The Replacements Might Spell Disaster for Either Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather… Or Both
Pacquiao vs Anybody = Spectacular
Mayweather vs Anybody = Snoozefest.
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Tungod, Inabanga, Bohol – When the highly anticipated Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown fell through, most boxing fans and pundits probably thought that anything else would be a huge letdown. I am not about to disagree with them, though… not unless they are thinking that the replacements in Joshua Clottey and Sugar Shane Mosley for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., respectively, are mere pushovers and nothing but keep-busy fights. While the much-ballyhooed clash between the consensus top dogs in the sport still remains incomparable in terms of significance and magnitude, the Pacquiao-Clottey and Mayweather-Mosley encounters are certainly a great way to test the mettles of the sport’s consensus best fighters pound for pound as well.
There are actually three possibilities when all is said and done. The first one, probably the last thing that the promoters would not want to happen, is if both Pacquiao and Mayweather lose their respective matchups. Second would be if one of them loses. The third possibility is if both of them wins, which definitely makes the impending barnburner a whole lot more mouthwatering and outright necessary. Take note that the possibility of draw verdicts weren’t taken into account. After all, a draw could be considered as a loss for either Pacquiao or Mayweather.
But before we jump into the conclusion that the third possibility just might be the most probable outcome, let’s first try to examine the matchups.
We start our discussions with what will perhaps turn out to be the more exciting bout – the Pacquiao-Clottey faceoff. Any contest with the name Manny Pacquiao in it should be assurance enough for a thrilling and exhilarating boxing spectacle. The odds are expected to be stacked against the fire-breathing Pinoy’s opponent in former IBF welterweight champion Joshua “Grand Master” Clottey (35-3-0, 20 KOs). This is no surprise, considering that the fighter out of Ghana, by way of Bronx, New York lost to the same guy who was destroyed by Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) of the Philippines, not to mention that the Filipino is universally considered as the best fighter pound for pound at present. But before you Pacman fanatics get too excited, please allow me to point out a couple of things that might make you think twice about Clottey being just a walk-in-the-park for the Pinoy great.
Make no mistake about it. Joshua Clottey is probably the best and most dangerous Pacquiao opponent to date, among the Pinoy pug’s long list of opponents. The potent combination of size, speed, stamina, skill, power, and chin is certainly a tall order for even a fighter like Pacquiao to overcome. Don’t be fooled by Clottey’s 3 losses. His first loss to Carlos Baldomir, who eventually became a welterweight champion, was due to disqualification with Clottey ahead in all three scorecards at the time of the halt. In his second setback, Clottey was making a good account of himself before sustaining an injured left hand in the fourth canto and was basically fighting one-handed from round 5 onwards against the hard-punching Antonio “Loaded Hands” Margarito. Clottey’s third loss, against Cotto, as we all know, was very much closer than the scorecards would suggest.
Clottey has top-notch defensive skills. Using his gloves and arms to protect himself the way Ronald “Winky” Wright does, the “Grand Master” has always finished fights with more than enough gas in his tank. Of course, Pacquiao is definitely in a league of his own, but Clottey could very well pose a lot of problems for the General Santos native. Clottey boasts a great left hook downstairs and up, often followed by a quick right straight. Team Pacquiao should also take note of Clottey’s tendency to come in with his head first. With their contrasting fighting stance, it is not farfetched that Pacquiao could sustain a cut that might hinder his vision just like he did in his first bout against Morales. We all know what happened to that fight. I don’t see Pacquiao knocking Clottey out in this confrontation… but then again, Pacquiao has made the habit of making surprises and exceeding expectations. He might once again do it this time around.
Now let’s move to the other one – the Mayweather-Mosley snoozefest. Though I believe that this will probably be more significant than Pacquiao-Clottey, I couldn’t help but consider Mayweather’s propensity to run and he might do just that against Mosley, a fighter who has a legitimate shot at getting one of the O’s in Mayweather’s immaculate record. If Mayweather ran against fighters who had no chance of hurting him, how much more against a man who can hurt him… hurt him really bad at that? With those bum hands and xycloccain or whatever they call that banned substance Mayweather has been using to numb his fragile fists, I don’t know what else to expect with this fight other than a marathon.
Comments are highly appreciated. You can write them below or send them to reylanloberternos@yahoo.com.ph
Hereunder are articles written by the same byline:
The Pacquiao-Drug-Issue Advocates: Envious or Just Plain Stupid?
The Truth Behind Manny Pacquiao’s Losses and Draws (Part 1)
The Truth Behind Manny Pacquiao’s Losses and Draws (Part 2)
Mayweather: Untried, Unproven and Untested at Welterweight!
Z “The Dream” Gorres and the Story that was Almost Never Told
Why Marquez Makes a Whole Lot More Sense Than Mayweather!
The Analogy: Pacquiao is to LeBron as to Mayweather is to Kobe as to Robinson is to Jordan
15 Comments
yes thats what im thingking too. they might both lose, to their respective fights and their future fights will be jeopardize
I’m very much confident that Manny would win on his match with Clottey..I dont know about Mayweather though..Ofcourse he would run, thats how he fights..It would be a cat and mouse with May-Mosley..I don’t know if Mosley would be willing to make a dive just to get this huge money fight and then theres the rematch which would add additional money for both of them..I’m certain that Pac-Clottey would be a war and a legit fight at that..I don’t know about the other one though. GBP is so notorious nowadays for “dirty works” and add to that this Mayweather who is a known dirty-smart boxer/person.
lol lol lol r u serious?
Pacman can win eyes closed and will win I bet my house for that
Mayweather will win on points. there s noway SSM can beat.
Then if Pac wants to fight mayweather better do the blood tests like SSM. IF not dnt blame Mayweather for that.
I am not bias here I like both as boxers.
“Surprises and exceeding expectations,” are the operatng words. In boxing either you have confidence or ambivalence. Confidence is what I have re Pacquiao.
I think mayweather and mosley are practicing now in the same ring. They are making a script of their fights. . . . . i will watch this fight because their will be drama.
hell yeah
mayweather has these tools in his disposal: running or tying his opponent up. both are not illegal in boxing. Holyfield tied up Tyson and Tyson got frustrated so he bit Holyfield’s ear. mayweather is very good at running, or in other words, staying away from getting hit.
keept it up!
you’re probably right mr writer but these match-up could also bring contrast to who’s going to be an exciting fight, though it is expected to be manny vs clottey “the event”
I see Pacquiao knocking out Clottey, while Mayweather winning on points. Nice analysis bai Reylan.
people are only interested in mayweather fights because they want to see him get knocked out.
as for manny, people watch his fights because they want to see him if he could overcome a tough challenge, plus, he’s exciting to watch.
Turn your wish that Mayweather vs Pacquaio will happen. But leave it just a nightmare dream. For as long as Mayweathers’s attitude & pride will be there no fight will happened. Yet Manny’s camp will not knell down to him as what demand ha has. He is just a boxer he has no right to call an even overpower what is the rule & law of boxing against NSAC.
Because of his cowardness this is just a ploy just to hack the neck of Manny. Mayweather is always be a chicken that will run & say Kakakakakakakakakak!
Whatever the outcome of the 2 fights, it will definitely be exciting for all boxing fans come March 13 and May 1, 2010. After that we can always have Pacquiao-Mayweather, Pacquiao-Mosley, or even Pacquiao-Valero sometime late this year, whether Pacquiao wins or loses, those fights will still be something everyone will love to watch.
Even Pacquiao loose he still be loved by fans because he fights wholeheartedly.
This si a bullshit article because of the disregard put on the Mosley-mayweather bout. Pacqauio is nothing great about him and Clottey will be the one to expose it. If he fought Mayweather, he will be destroyed.