Clottey plan ‘will mirror’ De La Hoya fall

Trainer Freddie Roach says Manny Pacquiao's March 13 match against former world champion Joshua Clottey will bring back memories of the pound-for-pound king’s biggest fight to date.

“It’s going to be very similar (strategy-wise) to the Oscar De La Hoya fight,” Roach told the popular ring website Boxing Fanhouse.

Pacquiao destroyed De La Hoya in eight rounds, forcing the Golden Boy to retirement with a systematic beating made possible by a fight plan anchored on movement—a lot of it.

“Clottey’s accurate if you stand in front of him,” Roach said. “But we’re going to be in and out and side to side and use our angles on him. He’s not going to be able to catch us.”

There were concerns that Pacquiao will have his hands full against the powerful New York-based Ghanaian. And with the bout to be fought at the 147-pound welterweight limit, several observers have noted that Clottey will be the stronger man in the ring.

“I don’t think that that will be the case,” Roach said. “I think when the fight time comes off, Manny will be the bigger, stronger guy because he has the bigger heart.”

Roach has said Pacquiao will knock Clottey out in the late rounds of the fight.

“[Clottey has] a good chin, and he takes a good shot,” Roach explained. “But he ... makes too many mistakes. Pacquiao will be the first person to knock Clottey out.”

Source: Francis Ochoa  | Philippine Daily Inquirer

Clottey deep in training; Pacquiao KO win seen

Vinny Scolpino, manager of Joshua Clottey, assures everyone that the Ghanaian slugger “is not sitting on his *ss” as they prepare for the thundering fists of Manny Pacquiao.

Clottey broke camp two weeks ago when he rushed back to the capital of Accra to attend to the visa woes of his long-time trainer Godwin Dzanie Kotey, who was denied a visa renewal by the US Embassy there.

“Joshua’s training hard and everything’s great about his preparation,” Scolpino said Friday from New York, less than six weeks before Pacquiao and Clottey face off at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

While in Ghana, Scolpino said Clottey did not waste time wandering around.

“He trained while he was over there.”

Clottey returned to New York last Tuesday and has since reported for training at the John’s Gym in his new home in the Bronx.

“Joshua’s training hard because he’ll be fighting the best fighter in the world,” said Scolpino, adding that a conditioning coach and a nutritionist will accompany Clottey to a training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this Saturday.

Scolpino politely declined to reveal if Clottey was able to bring in Kotey to the US or is tapping somebody else to call the shots during training.

“Joshua’s coming out with announcement soon,” added Scolpino.

Meanwhile, top orthodontist Ed De La Vega, who customizes Pacquiao’s mouth guard, marveled at the way the Filipino lefty conducted his business during a workout held Wednesday.

“He has not lost a beat,” reported De La Vega from Hollywood. “The speed is amazing and the power is awesome.”

De La Vega noted that Pacquiao sent Freddie Roach’s mitts “flying” and that “I am betting that he (Clottey) will get knocked out for the first time in his career.”

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Clottey told: Exploit Pacquiao's weaknesses

An inability to fight on the inside and off the ropes could mark Manny Pacquiao's doom in his March 13 slugfest against Ghanian boxer Joshua Clottey, a former boxing champ turned trainer said Friday.

John David Jackson, a former light middleweight and middleweight champion in the late 80’s and early 90’s, said Clottey could win the bout if he tries exploiting some of Pacquiao's weaknesses.

“Pacquiao is not a good inside fighter... and he also can't fight off the ropes. Clottey has to capitalize on that. If he can do that, he can beat him," Jackson told FightHype.com

He, however, said Clottey seems to have a problem with regards to stamina, which could spell trouble when he takes on the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champ.

“He can be dominating and then for some reason, he dies out the second half of the fight. You can't do that against Pacquiao because he's going to fight you for 3 minutes of every round,” said the former boxer.

Jackson is the same trainer who said that Pacquiao has never fought an African-American fighter in his life, therefore questioning the champion’s status as top pound-for-pound.

“It's not a racial thing. I never said anything bad about Manny or any Filipino,” he explained.

“Until he beats a [Floyd] Mayweather or a [Shane] Mosley, then I don't know if he is the top fighter,” Jackson said.

He said that the Mayweather-Mosley fight in May 1 will actually make the task of “being the best” easier for Pacquiao.

Jackson said all the Filipino has to do is beat the winner of the match.

“If he beats that guy convincingly... hey, we can't even argue if he is the pound for pound best. It's automatic.”

Source: Author Unknown  | abs-cbnnew.com

Reinforcement for Smart Gilas

One of the prevailing issues enveloping the local basketball scene concerns the Smart Gilas squad’s need to get reinforcement for their formidable team.

Formidable for finishing 3rd in the 10-team 21st Dubai International Basketball Tournament armed with a great system, big hearts, awe-inspiring Filipino fans, and an import who contributed chump change.

New team manager Frankie Lim is currently hard at work touring the US to find a candidate for naturalization. Coach Rajko will be joining him next week. Some considerations include height and athleticism, high basketball IQ, ability to follow and stay within a system, willingness to relocate, good knees, good back (and being upfront about injuries), and a big heart. Big enough to love this basketball crazy country of ours.

As of now, there’s a shortlist of imports they are seriously considering. Last Wednesday, Darian Townes flew in to try out. He just played with the Utah Flash in the NBDL last December but only averaged 1 point and 28% FG in his 6 games there. He had a longer stint in Holland (yes Hollanders got game!) where he normed 10.4 ppg in 19.9 mins.

He’s 26, 6’10” and weighs about 240 lbs. He was a vital cog for the Arkansas Razorbacks, where he became part of the school’s all time blocked shots, 1,000 point club, and was part of the top 10 in rebounding. He’s been lauded for his ball handling ability and his proficiency in the paint. His competitive spirit will be tested by Coach Rajko in the next couple of days.

Remember Jameel Watkins? He played for Shell and Magnolia here, and was impressive in college playing for the Georgetown Hoyas in the NCAA Big East… in the 90s! He’s making waves in China and is part of the short list. He’s already 32 years old which may be an issue.

A younger dominant big man could be a better choice. How about 7’1” former Gin Kings and 2008 Best import Chris Alexander? According the Assistant Coach Allan Gregorio, Alexander is 30 now and in 2 years (Olympic year) he can still be ripe. “Coach Rajko has hard practices every night so age will be a factor. He has to be able to survive the hard practices”.

They’re also checking on Earl Barron Jr. who played for the Red Bull Thunders and went on to get an NBA Championship ring in his 3 year stint with the Miami Heat where he logged 82 games, started in 15 of them, had 13.9 minutes on average with 4.9ppg and 3rpg. He’s a year younger than Alexander but the evaluation of the two (and all the rest) will boil down to athleticism and efficacy in the system.

Despite the possibilities that are brewing, no one can blame Gilas for thinking that they might not need to go transcontinental to find another piece of the puzzle. Besides, they can only naturalize 1 import but will still need another big man. So they’ll need to go local for that. There are a plethora of great talents in the PBA who could fit the bill, and Kelly Williams is the top candidate for locally flavored reinforcement.

Earl Barron pours in 25 points to power the Energy past Bakersfield on the final day of the NBA D-League Showcase.


Chris Tiu and I talked about it but I guess it’s best to just share his text: “I think Kelly Williams will fit our team well because he’s a hardworking, physical, tough, athletic and smart player. I thought Coach Rajko’s wish to bring him on board was confidential but somehow it reached the sports columns which probably preempted talks with the PBA and caused some misunderstanding. But I’m sure there will be an official request coming and a solution will be worked out for the good of the country”.

Well, the boat has been rocked and Mr. Buddy Encarnado (and the PBA) has been vocal about his disappointment because this has wedged them between a rock and a hard place. Saying no to the offer could make them look unpatriotic, while agreeing to lend their MVP could dampen their chances in the next PBA conference.

When I asked Williams about it, of course he’s “flattered by the compliment of being touted by Coach Toroman” but also said it would be difficult for him to leave Sta. Lucia at this point. He loves his team and is aching to boost them after a shortened All Filipino stint.

Well, everyone just has the greatest of intentions and this spat is all just a misunderstanding. What’s more important is that the next couple of days will be crucial in terms of finding the right man or men for our national team.

Source: Patricia Hizon  | Manila Standard Today

Manny Really Wants to Knock Floyd Out

Freddie Roach was recently named Trainer Of The Year by The Boxing Writers' Association of America, and his prized pupil, Manny Pacquiao, was named Fighter of The Year -- both for 2009.

The honors were bestowed for the third, and, fourth times in a row, respectively, upon Pacquiao and Roach. Pacquiao also was named Fighter Of The Decade by the BWAA.

Reached at his Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif., Roach, in this Q&A, discussed the most recent events involving the failed negotiations for a fight with Floyd Mayweather, the Mayweather camp's accusations of steroid use by Pacquiao, and the seven-division titlist's March 13 defense of his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) crown against Joshua Clottey.



FanHouse: So how does it feel to receive Trainer Of The Year for the fourth straight time?

Freddie Roach: It's my favorite award, because it's named after my trainer, [the late] Eddie Futch, my mentor. And, I like to give Eddie all of the credit for where I am today. I just love winning the award. I was the first one to win it three times, and now, I've won it four. I'm going to keep working my a** off to win it again, and again, if I can.


FH: Maybe they should name it the Eddie Futch-Freddie Roach Award?

Roach: [Chuckles] Maybe someday.


FH: Seriously, Freddie, you've overcome a lot, personally, with the Parkinson's, and I wonder if you ever think about who might be watching you and being inspired by you?

Roach: It's just that we work hard at the gym. Everyone works together, and we have a good team. Some days, when I'm really busy with some fighters, I have a lot of guys that pick up the slack. It's a good situation. My gym's just really active, and the other thing is that I'm so thankful to a guy like Eddie Futch, who taught me the ropes inside the ring and outside of the ring.

He taught me first, as a fighter, and then, I worked as an assistant to him for five years. And he taught me how to train fighters and how to get to them, and it's worked out really well for me.


FH: Can you talk about what it means to you to have Manny win the Fighter Of The Year honors for the third time?

Roach: Manny, he deserves it. Getting Fighter of The Decade also, that's a great honor for him. It's funny, his work ethic from Day One until today has not changed. It amazes me that he can still come through the gym doors and all of the distractions go away, and he's 100 percent focused on the next fight.


FH: Manny arrived in Los Angeles recently this time from the Philippines on Jan. 17 -- which was Muhammad Ali's 68th birthday and the day prior to the observation of Martin Luther King's birthday. Do you see any symbolism there at all, considering what Manny means in stature to his Filipino people?

Roach: It's can be a coincidence, but the thing is, Manny just means so much to his people. The thing is, he fights for them because he doesn't want to disappoint them. I think that's where he gets his fire from. It comes from his people. He wants to win for them, and to do the best that he can. Obviously, he wants to improve his country also, and that's why he's running for congress and getting into politics.

I think that he can do more for his country as a boxer rather than a politician, but he just wants to do the best that he can for his people. He's an amazing person.


FH: Has it been difficult to transition from preparing for a slick, boxer-type of fighter like Floyd Mayweather to preparing for a rugged fighter like Joshua Clottey?

Roach: The thing is, we work hard for everybody we get a chance to face. That hasn't really changed. What changed is the sparring parteners and the style that we're fighting and the gameplan, of course. The thing is, focusing on Clottey is completely opposite from what we were going to do. The thing is, you just have to get a mindset in there that we're not fighting Floyd Mayweather now.

We have to get ready for a guy that is going to come to us and fight us, possibly. It's a little disappointing that we didn't get Mayweather, but we're not going to sit around and dwell on it. We're going to go with the biggest challenges that we can find out there, and Manny doesn't want to fight just any fight, but he wants to fight the best out there.

I'd love it if Floyd and Manny could come to an agreement someday soon, and hopefully that can happen. But if not, Manny could retire and go right into politics.


FH: What do you see as strengths and weakness of Joshua Clottey? (pictured at far right, with Pacquiao)

Roach: Well, he's got a good chin, and he takes a good shot, and he can be a little heavy-handed. But he can be passive at times, and he lays on the ropes and kind of rests there a little bit. I've been studying him really well, and he makes too many mistakes. Pacquiao, I truly feel will be the first person to knock Clottey out.


FH: Has Manny faced anyone with his combination of endurance, accuracy and speed on his punches?

Roach: Clottey's accurate if you stand in front of him, but the thing is, we're going to be in and out and side to side and use our angles on him. He's not going to be able to catch us. It's going to be very similar to the Oscar De La Hoya fight [Eighth-round knockout for Pacquiao] I feel. He's a very tall, comes to you type of guy, who is supposed to be stronger.

But I don't think that that will be the case. I think when the fight time comes off, Manny will be the bigger, stronger guy because he has the bigger heart.


FH: How significant is it that there is no catchweight for this fight, as there was a requirement for Miguel Cotto to come in at no greater than 145 pounds, and that you are going with the welterweight limite of 147 pounds?

Roach: Well, we got a little flack for going with a catchweight last time, so Manny wants to be a true welterweight, so Manny is going to fight at 147. We're not going back to 140, we're going to stay where we're at. And if anyone wants to challenge us, it'll be at welterweight.


FH: How much does Manny consider going for an eighth title in a different weight class -- the rise to 154 pounds beyond the Joshua Clottey fight?

Roach: Well, the fight against [WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) champ] Yuri Foreman was offered, and so forth, and Manny was just interested in more challenges.

Yuri was more of a boxer, and Manny doesn't want to be in a boring fight. So, 154 might be stretching it a little bit. I think that 147 is as high as we're really going to go. But you know, we'll see what presents itself after this fight. If Mayweather doesn't come around, Manny might retire.


FH: What did you think of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, where the fight will be held?

Roach: It was amazing. It was just unbelievable. The big screen over the field, the people, it was a great place. It's a really, really nice stadium. It's going to be huge with the fight being there, and there's a lot of stuff going on in Dallas right now.

[Cowboys' owner] Jerry Jones wants to bring the best athletes into the stadium, and you know, Manny Pacquiao's one of the best athletes in the world right now, and that's why Jerry Jones picked this fight.


FH: How will it be different for you being in Dallas Cowboys' Stadium, considering most of Manny's biggest victories have been in Las Vegas.

Roach: We have a lot of good memories of Vegas, but we have one good memory of Texas also. That's where we got our one big break and we knocked out Marco Antonio Barrera in Texas [in the 11th round in November, 2003, at The Alamodome.]

Texas has always been good to us. Regardless of where the ring is, it's still the same size, so we have no problem traveling.

Manny just likes to fight. If we fight in Manila, his home town, it doesn't really matter. He's going to go out and fight his fight. We've got a good gameplan down already for this one, and, he's pulling it off in sparring already, and he's looking really good. He's way ahead of schedule. His weight's already getting down there low right now.

He's already at 146, so we'll get some protein shakes out there and start feeding him.


FH: On the matter of steroids, why do you believe those suspicions were leveled at Manny by some members of the Mayweather camp?

Roach: Well, they have no foundation or no history. It's just they say, 'How can a guy go from 106 all the way to 147 without being on steroids?' But if you take that thinking into consideration, now, at age 16, Floyd Mayweather fought in the amateurs at 106, and then he went to 154 [to fight Oscar De La Hoya,] so he must be on steroids too, I guess?

But I'm not going to say that, because he's just a good fighter, and I respect that. The thing is, it's not unusual for the best fighters of their era to dominate many different weight divisions because that's where all of the challenge are.


FH: Do you buy the notion that Floyd was afraid of losing for the first time in his career?

Roach: No. I think that he was just trying to make the fight bigger. I think that he's trying to make the Pacquiao fight bigger down the line. I think that he's just doing his thing.


FH: What do you believe that all of the Manny Pacquiao fans in the Philippines thought of the entire steroid drama related to the Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations?

Roach: You've got people out there who want to go along with the notion of, 'Well, he's so good, that he must be on steroids,' because it was said once. And the thing is, just by that, people can think that you're guilty. Of course, we have no history. I have trouble giving Manny Pacquiao vitamins.

The Mayweathers are just trying to tarnish his reputation, so Manny's not very happy with them right now, and he really wants to knock Floyd out. That's what he told me. That's the first time that I've really seen him angry with a fighter. He says, 'If we fight, I will knock Floyd out.'

Source: Lem Satterfield  | boxing.fanhouse.com

Pacquiao shifts training to high gear

Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao stepped up his training for his coming March 13 title defense against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey who, he described, is big, strong and dangerous.

Pacquiao’s diet and conditioning consultant Alex Ariza said Wednesday from Los Angeles that PacMan is “very sharp and looks like he’ll be ready to fight next week.”

Ariza said Pacquiao sparred seven rounds Tuesday and is expected to do seven or eight rounds on Thursday (Friday in Manila) at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California.

Pacquiao went three rounds with unbeaten junior welterweight Mike Dallas, two rounds with Brian Brook and another two rounds with Jose Benavidez, a speedy junior welterweight.

“Manny is doing absolutely great in training, and Freddie [Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer] is satisfied at the level we are in now,” said Ariza who also works as the renowned trainer’s assistant.

Ariza said he is focusing on strength at his stage of Pacquiao’s conditioning regimen, then top it all up with speed exercises as training camp tapers off, to maximize the Filipino icon’s deadly combination power and explosiveness.

Ariza thinks Pacquiao-Clottey “could be even better” than PacMan’s previous fight when he stopped Miguel Cotto in the final round to win the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown, Pacquiao’s record seventh world title in as many weight divisions.

Pacquiao’s bodyguard Rob Peters said the Filipino fighter is always in “good spirit” during his daily workouts.

“When you see Manny in such a cheerful mood during training, you know that he’s peaking nicely,” said Peters. “Manny is always in good spirit, and he makes training camp look so easy, which is very, very rigorous.”

Peter said the few Team Pacquiao members who are privileged to see Pacquiao train behind closed doors are amazed at how focused he is during his Monday-to-Saturday training and still remain cheerful and playful.

Pacquiao said he considers the taller and bigger Clottey dangerous because at stake in their fight is not just his WBO welterweight crown but also his mythical title as the best boxer in the world pound-for-pound.

”Clottey knows that he has nothing to lose in this fight . . . but I know he will try to do everything to score an upset,” Pacquiao wrote in Filipino Wednesday in his weekly tabloid column.

“That’s why I need to show that I’m the best in the world, come up with another masterpiece in the ring and to win convincingly.”

Source: Jun Medina  | The Manila Times

Koncz denies reports that Pacquiao is taking it easy

“Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz has allayed fears that Pacquiao is taking it easy in his preparation for the March13 showdown against Ghana’s tough Joshua Clottey where Pacquiao puts his WBO welterweight title on the line at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys stadium in Texas..

Reports filtering out of the Pacquiao training camp said that he had missed jogging on a couple of days because he woke up late but Koncz conceded he had missed only two days and that was because he was feeling tired after a hard workout the previous day.

Koncz also pointed out that Pacquiao “never jogs on sparring days.”

Pacquiao sparred eight rounds today with former sparring partner Raymond Beltran and another young fighter and according to one report we received Pacquiao didn’t look too impressive although this happens occasionally during Pacquiao’s training.

Koncz said Pacquiao wanted to go two more rounds but it didn’t happen.

Pacquiao’s training staff was earlier criticized over reports that he had sparred with and beaten up a fighter named Bryan Brooks with an 0-6 record and one other report that claimed he took 17 year old light welterweight Jose Benavidez to school in a three-round sparring session without pointing out that the promising young fighter had only recently made his pro debut and won by a first round knockout.

We were unable to contact trainer Freddie Roach who had left for Fort Lauderdale, Florida where his super bantamweight protégé, Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux (4-0, 3 KO’s) faces Adolfo Landeros (20-12-1, 9 KO’s) in an eight round bout at the Don Taft University Center on Saturday, Manila Time or conditioning expert Alex Ariza who was unavailable.

Koncz also said that Pacquiao was late for training one day because he had met with Stephen Segal who told Pacquiao to remember that all his blessings come from God even as, according to Koncz, Segal snapped his fingers and said “God can take it away just like that.”

When we expressed concern over reports we received about Pacquiao’s apparent lack of consistent intensity in training compared to his preparation for previous fights Koncz said “believe me everything is fine, Manny is relaxed and looking good.”

Earlier, GMA 7 News telecast an interview with Pacquiao in which he assailed those who spread rumors about his private life and indicated he had asked his lawyers to study taking legal action against the people concerned. Pacquiao accused these individuals of “trying to ruin my name and trying to wreck my family. Its not good for us.” Speaking in Pilipino he said they are even trying to make my wife and I separate and asked “what kind of people are they?”



Meantime Jinkee Pacquiao, the wife of the pound-for-pound king is booked to fly to Los Angeles next Tuesday according to Koncz. When we spoke to him about large numbers of people gathering at the Palazzo Apartment until late at night and disturbing Pacquiao, Koncz said Pacquiao was at his home in the affluent neighborhood of Hancock Park and was in his room by 9:p.m. watching movies.

Source: Ronnie Nathanielsz  | BoxingScene.com

TNT walks out of quarters match vs Gin Kings

Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters walked out from their KFC PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal match against Ginebra Gin Kings at the Araneta Coliseum on Friday.

According to ANC "Hardball" host Boyet Sison, the Tropang Texters squad walked off the court with over a minute left in the first quarter when Ranidel de Ocampo was ejected from the game for committing two flagrant fouls.“This is a very surprising development as it is a very, very exciting quarterfinal series for both teams,” said Sison.

The entire Talk ‘N Text team including team owner and telecommunications magnate Manny Pangilinan walked out of the game to protest “unfair officiating” in the game.

League officials granted the win to Ginebra after ruling that Talk ‘N Text had already forfeited the game. The two teams are now tied at 2 games each in the best-of-five series.

A similar case happened in the PBA in May 1990 when the Añejo team walked out in Game 6 of the 1st Conference Finals against Shell. They were slapped a huge fine of half a million pesos.

TNT coach cites the numbers
Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes said that game statistics in their quarter final series with Ginebra clearly show that there was something wrong about the officiating.

“In the Talk ‘N Text-Ginebra series, Talk ‘N Text has taken 80 free throws… Ginebra has taken 126 free throws. They have taken almost 50 more free throws that we had in three games,” he said.

Reyes said that the numbers are questionable considering that most of Ginerbra’s shots were taken beyond the arc as opposed to scoring inside the paint where they could fish more fouls.

“Ginebra has taken 25 more three point shots in the three games… which means majority of the shots come from the three point line. In the first 12 minutes of this game (Game 4), they had already taken 14 free throws and they only took 6 attempts in the 2 point area. We attempted 20 times in the shaded lane and we were given 5 free throws… It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the disparity,” he said.

Reyes said the second flagrant foul call against De Ocampo was the last straw. This, he said, prompted the team to walk out from the game.

Ginebra coach Jong Uichico merely shrugged off the walk out incident.

“We’ll take any win the way it is. If they give it to us by default, we’ll take it. We’re here to win,” he said.

Source: Author Unknown  | abs-cbnnew.com