"Manny, my time is now!!!" - Joshua Clottey

Former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey is confident that he has what it takes to beat World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in their fight on March 13th, at the Dallas Cowboy stadium, in Arlington, Texas. In an article at Ghanaweb< Clottey, 32, said “I know its Pacquiao, but I don’t want people thinking that Manny is super, that nobody can beat him. He is a human being like me. He has lost three times and I have also lost three times. We speak, laugh and share jokes together. I promise that I will dethrone him” [Pacquiao].

Clottey doesn’t seem bothered by all the people who are giving him almost zero chance to beat Pacquiao. Clottey has been in against some tough world class opponents during his career, in fights against Miguel Cotto, Zab Judah, Diego Corrales and Antonio Margarito. One problem that Clottey has is that he’s only had mixed results when stepping it.

Clottey has lost to Cotto, Margarito and Carlos Baldomir during his career. There’s no shame in losing to good fighters like them, but Clottey doesn’t have a lot of other wins against notable opponents to make up for his losses against some of the best opponents he’s faced.

In the fights that Clottey has lost, he’s generally fought very well during patches of the fight. However, in almost every case, Clottey has seemed to run out of gas and have his work rate suffer as the rounds progressed late into the fight. Even in some of the fights that Clottey has won, he’s faded late and turned fights that should have been a lopsided win or knockout into a fight that turned to be much closer than it should have.

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, will likely have Pacquiao following a fight plan which involves Pacquiao using quick in and out attacks to avoid getting hit by Clottey. Roach won’t want Pacquiao to stand in front of Clottey and try to slug with him because of Clottey’s bigger size, good hand speed and strong chin.

Clottey isn’t the type of fighter that can easily be knocked out. This is why their March 13th fight could turn out to be a very boring fight with Pacquiao winning it by hitting and running. Roach says that Clottey will make for an exciting fight for fans, but it could turn out completely opposite of that with Pacquiao fighting on the move for 12 rounds.