Pac-Man: Pacquiao retains WBO title Pic: ©Top Rank Boxing/Chris Farina
Manny Pacquiao has retained his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey by an unanimous points victory over the tough Ghanaian. Watched by over 50,000 spectators at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, the Filipino took his record to 51-3-2 (38 KOs).
The 31-year-old champion had the chance to become the first person to knock out Clottey, but the durable Bronx-based fighter managed to take 12 rounds of relentless attacking to force the judges’ decision.
Clottey, now 35-4, was a tough opponent who had only three losses on his record prior to this fight – two points decisions and one disqualification – but the all-out attack from Pacquiao ensured his own offence was limited as he hid behind a peek-a-boo style defence.
Clottey danced his way into the ring before the fight – pulling off some questionable moves – but seemed to leave his dancing shoes on the apron as he was flat-footed and stood in front of his opponent while Pacquiao searched for a way through the efficient guard.
The ‘Grand Master’ knew he needed a knockout and came out strong in the later rounds, doubling up on uppercuts, but Pacquiao retaliated to each punch by throwing his own furious flurry against his static opponent.
The last time both fighters were in the ring was against Miguel Cotto and ended with contrasting results. The 32-year-old Clottey suffered a close split decision defeat at the hands of the Puerto Rican and was knocked down in the first round, while Pacquiao out-manoeuvred, out-paced and out-fought the then-champion to force the referee to stop the fight in the last round and award the WBO strap to the Filipino. That result had no bearing on this bout, dubbed ‘The Event’. Clottey’s game plan seemed to hold some chance of causing an upset, but Pac-Man’s work rate was second to none and shut out any chance of a sustained attack.
Pacquiao’s future is uncertain and his impending retirement can only be delayed by a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr, who trainer Freddie Roach feels is the only credible fighter worth facing. With Mayweather due to fight Shane Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas a new contender may emerge in 'Sugar' Shane who has every chance of causing an upset against the undefeated Mayweather.
However, the drug test demands which foiled the original bout between Pacquiao and ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd may well be the catalyst for the seven-weight world champion to retire.
On the undercard in Dallas Alfonso Gomez forced Jose Luis Castillo to give up on his stool at the end of the fifth round to retain his WBC Continental Americas welterweight title and Humberto Soto became the new WBC lightweight champion with a unanimous points victory over David Diaz, who was knocked down in the first and last rounds.
