ago to the king of the 147-lb class.

During Friday’s official weigh-in just outside the main entrance of the Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao said he worked hard over the last seven weeks, even if the normal distractions around him came up. One of these distractions is his bid to win a seat in Congress in the May 10 elections.

“Of course, I’m focused. I always concentrate on the fight and I’m not thinking of anything else. We have a strategy that we prepared in our training,” said the champion, who carries a ring record of 50 wins, including 38 knockouts, with only three defeats and two draws. He has won his last 11 fights since 2005.

It will be the first defense of the title which Pacquiao won over Miguel Cotto last November in Las Vegas, the one that made him the first boxer in history to keep seven world titles in seven different weight classes in his bedroom closet. If he wins, he cements his status as probably the greatest fighter in boxing history.

Looking for an upset

Clottey, a former IBF welterweight champion but still hungry for recognition, said he’s going for an upset. If he succeeds, he will bring back memories of a great one when James “Buster” Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson, then an incredible 42-1 favorite, with a vicious combination in the 10th round.

Stranger things have happened in boxing, and Clottey said the possibility is always there.

“I will shock the world. I feel so good. Like I said, we have a game plan, and I’m ready to show the world who I am. This one will be different because I will be stronger than in all my fights. I trained hard for this fight. I’m ready to fight,” said Clottey who, like Pacquiao, carries the hope of his poor nation.

“This is a very big opportunity for me, and if I win, the lives of many will change. Then it’s going to be all joy. It’s going to be fantastic. We’re like the Philippines, third world. It’s very hard to make money,” said Clottey, who will earn $1.2 million for facing Pacquiao. It’s a paycheck he’s never gotten close to all his life.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, is guaranteed $12 million, and should get a few millions more once everything comes in, from the pay-per-view sales, ticket sales, merchandise sales and television rights back home. It’s nothing new for Pacquiao to get as much. In fact, he took home more than that when he faced Oscar dela Hoya in 2008.

While Pacquiao has always kept his cards close to his chest, his trainer, Freddie Roach, is more vocal in calling for a knockout.

“I think we will stop him. Yes. I don’t think we will knock him out with one punch. I think we will overwhelm him,” said Roach after the weigh-in.

He said a week ago that a knockout may come in the sixth, seventh, ninth or even the first round, but this time he played it safe by saying, “Before the twelfth.”

Pacquiao had no problem making the weight, tipping the scales at 145 3/4 lbs. He’s never had problems since he moved up to the welterweight class, and never had to starve himself in training camp. Dr. Allam Rector, who carries an all-access pass within the Pacquiao camp, said the boxer woke up Friday at 144 lb.

And after a brisk walk, Pacquiao was down to 142, and he enjoyed the luxury of eating hard-boiled eggs for breakfast and fish for lunch.

Clottey must have drooled over that luxury because word had it that the challenger from Ghana had trouble making the weight. When he tipped the scales at 5 p.m. he was at exactly 147 lb.

Pacquiao and Clottey (35-3 with 21 knockouts) will climb the ring at 10 p.m. Dallas time, 12 noon in Manila.

Clottey’s trainer, Lenny de Jesus, who used to work as cutman for Pacquiao, said they’re also going for a knockout.

“We will hit him right, knock him out and win the fight,” he said. “We don’t sell tickets that’s why we’re the underdogs. But we are tough underdogs.”

Pacquiao said De Jesus, who worked his corner when the Pinoy icon fought Emmanuel Lucero in 2003, and up to Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales in 2005, has all the right to say that Clottey’s going to win by knockout because he’s the bigger and supposedly stronger boxer.

“That’s interesting. They are free to say whatever they want to say,” said Pacquiao, who’s giving up almost two inches in height and in reach, and a few lines when it comes to muscles. But that doesn’t mean he’s giving away something when it comes to speed and power.

“Let’s just see what happens in the ring. That’s what they said when I fought Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto - that they are bigger. On my part, I just train hard and fight hard,” said Pacquiao.

“May the best man win,” added Pacquiao, out to remove any doubt that he is indeed the best fighter out there.