Heroes & Villains

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Mexican warrior Juan Manuel Marquez fought twice and both bouts could have gone either way. Pacquiao-Marquez I in 2004, an epic match that saw Marquez hit the canvas three times in the first round but somehow survived, ended up in a draw. Pacquiao-Marquez II in 2008 was another close encounter, with Pacquiao barely winning a decision on the strength of one knockdown.

For the third time in seven years, Pacquiao and Marquez will go toe-to-toe to settle once and for all who is the better man. Pacquiao's offense against Marquez's defense. Pacquiao's left hand against Marquez's right hand. Freddie Roach against Nacho Beristain. Pacquiao and Marquez are so closely matched even their professional records are nearly identical. Should be another classic war Saturday night.

Pacquiao, 32, weighed in at 143 pounds during Friday's weigh-in, a pound under the 144-pound catch-weigh agreement, while Marquez, 38, tipped the scales at 142 pounds. Both men appear to be in phenomenal shape especially Marquez, who hired a new strength coach in Angel "Memo" Heredia to help him maintain his speed and power as he goes up in weight. Heredia has been linked to illegal distribution of performance-enhancing drugs, but he claims his work with Marquez is clean as a whistle. Roach and Pacquiao's strength and conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, say they are not concerned about Heredia's presence in Marquez's corner. We'll see how they feel about Heredia if the result tilts toward Marquez.

Roach predicts a sixth-round knockout for his fighter, which is somewhat surprising considering how the first two matchups concluded. But Roach believes Pacquiao's right hand is significantly better now and that could be the big difference.

The tale of the tape:
-- Age: Pacquiao 32; Marquez 38
-- Weight: Pacquiao 143; Marquez 142
-- Height: Pacquiao 5-6 1/2; Marquez 5-7
-- Reach: Pacquiao 67"; Margarito 67"
-- Stance: Pacquiao (southpaw); Marquez (orthodox)
-- Pro Record: Pacquiao 53-3-2, 38 KOs; Marquez 53-5-1, 39 KOs

The preliminary bouts at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas 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

Seven-time world champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines returns to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, tonight to compete for an unprecedented eighth world title, but he has a huge road block ahead of him in Antonio Margarito of Mexico. Margarito will have a 4½-inch height advantage over Pacquiao and likely to be almost 15 pounds heavier once the two combatants enter the ring.

Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) weighed in at 144.6 pounds during Friday's weigh-in, more than five pounds below the 150-pound limit. He says the height and weight difference won't bother him tonight and the Filipino champion believes his speed will be the key to winning the fight.

Margarito (38-6-1, 27 knockouts) is a former welterweight champion who was suspended for a year after a plaster-like substance was found in his gloves when he fought Sugar Shane Mosley in 2009. A victory over Pacquiao, considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, would revive his career.

The last time Pacquiao fought at Cowboys Stadium the announced attendance was 50,994, the third-largest crowd to ever attend a boxing match. Tonight's bout could top that figure.

The tale of the tape:
-- Age: Pacquiao 31; Margarito 32
-- Weight: Pacquiao 144.6; Margarito 150
-- Height: Pacquiao 5-6 1/2; Margarito 5-11
-- Reach: Pacquiao 67"; Margarito 73"
-- Stance: Pacquiao (southpaw); Margarito (orthodox)
-- Pro Record: Pacquiao 51-3-2, 38 KOs; Margarito 38-6-1, 27 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

-- 6:10 p.m. PST: Brandon Rios is taking on Omri Lowther in one of the preliminary bouts. Rios is part of the Margarito camp.

-- 6:18 p.m. PST: Margarito is shown entering the stadium. He added 15 pounds overnight since the weigh-in. He'll carry about 165 pounds in the ring tonight.

-- 6:25 p.m. PST: Rios scores technical knockout in fifth round as referee steps in to halt the fight. He improves to 26-0-1.

-- 6:31 p.m. PST: About a half hour ago, Pacquiao enters the stadium with his massive entourage and settles into his dressing room. Pacquiao will weigh in around 148 pounds when he goes into the ring.

-- 6:44 p.m. PST: This current undercard is lifeless. Should just call it a draw and move on to the next bout.

-- 6:46 p.m. PST: Curious to see Mike Jones. Lot of hype surrounding him.

-- 7:01 p.m. PST: Freddie Roach is watching like a hawk as Margarito gets his hands wrapped in his dressing room.

-- 7:13 p.m. PST: Roach is still watching Margarito getting his hands wrapped by Robert Garcia. This may be the most watched hand-wrapping in boxing history.

-- 7:24 p.m. PST: Unless the next bout ends quick, the main event could start in a little over an hour.

-- 7:28 p.m. PST: Up next, Mike Jones takes on Jesus Soto-Karass.

-- 7:40 p.m. PST: A little dispute going in the Pacquiao dressing room. Margarito's trainer, Robert Garcia, is questioning the way Pacquiao's hands were wrapped. A little gamesmanship in the part of the young trainer. It's an obvious ploy to get under the skin of Pacquiao and Roach.

-- 7:45 p.m. PST: This latest dressing room spat just adds to the drama. Roach is visibly upset, so score one for Garcia for rattling his cage. In the meantime, Jones and Soto-Karass are giving fans their money's worth in the ring.

-- 7:48 p.m. PST: Roach's reply to Garcia's gamesmanship is that he's claiming Margarito is using a banned substance and wants an immediate drug test. Margarito's camp says they will get tested after the bout, but Roach claims the banned substance will be out of his system by the end of the night. This is getting good!

-- 8:28 p.m. PST: We're about 15 minutes away from the first bell of the main event. The crowd noise is so loud Jim Lampley is wearing a headset.

-- 8:31 p.m. PST: Three members of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders singing the national anthem. Nice.

-- 8:36 p.m. PST: Nelly in da house!

-- 8:37 p.m. PST: Didn't realize the pay-per-view package included a Nelly concert.

-- 8:45 p.m. PST: Margarito now entering the ring.

-- 8:48 p.m. PST: Pacquiao now entering the ring.

-- 8:50 p.m. PST: I'm digging the theme song from Karate Kid.

-- 8:53 p.m. PST: Do your thing Michael Buffer ... "Let's get ready to rumble!"

First round: Opening round is always a feeling-out process, and that's how this one starts. Margarito is smartly keeping his distance using the left jab. Pacquiao tries to go to the body and later sticks a straight left to Margarito's face. Pacquiao is connecting consistently and lands two more shots later in the round. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9

Second round: Pacquiao opens the round with a straight left and his hand speed is bothering Margarito, but the Mexican fighter is beginning to land his own shots. It's a classic battle between size and strength vs. speed and quickness. Margarito scores two power shots while the two were in the middle of the ring. The bigger man is beginning to impose his size advantage. Round goes to Margarito, 10-9

Third round: Pacquiao starts off strong with quick shots to Margarito's head. Margarito continues to stalk the Filipino fighter, but his movement is a little slow and methodical. Pacquiao lands a big left cross that stuns Margarito and gets the crowd going. Margarito backs up Pacquiao to a corner, but Pacquiao lands a flurry of punches as Margarito covers up, and Pacman gets out of trouble. None of the shots hurt Margarito, but it certainly made him stop pursuing. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9

Fourth round: Pacquiao puts together a string of combinations that snaps Margarito's head like a bobblehead doll. The Mexican fighter seems to be weakening. The Filipino champion is beginning to control the fight and there's a visible cut under the right eye of the Mexican fighter. Pacquiao's best round of the fight. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9

Fifth round: Margarito comes out of his chair with a huge welt under his right eye. He starts the round pursuing Pacquiao hard, trying to get him on the ropes. But Pacquiao escapes by punching his way out of trouble. That's been the theme of the fight so far. Margarito doesn't have any snap on his punches as Pacman continues to pile up the points. An impressive round for Pacquiao. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9

Sixth round: Margarito's right eye is nearly closing and it will be extremely hard for him to see out of that eye the rest of the bout. It's hard enough to catch the speedy Filipino with two good eyes, it'll be almost impossible to catch him with one good eye. This is looking like a sparring session between a great fighter and an average fighter. Pacquiao is taking a little breather, but he's still winning the round. Margarito connects with some power shots at the end of the round, but Pacquiao battles back and countered with his own power shots. Round goes to Pacquiao

Seventh round: Referee tells Margarito go to a corner to have the doctor check his right eye. Fight continues. That eye is getting worse as Margarito continues to absorb power shots from Pacquiao's left hand. Whenever the two are in the middle of the ring, Pacquiao is winning the exchanges. Each time Margarito makes his move, Pacquiao has an immediate counter move. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9

Eighth round: So far, Pacquiao has won every round except one. Margarito gets Pacquiao on the ropes and begins to pound away, his best flurry of the night. But Pacquiao, again, gets out of trouble by punching his way out and delivers two huge power shots to Margarito's bloodied and battered face. Give Margarito credit for fighting back and continues his nonstop pursuit. Best round of the fight. Round goes to Margarito, 10-9

Ninth round: For the first time in the fight, Pacquiao is beginning to show signs of slowing down. But does Margarito have enough left in the tank to mount a serious attack? Pacquiao may have done enough to win the round. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9

10th round: Pacquiao looks like he has regained his strength and begins the round bouncing around and firing shots from all angles. Margarito is target practice at this point, and Pacquiao has reestablished his dominance. Pacman punishes Margarito with some vicious shots to the head. The Mexican nods his head, telling the Filipino none of the punches hurt. Pacman's punches may not knock him out, but Margarito's face is turning into a bloody mess and the cut is getting worse. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9

11th round: During the time in between, Margarito's trainer asks his fighter if he wants to continue. Margarito, with his right eye completely shut and swelling under his left eye, says he's fine. A true Mexican warrior, but on this night, he's been thoroughly outclassed and beaten badly by a world-class boxer. This fight is very close to being stopped. The referee is going to have to make the call because Margarito is not going to quit despite having zero snap in his punches. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9

12th round: Pacquiao is content on boxing from a distance, but he's still connecting with regularly. His pinpoint accuracy and powerful left hand was the difference in this fight. Round goes to Pacquiao, 10-9

FIGHT SUMMARY: Pacquiao scores a unanimous decision, claims his 13th consecutive victory and a record eighth world title belt. Final stats show that he connected 58% of his power shots and was clearly the better fighter. He continues to defy the odds by beating up on taller and heavier opponents. Margarito, a natural welterweight, couldn't impose his size advantage over the smaller but much, much quicker and very active Filipino champion. For every one punch Margarito threw, Pacquiao countered with a two-, three- or four-punch combination. I scored the bout 10-2 in favor of Pacquiao, but this could have easily been a shutout. I awarded Margarito two rounds on pure guts, but he was thoroughly outclassed by one of the best fighters of his generation.

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.

Like him or not, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the straw that stirs boxing's melting pot.

Depending on the opponent, Mayweather can play the hero or the villain. He is both fearless and calculated. Very few pugilists today can bring attention to a fight better than "Money" Mayweather, and his pay-per-view buys back it up his pre-fight bravado.

During Thursday's media event held at L.A. Live's Nokia Plaza to promote his upcoming pay-per-view championship fight with Shane Mosley, Mayweather managed to fire insults at Manny Pacquiao without mentioning his name. And as he made his way to a group of adoring fans who attended the Floyd-fest, Mayweather led a playful chant of "HGH! HGH! HGH!" as Mosley - whose name has been dragged through the BALCO mud - worked his way around the barricades to sign autographs.

Score two points for the undisputed king of hype, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

"I'm the face of boxing," boasts the six-time, 33-year-old former pound-for-pound king (40-0, 25 knockouts), who begins his "Clean Up Boxing" crusade with a blockbuster bout with the 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) on May 1 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Floyd Jr. has built his entire career being defensive. He didn't get the nickname Pretty Boy Floyd by getting into too many slugfests. In the ring, he has mastered the art of hitting without getting hit. Out of the ring, he always seems to find himself defending his decisions, whether it's not fighting a guy who refuses to subject himself to random blood and urine tests (ahem ... Manny Pacquiao!) or fighting a guy who appear to be past his prime (ahem ... Shane Mosley!).

"No matter who I face, I don't get my just due. I'm fighting against the media and all those Internet blogs. You have to be mentally strong to do that," he said."

Mayweather has vowed to rid the sport of boxing of all fighters who, in Mayweather's mind, have enhanced their careers with the help of human growth hormones.

"I just want to clean up my sport," said Mayweather, who certainly is not referring to the trash left people left behind at Nokia Plaza.

And as much as he says he is focused on preparing for Mosley, it is crystal clear that Pacquiao -- who fights Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Dallas -- is very much in Mayweather's sights.

Mayweather firmly believes that he's STILL the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and feels the title was unceremoniously taken away from him when he briefly retired from the sport three years ago.

Hard to argue Mayweather's point since he has never lost a professional fight.

When the subject of the much-awaited Pacquiao bout was broached, Mayweather went on the offensive and reiterated his suspicions about the Filipino fighter.

"At one time, fighters didn't have to take blood tests. But I'm taking a stand," Mayweather explained. "All I'm saying is, in the sport of boxing, you don't go from being an ordinary fighter at 25 to extraordinary at 30."

Whether or not Pacquiao is guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs, Mayweather has certainly planted a huge seed of doubt in the minds of the boxing community that Pacquiao may not be playing by the same rules as everyone else.

Pacquiao certainly didn't help his cause when he said he is not fond of needles. Well, if Manny Pacquiao is afraid of needles, then how did he get his tattoos?

I truly believe the Mayweather-Pacquiao megafight will eventually happen. There is just too much money on the line for it not to materialize. But Mayweather is going to make sure that it will be on his terms. Like he said before, the road to a big-time payday leads to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

If Pacquiao wants to complete his Hall-of-Fame credential and be considered the best fighter of his generation, he needs to agree to the Olympic-style drug testing and end all of the speculation. Otherwise, Pretty Boy will continue to needle him.

The moment has finally arrived. Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), the man considered as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, takes on Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) tonight at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the WBO championship belt. Both fighters agreed to fight at a catch-weight of 145 pounds. During Friday's weigh-in, Pacquiao tipped the scale at 144 pounds while Cotto was at 145.

Here is the tale of the tape:
-- Age: Pacquiao 30, Cotto 29
-- Height: Pacquiao 5-6 1/2, Cotto 5-8
-- Reach: Pacquiao 67", Cotto 69"
-- Chest normal: Pacquiao 38", Cotto 39"
-- Chest expanded: Pacquiao 41", Cotto 41"
-- Waist: Pacquiao 28", Cotto 32"
-- Thigh: Pacquiao 20", Cotto 22 1/2"
-- Calf: Pacquiao 15", Cotto 12"
-- Neck: Pacquiao 16", Cotto 16"
-- Fist: Pacquiao 10", Cotto 11"

The preliminary bouts will start at 6 p.m. PST. The live round-by-round scoring with highlights will begin at approximately 8 p.m. PST. on this site: SportsFanLive.com/heroesvillains

-- 6:55 p.m. PST: Both fighters are in the arena. Cotto is sitting ringside, watching the prelims with his family. Pacquiao is in his dressing room with his entourage. More to come....

-- 8:15 p.m. PST: Last of the prelim bouts nearly over. Pacquiao-Cotto bout should start at approximately 9 p.m. PST.

-- 8:21 p.m PST: Magic Johnson, Derek Jeter and Mark Wahlberg in the house...

-- 8:24 p.m. PST: JC Chavez Jr. scores an unimpressive win over Rowland. Some boos in the crowd...Main event is about to start.

-- 8:28 p.m. PST: More faces in the crowd...Roberto Duran, Will Ferrell and P. Diddy. La Diva singing the Philippine nation anthem.

-- 8:31 p.m. PST: Ednita Nazario singing the Puerto Rican national anthem...
-- 8:33 p.m. PST: Ramiele now singing the Star Spangled Banner...

-- 8:37 p.m. PST: Pacquiao now entering the ring with his entourage to the sounds of "Thunder Struck" by AC/DC.
br/>-- 8:41 p.m. PST: Cotto entering the ring with his entourage to the sounds of "Stronger" by Kanye West.

-- 8:44 p.m. PST: Pacquiao looks relaxed, smiling to the cameras. Cotto looking real intense.

-- 8:46 p.m. PST: Michael Buffer doing his thing...Let's get ready to rumble!

ROUND 1 -- Cotto throwing jabs early. Cotto lands the first significant punch of the fight with a straight jab. Pacquiao a little tentative. Pacquiao misses with the left, Cotto counters. Round 1 goes to Cotto.

ROUND 2 -- Cotto's jabs are moving Pacquiao backwards. Pacquiao connects with a flurry of punches. Cotto lands a great left hook to the head but Pacquiao counters with a straight left to the side of the face. Crowd roars with each Pacquiao combination. Pacquiao scores a late flurry to take control of the round. Round 2 goes to Pacquiao.

ROUND 3 -- Pacquiao's speed is beginning to bother Cotto. Pacquiao lands a short right punch that knocks down Cotto in the middle of the ring. Pacquiao is beginning to land his right hook. Pacquiao's footspeed and handspeed are starting to dictate the fight. Round 3 goes to Pacquiao (10-8).

ROUND 4 -- Pacquiao scores with a quick right jab and straight left to start the round. When Pacquiao is stationary, Cotto goes to the body. Both fighters exchanging some power shots in the middle of the ring. Pacquiao hits Cotto with a quick left uppercut to the head and knocks the Puerto Rican down for the second time in the fight. Round 4 goes to Pacquiao (10-8).

ROUND 5 -- Cotto's early attack has been tempered by Pacquiao's counter-punching. Pace has slowed down compared to the last round. Cotto gets Pacquiao on the ropes. Cotto connects with a right hand that stuns the Filipino fighter. Round 5 goes to Cotto.

ROUND 6 -- Pacquiao is clearly ahead on power punches landed. Cotto seems to have recovered from his two knock downs. Pacquiao's movement has stopped momentarily, fighting more flat-footed. Pacquiao lands two quick punches to the head that backs up Cotto against the ropes. Cotto lands a straight left to Pacquiao's jaw to get out of trouble. Pacquiao landing the heavier punches in this round. Crowd-pleasing flurry from both fighters at the end of the round. Round goes to Pacquiao.

ROUND 7 -- Pacquiao lands a solid right hook that stuns Cotto. Pacquiao lands a heavy straight left that snaps Cotto's head. Pacquiao's speed is dictating this round. Cotto slips a jab to Pacquiao's chin. Pacquiao is landing the more significant blows in this round and Cotto's bigger body is not huge a factor. Round goes to Pacquiao.

ROUND 8 -- Cotto seems to have forgotten his jab and Pacquiao's confidence is growing. Pacquiao's lighting-quick movement is the difference the fight. Cotto lands a quick jab that snaps Pacquiao's head. But Pacquiao backs up Cotto with his non-stop attack and Cotto can't seem to figure out how to counter Pacquiao's relentless attack. Pacquiao connects with two left hands near the end of the round that gets a rise from the crowd. Cotto has a small cut below his right eye. Round goes to Pacquiao.

ROUND 9 -- Cotto showing a lot of courage despite getting blitz by Pacquiao's right-left combinations. Cotto scores with two quick glancing shots to the head. Pacquiao corners Cotto and delivers two solid shots to the head. Pacquiao continues to pepper Cotto with quick power shots, especially with the left hand. Pacquiao catches Cotto with a big left cross and the Puerto Rican backs into the ropes. Cotto is now bleeding on both eyes and his nose. Round 9 goes to Pacquiao.

ROUND 10 -- Cotto's trunks are stained with blood. Cotto is backpedaling to avoid engaging in the middle of the ring with Pacquiao, who is clearly in control of this fight. Some boos in the crowd as Cotto is reluctant to exchange blows with Pacquiao. Round goes to Pacquiao.

ROUND 11 -- Cotto starts the round by throwing his left jab, something he should have been doing throughout the fight. A chant of "Manny, Manny" screams from the pro-Pacquiao crowd. Pacquiao corners Cotto, but he backs the Filipino fighter with a solid left jab. Pacquiao trying to press Cotto into a slugfest. Some more boos in the crowd as Cotto continues to back up. Round goes to Pacquiao.

ROUND 12 -- Pacquiao pushes Cotto into the ropes with a devastating straight left. Referee steps in to stop the fight 55 seconds into the round. PACQUIAO WINS BY TKO.

Pacquiao claimed his seventh world championship belt and reestablished his position as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Cotto suffers his second defeat as a professional.

There is some truth to Teddy Atlas' observation about Miguel Cotto being "damaged goods" and, before we dismiss Atlas' personal unbiased opinion as baseless, the proof is in the DVR.

Atlas, the longtime boxing trainer who also serves as a TV analyst, recently explained that often times when fighters suffer a severe beating like Cotto did against Antonio Margarito last year, they become gun-shy and doubt creeps into their head.

That doubt was evident in Cotto's last fight, a 12-round split decision over Joshua Clottey in June. Some thought Clottey won the fight. I recently reviewed that fight in its entirety (with the sound down, of course), and I must say I had a hard time giving the fight to Cotto.

When Cotto began bleeding profusely above his left eye after an accidental head butt from Clottey, he began to fight cautiously. You could sense Cotto was more worried about the cut than his opponent.

Cotto fought Margarito in July 2008, a slugfest Margarito won decisively and Cotto left the ring that night bleeding from the nose, around the eyes and his ears. It was the kind of pounding that would make any proud boxer question his ability. Margarito won by TKO and Cotto was battered and severely bruised physically and emotionally.

Miguel Cotto, left, suffered a TKO loss to Antonio Margarito in 2008 in Las Vegas.

A year later, though his wounds have healed, Cotto is still scarred by that devastating loss.

This is exactly what Atlas was referring to when he said Cotto is damaged goods. Atlas is not convinced Cotto has gotten rid of the memory of his bloodbath against Margarito - who is currently suspended from the sport for reportedly having a plaster-like substance in his gloves when he fought Shane Mosley in January in Los Angeles.

Cotto's handlers are saying the Puerto Rican fighter is back to being Miguel Cotto, and that the former unbeaten fighter is at the top of his game and ready to take down pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 14.

Is he? Can a fighter who just a year ago was knocked down twice and lost buckets of blood rebound that quickly? Can Cotto honestly say he will not have any visions of Margarito when he steps into the ring at the MGM Grand Garden on Saturday night, the site of his only professional defeat?

Pacquiao is not Margarito. He's better.

The Filipino six-time world champion may not be as big as Margarito but he's faster and more elusive. I anticipate Cotto, a more natural welterweight, to try to bully the smaller Pacquiao with body shots, but that would mean Pacquiao would have fight flat-footed, which he rarely does. Cotto has never fought anyone with Pacquiao's slippery movement, and he will have a hard time cornering the southpaw who has now added a solid right hook to his repertoire.

The one advantage Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) will have when he enters the ring is size, having fought at 147 pounds most of his career. And the catch-weight of 145 shouldn't bother Cotto. But being the undersized fighter didn’t slow down Pacquiao in his convincing victories over Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya, David Diaz and Ricky Hatton.

While Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) has his sights set on a huge payday against Floyd Mayweather, Saturday’s bout is more of a therapy session for Cotto.

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, is the best at breaking down a boxer's weaknesses and bad habits, and he has seen plenty of bad habits from Cotto.

Roach revealed during an episode of HBO's 24/7 that he doesn't think Joe Santiago, Cotto's lead cornerman, is experienced enough to make the proper adjustments during the bout. Obviously, Santiago disagrees with Roach's assessment but the stark contrast between the two corners are overwhelming.

Pacquiao likes to start fast and Cotto's physical and mental state will be severely tested early. Even if Cotto survives the first barrage, I just don't see him weathering the storm and the sustained barrage of punches that Pacquiao will send his way. Prediction: Pacquiao wins, ninth-round TKO.

Let the countdown begin for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather.

Note: Heroes & Villains author Joel Huerto will do a live round-by-round scoring of the Pacquiao-Cotto fight on Nov. 14. To read his live round-by-round blog, visit SportsFanLive.com/heroesvillains.