Let's test Classic ... Predict Paq/Clottey

I think Clottey wins in this one. His back is against the wall and he HAS to win to stay near the top. He learns from past mistakes against Margarito and Cotto about being too conservative. He is a strong welter and will beat Pac by dec., but maybe by cuts. I also think May. will get ko'd by Mosely:rasta

 

some bold predictions there friend. why i think clottey makes things far tougher for our resident superhero than most, i don't see him actually winning

 

Josh Clottey is significantly bigger and stronger than Pacquiao. He is gearing up to emphasize exactly that tonight. He's going to come in big and fight big. He also has a tendency to cut his opponents -Corrales, Cruz, Judah, and Cotto among them, and that may either make things interesting or ruin the event.

Barring that, Clottey's problem is two-fold. First, he is a static fighter. Pacquiao is a dynamic fighter who fights in what seems to be four dimensions. Despite Clottey's fortress-like defense, Pacquiao will land shots by splitting Clottey's guard and hooking around the arms. Clottey will come forward and try to pin him down, but Pacquiao's mastery of angles will help him as much as his speed and guns.

Clottey's second problem is his pride. More specifically, his stubborn pride. He doesn't adapt. He is more likely to find a way out than to make adjustments in the ring. Once Pacquiao begins to take over, watch for Clottey to fight harder but without imagination, and by doing so he will plant the seeds of his own destruction. Here's why: Clottey's fortress will have to open for him to mount an offense. The more offensive Clottey is, the more risk there will be.

Pacquiao should stop him, but he must be careful of not only Clottey's uppercuts, but his head and his elbows as well.

 

Id be massively surprised if Clottey won 4 rounds

 

I bet on Manny Pacquiao.

 

Remember how the cuts against Agapito Sanchez discombobulated Pac. It could happen again, because like Sanchez, Clottey's head is etoo. But I think Clottey wins on his own and cutas will come from punches. if they ciome.

 

I'm sorry to say but after refusing a blood test for a potential Mayweather fight, and picking his next fight in a state that does not test for steroids, it would not surprise me at all if Pacquaio is on something. Manny should submit to a test after this fight to clear up any doubts.

I do think Pacquio is a top 3 pound for pound fighter today, but I also think he caught De La Hoya, Hatton, and Cotto at the prefect time.

Clottey to me is a natural welter, and he can hit some, isn't damaged goods, and takes a decent shot. While Clottey is not very skilled, I think he has a chip on his shoulder and will bring his best tonight. I'll go out on a limb and call an upset TKO win for Clottey.

 

:goodliked that article. like most of goldman's to be honest. and he raised a good point. thankfully jacory harris doesn't frequent (or likely know about) the classic forum

 

You're missing the point. Mayweather painted Pacquio into a corner when he would not submit to Olympic style drug testing. It raised an eyebrow when the Clottey fight was made. Why? There is not steroids testing in Texas. Clottey isn't going to say anything. He's happy for the big pay day and chance, and I'm calling an upset here.

All jokes aside, whatever the best testing is is what Pacquio should do to clear all doubts. He's not exactly doing that, is he?

 

Been thinking about the fight on and off for a few days now.

I feel pretty comfortable saying that I think Pacquiao's going to stop Clottey.

 

Pac by a tko in 8..despite a determined stand by Clottey early on, he'll begin to feel the heat by round 5 and suffer great punishment thereafter as the gap widens in quality between the two. Pac will strafe him to the body and the head in round seven and score the fight's first knockdown with a couple of lefts to the head, and Clottey may make it to the end of the round, but the eighth will be the final round, when Pac dumps him again with a right and two lefts. Clottey makes it up before 10, but the ref will wisely stop it. I'm amazed that every time out there's always those who pick the other guy and fail to see that Pac is the best fighter anywhere in the vicinity of the welter division.

 

He is. But that doesn't mean he's dispelling all doubts.

Since boxing doesn't submit to the Olympic standard of testing there will rightfully be larger doubts about the cleanliness of that sport than of sports that do submit to those stricter standards. And even though Mayweathers demands may seem provoking and insulting, Pac has, in my mind at least, created even larger doubts by rather throwing away a record payday and potential legacy builder than giving in to them.

The simple question will always be: why refuse those demands with so much at stake if he has nothing to hide?

 

pride i think. he's built a legacy as one of the best ever based on hard work and consistently fighting, and beating, the best at a top level. essentially he did it the old fashioned way. someone demanding he prove his worth damages his pride and no matter what he does, his hard work is going to be degraded. maybe he thinks it's better to walk away and let his fighting do the talking than engage in a futile battle to clear his name