CLOTTEY LOST THE FIGHT BUT MAY HAVE WON THE BATTLE
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 15 Mar 2010
Arlington, Texas -- Many articles have been written after the big fight dubbed as “The Event” was completed at the cavernous Cowboys Stadium between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey.
Mostly they spoke of Clottey’s losing efforts to unseat the Filipino spitfire who holds the WBO Welterweight title.
While the fight was indeed lopsided with Pacquiao throwing more than 1000 punches and Clottey just a little over 300, theoretically Clottey lost the fight but in my humble opinion, won the battle.
Let me explain.
Before Clottey’s name got on the Pacquiao list, he just lurked around amongst the welterweights in the world. This is in spite of beating Zab Judah and becoming a world champion himself.
Clottey’s losses to Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito did not help his cause. They did nothing to elevate him above the world of the lesser known welterweights.
But, his loss to Manny Pacquiao did exactly the opposite.
Not too many knew Clottey by name until he got hooked up with Manny Pacquiao after the chicken from Las Vegas who calls himself “Money” refused, out of total psychological fear, to fight Manny Pacquiao.
But Clottey was different. He took the offer and fight the world’s best pound for pound champion without too much hesitation. He knew the value of fight. But most especially, he was not scared.
When Clottey accepted the fight and stepped up the plate, in lieu of Mayweather Junior, his name recognition even from those outside the realm of true boxing fans jumped up exponentially.
All of a sudden his name was being mentioned alongside Pacquiao. It did not matter even if he was second fiddle. An exposure is an exposure and Clottey made the most of it.
Then as fate has it, Clottey did better against Pacquiao than the so called “big names” and world champions DelaHoya, Hatton, Cotto, and David Diaz. He finished his fight with Pacquiao standing up unlike the aforementioned fighters who either ended flat on their backs or seating in their stool or having the referee stop the fight and declared them as losers.
Clottey’s losing cause against Pacquiao was not pretty, but he fought the best way he knew how and never got knocked down.
And, he survived the relentless onslaught of the Filipino spitfire.
Unfortunately the game plan his Team designed for him was more to survive than win the fight out right. They thought that Pacquiao will eventually blow himself out of steam and they can then take over.
But alas, Pacquiao had a full tank of gas. It was undoubtedly, the premium kind because he did not lose an iota of energy for 12 long rounds. Just like the “Energizer Bunny”, he just kept of going until he heard the final bell.
The exposure he had and the fact that he stayed on his feet gained him a few respect. And, word from the grapevine indicates he may be fighting for 154 title now own by Yuri Foreman.
Thus it easy to say that Clottey lost the Pacquiao fight but won the battle, the battle called “ marketability”.
All of the sudden the notoriety propelled him near the pinnacle
Clottey is no longer the unknown. He now carries the unsavory brand of being the man who clamped up like an armadillo and survived the Pacquiao speed machine.
Sometime notoriety translate to marketability. Just ask Floyd Jr who is an expert in making himself smell like gutter but sells lots of tickets.
Clottey unwittingly used the same approach. But nonetheless it worked for him.
Now thanks to his promoter Bob Arum, Clottey will be back on the ring for a title fight.
That can not be said about De la Hoya, Hatton and Barrera. They tried to derail the Pacman machine but they all ended in retirement.
Not Clottey. He will be back another day to fight again.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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