MANILA, Philippines – The world’s best pound-for-pound fighter made a prediction on the outcome of the May 1 fight between Americans Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley.
“I think Mosley will win,” Manny Pacquiao declared on the Krystal Hart Show as quoted by FightFan.com.
Even if he thinks that Mayweather is a "boring" fighter, Pacquiao said that the fight between "Pretty Boy Floyd" and "Sugar Shane" will still be a treat for fight fans.
“I think Mayweather vs. Mosley will be a good fight,” he said.
Pacquiao then went on to give another reason why his scheduled March 13 bout with Mayweather did not push through.
“I’m not concerned about the Money (that would have come in a fight vs. Mayweather). I’m concerned about what I can give in terms of my performance to the people who love boxing. My concern isn’t only with myself, but with the people who buy tickets looking for a good fight,” he said.
“I don’t want to disappoint people with a boring fight. I feel you need to entertain the people who watch your fights.”
Pacquiao, meanwhile, assured a very good fight against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey, whom he will face on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“It’s going to be a good fight because he has a good style. It’s a different kind of style and I want to fight. He’s bigger and he’s taller than Miguel Cotto.”
Pacquiao won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title last November by beating Cotto via technical knockout in Round 12.
Clean fighter
After Pacquiao’s victory over Cotto, talks on the Mayweather-Pacquiao match-up swirled immediately. They were supposed to face off on March 13 fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Talks to seal the deal collapsed when the fighters’ camps disagreed on the drug testing protocol.
Mayweather, his father Floyd Sr. and other members of his team even alleged that Pacquiao was taking performance-enhancing drugs. The Filipino boxing icon already filed a defamation complaint against them.
“I’m not against blood testing. Just not the day of the fight. I’ve had that happen in the (first) [Erik] Morales fight. I lost that fight and my body felt very weak. I don’t feel I recovered. That is why I don’t want blood testing close to the fight,” explained Pacquiao.
He also mentioned that he is a “very honest person” who prays and believes in God. He said his success in the ring only reflects the hard training he undergoes before every fight.
“I’m a clean fighter who trains very hard. People don’t know how hard I train and the sacrifices I make.”
He even hit back on Mayweather, saying that the American probably did not really want to face the 7-time world champ.
“I don’t think Mayweather wanted the fight. He had too many reasons (that lead) to cancel the fight. I’m not disappointed because I know I’m not the one who didn’t want the fight and I have to defend myself.”
Clottey’s disappointment
Pacquiao, who is training in the United States for his title defense, said he is not underestimating his opponent.
“I didn’t expect I would end up fighting Clottey but I will prepare myself and train hard,” he said.
“Clottey is a strong guy and a good fighter. He’s a former world champion. I am sure we will have a good fight and create a lot of excitement in the ring.”
The Ghanian, on the other hand, is still encountering problems in his fight preparations because his trainer, Godwin Dzanie Kotey better known as Alloway, has not yet secured a US visa.
“I am fine but tell Ghana that they’ve disappointed me by not giving my trainer visa to come here with me,” Clottey said in a GhanaWeb.com article.
“The only thing I can tell you is everything is fine with me and I’m ready to fight [even] if the government can’t help because it’s my life on the line,” added Clottey. – With reports from GhanaWeb.com and FightFan.com
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Thursday, February 18, 2010
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