Heroes & Villains

The welterweight match between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey was similar to your average date on a Saturday night. I equate it to asking out the nerdy girl who sits behind you in algebra class because the hot-looking cheerleader snubbed you at the last minute. Although the date wasn't a complete disaster, it still cost you $50.

Clottey fought a very conservative fight and had his hands covering his face for much of the fight. Actually, I can't even call it a fight. It was more of a sparring session for Pacquiao. Each time Pacquiao would unleash a flurry of punches, Clottey would cover up and wait for the barrage to end, and he rarely came back with his own combination. I had Pacquiao winning 10 of the 12 rounds, and I was being real generous with the two rounds Clottey (35-4, 21 KOs) eked out.

"He was just too fast," said Clottey, who, despite having a noticeable height advantage, appeared more concerned about not getting knocked out than winning the fight.

At this point of Pacquiao's (51-3-2, 38 KOs) illustrious career, he doesn't need another ordinary notch on his belt. He has fought and defeated the best fighters of his era and the only thing missing from his mantle to cement his legacy as the greatest fighter of our generation is a superbout with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao-Mayweather is the megafight all boxing fans are clamoring for. But there are two major roadblocks.

First, Mayweather needs to handle his business with Shane Mosley on May 1, which should be a very entertaining and competitive fight.

Second, the Olympic-style drug testing is still a major issue. Mayweather insists on random drug testing, but Team Pacquiao is reluctant to do it because Pacquiao is reportedly not fond of needles and he believes drawing blood hours before the fight zaps his energy.

Roach recently revealed on HBO's "Pacquiao-Clottey: The Road to Dallas" that Pacquiao agreed to a blood test hours before his first fight with Erik Morales, a fight Pacquiao lost and looked weary afterward.

The Mayweather camp, led by his father Floyd Sr. and Golden Boy Promotions executive Richard Shaefer, is extremely adamant about random drug testing because they suspect Pacquiao is using performance-enhancing drugs, despite the fact that the Filipino champion has never failed a drug test in his professional career.

"I'm the face of boxing," Mayweather boasted during a media event at L.A.'s Nokia Plaza. "I want to show that my sport is a clean sport. I'm fighting against the media, the Internet blogs. You have to be mentally strong to do that.

"At one time, fighters didn't have to take blood tests. Now, I'm taking a stand. In the sport of boxing, you don't go from ordinary at 25 to extraordinary at 30."

That last statement was a definite shot at Pacquiao without mentioning his name, and Pacquiao has not taken all the pot shots lightly as he recently filed a lawsuit against the Mayweathers and Golden Boy Promotions for defaming his name. The gloves are off, but unfortunately the Pacquiao-Mayweather war is being fought in courtroom instead of in the ring.

I find it real interesting, almost comical actually, that Mayweather, who has had more off-the-ring issues than Pacquiao, is the one calling Pacquiao a lawbreaker. Mayweather hasn't exactly been a model citizen, and his Uncle Roger is scheduled to appear in court on June 1 for allegedly beating and choking a female boxer in Las Vegas.

Floyd Sr. was the first to advise his son not to fight Pacquiao because, according to Floyd Sr., he has never seen a fighter dish out and absorb punishment the way Pacquiao has been able to do against bigger opponents. In Floyd Sr.'s mind there is no defense for a hard-charging Ivan Drago-like fighter, and that scares the heck out of the Mayweather camp.



Though there is no hard evidence to support the Mayweathers' claim that Pacquiao is on steroids, they have raised the legitimacy issue that surrounds today's athlete. Performance-enhancing drugs are about as addicting and as prevalent as reality TV shows. Athletes just can't seem to stay away from it and the paying audience can't get enough of it.

Whether Floyd Mayweather Sr.'s claim is true or not, the court of public opinion has been affected and the seed of doubt has been planted.

Pacquiao has agreed to giving blood and urine samples 14 days before the fight, but the Mayweather camp says that's not enough. Human Growth Hormones can't be detected through urine samples and blood testing is the only way to catch someone using HGH because it stays in someone's system a lot longer.

However, there are ways to avoid getting caught if you know when you'll get tested. For example, NFL players commonly use somebody else's urine or blood sample and stash them in the refrigerator up until the day of the tests. Then, when it's time to test, they hide the samples in their compression shorts on their way to the lab.

But I have a solution that both parties could agree on.

If I were Manny Pacquiao and I know that I'm clean, I would agree to the random drug tests on one condition - the fight would have to be at a catch-weight of 145 pounds.

If Pacquiao is being honest about his disdain for drawing blood hours before a fight because it makes him weak, then he should level the playing field by forcing Floyd Mayweather Jr. to shed two pounds off his 147-pound body.

This way, the ball is now on Mayweather's court and his team will have to decide if TWO MEASLY POUNDS is enough to tear down the most lucrative fight in boxing since Oscar De La Hoya fought Felix Trinidad in 1999. There are $40 million reasons why both men should fight.

Pacquiao wants Mayweather to cement his legacy and Mayweather needs Pacquiao to provide him with the biggest payday of his career (and we all know how much "Money" Mayweather loves that paper!). This fight needs to happen, and I don't see why it shouldn't.

It's fight night, Texas style! Seven-time champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines, the man considered as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, takes on Joshua Clottey (35-3, 21 KOs) of Ghana tonight in the first major boxing event held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The tale of the tape:
-- Age: Pacquiao 31; Clottey 32
-- Weight: Pacquiao 145 3/4; Clottey 147
-- Height: Pacquiao 5-6 1/2; Clottey 5-8
-- Reach: Pacquiao 67"; Clottey 70"
-- Stance: Pacquiao (southpaw); Clottey (orthodox)
-- Pro Record: Pacquiao 50-3-2, 38 KOs; Clottey 35-3, 21 KOs)

The preliminary bouts will start at 6 p.m. PST. The live round-by-round coverage, with my scores for each round, will begin at approximately 8 p.m. PST. on this site: SportsFanLive.com/heroesvillains

-- 6:50 p.m. PST: John Buddy scores a split decision over Michael Medina in the first prelim bout of the night. Pacquiao and Clottey are in their respective dressing rooms getting their hands wrapped.

-- 6:58 p.m. PST: Second prelim bout between Jose Luis Castillo, a former two-time lightweight champion, and Alfonso Gomez is about to start.

-- 7:10 p.m. PST: Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in the house!

-- 7:22 p.m. PST: Castillo didn't answer the bell in fourth round, awarding the fight to Gomez. Up next, Humberto Soto takes on David Diaz.

-- 7:54 p.m. PST: Two former Cowboys coaches, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, sitting ringside. Deion Sanders is also among the growing crowd that could exceed well over 50,000.

-- 8:22 p.m. PST: Soto scores unanimous decision over Diaz. Up next, the main event!

-- 8:25 p.m. PST: Soraya Simons singing the national anthem for Ghana.

-- 8:27 p.m. PST: Arnel Pineda singing the national anthem for the Philippines.

-- 8:29 p.m. PST: Three Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders singing the Star Spangled Banner.

-- 8:33 p.m. PST: The announced crowd of 50,994 is the third-largest crowd to ever attend a boxing match in history. Ali-Spinks in 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome holds the record at 63,000-plus.

-- 8:36 p.m. PST: Clottey enters the ring first. He looks relaxed and skipping to the beat of his chosen music.

-- 8:38 p.m. PST: Pacquiao enters the ring with AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" blasting in the background. The crowd is predominantly pro-Pacquiao.

-- 8:41 p.m. PST: Micheal Buffer with the official introduction.

-- 8:44 p.m. PST: Let's get ready to rumble!

ROUND 1: Both fighters start out very cautious. Pacquiao goes to the body early with some left hooks. Clottey using the left jab but hasn't connected a significant punch. A very safe opening round for both fighters. Pacquiao did enough to win the round. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9

ROUND 2: Clottey is fighting a very conservative fight so far. Clottey connects with the jab, but Pacquiao counters with a straight left. Pacquiao is trying to engage Clottey into a punch-for-punch battle, but Clottey continues to play it safe. Pacquiao staggers Clottey with a combination. Pacquiao finishes the round with a flurry of punches. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9.

ROUND 3: Pacquiao lands a straight left that grazes Clottey's gloves. Clottey lands a straight right, his first significant punch of the fight. Pacquiao is the busier fighter, but Clottey blocks the punches with his gloves. Clottey is giving Pacquiao way too much respect. Clottey lands a hard right hand. Best punch of the fight for the man from Ghana. Pacquiao pushes Clottey into the corner with a right-left combination, but Clottey recovers. Round goes to Clottey, 10-9.

ROUND 4: It's obvious that Clottey is going to outbox Pacquiao and is not going to get caught in a slugfest. Pacquiao's best punch is a straight left to the body. Pacquiao moves Clottey into the ropes with a barrage of punches, including a unique simultaneous right-left punch that both land on Clottey's cheek. Pacquiao peppers Clottey with two hard body shots. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9.

ROUND 5: Clottey lands a straight right. Pacquiao goes to the body again and back up top with a right uppercut. Pacquiao continues to pound Clottey's body, and the fight is beginning to look one-sided in favor of the Filipino champ. Pacquiao forces Clottey into the ropes with consecutive punches. Another round to Pacquiao, 10-9.

ROUND 6: Pacquiao has won four of the first five rounds so far. Clottey scores a left-right combo and forces Pacquiao into the ropes, a rare sight in this fight. Pacquiao moves the action back into the center of the ring where he continues to dominate. Pacquiao scores with a right hook to the body and a straight left to the face. Pacquiao is landing more power shots, most of them to the body, and his speed is clearly bothering Clottey. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9.

ROUND 7: Clottey refuses to open up and remains very conservative. Pacquiao continues to pound the body with right hooks, trying to get Clottey to drop his hands. Pacquiao's quick combo punches moves Clottey into the ropes, but Clottey manages to move the right back into the center of the ring. Pacquiao pushes Clottey into the corner again, but none of the punches did any damage. Pacquiao did enough to win the round. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9.

ROUND 8: Pacquiao has a minor swelling below his right eye. Pacquiao tries to pound the body, but Clottey blocks each one of them. Pacquiao connects on two uppercuts and two straight lefts. Clottey lands a straight right at the end of the round, but Pacquiao doesn't flinch. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9.

ROUND 9: At this point of the fight, Clottey needs a knockout to win. Clottey connects with a straight right to begin the round. Pacquiao lands four consecutive shots and moves Clottey into the ropes. The fight looks like a sparring session for the seven-time world champ and it doesn't appear that Clottey will come out of his defensive shell. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9.

ROUND 10: Pacquiao lands a right hook and a straight left to the head. Clottey remains very careful and is economical with his punches. Clottey lands two shots to the head. Pacquiao tries to blitz Clottey with a right-left combo, but Clottey was able to fend off the attack. Very close round. Round goes to Pacquiao, the more aggressive fighter, 10-9.

ROUND 11: Clottey lands a left hook to the head and a straight right that stopped Pacquiao from moving in. Clottey's best round since Round 3. Clottey lands an uppercut, but Pacquiao counters with a right hook and a left cross to the head. Another close round, and could have gone either way. Round goes to Clottey, 10-9, but I'm being generous.

ROUND 12: Accidental headbutt stops the action momentarily. Clottey lands a left hook, but Pacquiao doesn't budge. Pacquiao is clearly the more superior fighter and Clottey is no match for his speed and movement. Pacquiao finishes the fight with a barrage of punches that gets the crowd going. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9.

-- 9:37 p.m. PST: It's official. Pacquiao scores a unanimous decision over Clottey.

Pacquiao tells Max Kellerman that it wasn't an easy fight. "He's a very tough opponent. He's very strong," Pacquiao says of Clottey. "He was looking for the big shot. He's a counter-puncher."

Clottey says about Pacquiao: "He has speed. He's fast. He's waiting for me to open, but he's just too fast."

Pacquiao on fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr.: "I don't think he's ready to fight. If not, maybe Mosley and I will fight."

Pacquiao improves to 51-3-2 and Clottey drops to 35-4. As expected, both Pacquiao and Freddie Roach call out Mayweather.

Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) checked in just a shade under 146 pounds - 145 3/4 to be exact - during Friday's weigh-in while Ghana's Joshua Clottey (35-3, 21 KOs), a natural welterweight, tipped the scale at 147 pounds.

Both fighters were very friendly toward each other during the weigh-in, shaking hands more than once and playfully smiling and laughing during a face-to-face pose.

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's much celebrated trainer, predicted Saturday's welterweight championship fight at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas - also known as Jerry Jones' Taj Mahal - wouldn't go past 10 rounds. Though Clottey has never been knocked out in his professional career, he has never faced a fighter like Pacquiao, who continues to defy physics and has managed to maintain his speed and punching power despite the added weight.

Pacquiao, a former flyweight champion, is on an incredible winning streak, knocking out his last four opponents:

-- def. Miguel Cotto, TKO Rd. 12 (Nov. 14, 2009)
-- def. Ricky Hatton, KO Rd. 2 (May 2, 2009)
-- def. Oscar De La Hoya, TKO Rd. 8 (Dec. 6, 2008)
-- def. David Diaz, TKO Rd. 9 (June 28, 2008)
-- def. Juan Manuel Marquez, SD Rd. 12 (March 15, 2008)

Clottey lost a split decision to Cotto in 2009 and his only signiture victory in his previous five fights was a technical decision over overrated Zab Judah in 2008 when Judah couldn't continue because of a bad cut. A look at Clottey's last five opponents:

-- lost to Miguel Cotto, SD Rd. 12 (June 13, 2009)
-- def. Zab Judah, TD Rd. 9 (Aug. 2, 2008)
-- def. Jose Luis Cruz, TKO Rd. 5 (April 3, 2008)
-- def. Shamone Alvarez, UD Rd. 12 (Dec. 20, 2007)
-- def. Felix Flores, UD Rd. 10 (Aug. 9, 2007)

Las Vegas oddsmakers has Clottey as a 4-to-1 underdog, making this bout more of a tune-up match for Pacquiao. About the only advantage Clottey will have when he steps into the ring with Pacquiao is his height (Pacquiao is 5-6 and Clottey is 5-8). But Pacquiao has yet to be overwhelmed by bigger and taller fighters so the height difference won't be a factor.

Of course, there is always a chance that Pacquiao could take Clottey lightly and make it more of a challenge. But considering there is a HUGE payday in his future (i.e. Floyd Mayweather Jr.), Pacquiao won't let his guard down.



Note: Heroes & Villains author Joel Huerto will do a live round-by-round scoring of the Pacquiao-Clottey fight. The pay-per-view event will start at 6 p.m. PST. For those who want to follow the live round-by-round blog, visit SportsFanLive.com/heroesvillains.