Manny Pacquiao has insisted he will become the first man to knock out the formidably physical Ghanaian Joshua Clottey when the two welterweights collide at the newly-built Dallas Cowboys Stadium, in Texas on Saturday night.
By Gareth A Davies, Boxing Correspondent, in Dallas
Freddie Roach, who has a penchant for proving pinpoint accurate in his predictions, said Pacquiao’s victory will come by knockout in his defence of the World Boxing Organisation 147lb belt.
Eerily accurate with his visions of how Pacquiao’s last three fights – against Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto – would unfold, Roach originally predicted a ninth-round knockout of Clottey, but is that confident that “perfect preparation” could result in a sixth- or seventh-round knockout.
That goes against conventional wisdom. Clottey, with 35 wins from 39 contests, has never been knocked out in his three defeats (one draw) to date with two of those on points, and one by disqualification.
Pacquiao, 50-3-2, with 38 knockouts, remains the only boxer ever to notch up world titles in seven weight divisions. “Manny is in the best shape of his life, and looked very, very sharp in our final sessions. I’ve never seen him sharper,” said Roach, trainer of the year in the United States for the last three years, who turned 50 this week.
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