EX PACQUIAO TRAINER SAYS MANNY WILL BEAT CLOTTEY EASILY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 28 Jan 2010
While most boxing aficionados predict that pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will have a tough fight against former world champion Joshua Clottey in Pacquiao’s first defense of his WBO welterweight title, the trainer who handled Pacquiao when he won his first world title believes Pacquiao will win easily.
American Rick Stehely who trained Pacquiao when he scored a sensational 8th round knockout over Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul to win his first world title – the WBC flyweight crown in December 1998 told us he can’t see how Pacquiao could lose.
Stehely told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports in an interview at the Orchid Inn in Angeles City said “I think this is a kind of an easy fight for Manny. Clottey is bigger and is physically stronger but Manny’s got everything else. He’s got the speed, he’s got the skills plus Clottey is a blocker. It's almost like if Manny goes out there and throws punches in bunches, he doesn’t have to hit him hard.”
Stehely said “every now and then crack him hard but just touch him, move a little bit and I can see Clottey sitting up there with his hands over his face most of the fight and when he does open up Manny nails him with a good shot because of his speed.”
The American trainer said he believes Clottey “can go twelve rounds with Manny. He’s a tough kid but he’s not a big puncher although he might be stronger than Pacquiao physically but he’s not stronger punch-wise.”
Stahely summed it up by predicting that Pacquiao “should win a very easy twelve round decision or possibly stop Clottey late like he did with (Miguel) Cotto” whom he beat by a 12th round TKO last November 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Stehely said he was not sure whether Pacquiao could draw 45,000 fight fans even though he conceded the Filipino southpaw “has a big following now and if you put on a real nice Mexican undercard they may be able to get 45,000 in there.”
Australia’s multi-titled “Promoter of the Year” Peter Maniatis said it will be the first time that Pacquiao will fight at 147 pounds for the first time since the Oscar De La Hoya fight and Clottey “is a tough fighter who gave Cotto more than he wanted but Manny is a superstar and I’ve never seen a fighter like him. His speed, his stamina its just unbelievable and Clottey is going to be in for a tough night.”
Pacquiao who is scheduled to begin sparring on Thursday went through his regular routine at the Wild Card Gym of trainer Freddie Roach although the bad weather in Los Angeles has somewhat interfered with his jogging.
Meantime, Clottey’s problem over his trainer and assistant being denied renewal of their visas to enter the US has been solved with the re-hiring of Clottey’s former trainer Godwin Kotey of Bukom, Ghana, for the showdown against Pacquiao.
Clottey who last worked with Kotey in 2004 was reportedly relieved that Kotey who was initially refused a renewal of his visa until the US embassy in Accra, Ghana checked some things, will arrive in New York on Friday after which Clottey and his team will leave for their training camp in Fort Lauderdale in Florida.
Boxingscene.com quoted Clottey’s manager Vinny Scolpino as saying Godwin “ is a very famous trainer in Ghana and this is the trainer Joshua has been asking for to prepare for Pacquiao. It will be Godwin who puts together our game plan."
Clottey earlier split with trainer Kwame Asante who handled him for the Miguel Cotto fight following a dispute over the trainer’s pay.
Top photo: Rick Staheley (C) with Australian promoter Peter Maniatis (L) and the author (R) during the Viloria-Tamara fight on Jan. 23 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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