Roach: Manny Pacquiao will go for KO win against Joshua Clottey

Freddie Roach has finally predicted a knockout win by Manny Pacquiao over Joshua Clottey after carefully studying and evaluating available data and videotapes of the boxer from Ghana.

Roach is confident that Pacquiao will win by knockout on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It took a while for Freddie Roach to predict the outcome of the Pacquiao-Clottey match as he was originally focused on a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight which was set for March 13 but did not happen due to a blood testing controversy.

Roach had to catch up with a fight strategy for Clottey after Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum dropped Mayweather in favor of Joshua Clottey for the March 13 match. “We’re not gonna be there when he’s counter punching because when he throws, we’re not gonna be there,” said Roach. “He’s a big, strong guy but size doesn’t win fights – skill does. Joshua will not be a problem. Manny will overwhelm him with speed and combination.

He will be the first person to stop Clottey.” But the popular Filipino boxer said he is taking Clottey seriously despite being a 5-1 favorite three weeks before the fight. “You don’t underestimate Clottey,” he said. “He’s older and bigger than me and a former world champion.” Joshua Clottey is a power puncher.

He has not been knocked out in his entire boxing career. The boxer from Ghana is two inches taller than Pacquiao with a 3-inch reach advantage. Although Pacquiao is currently the 5-1 favorite, the pressure is on the Filipino boxing icon to beat Clottey convincingly in order to keep his boxing superiority and to gain an upper hand in the negotiation for a possible showdown with the undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Manny Pacquiao is the current WBO welterweight champion and Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound king. He recently fought Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico for his seventh win in seven different divisions, a record-breaker in boxing history. Joshua Clottey is the former IBF welterweight champion. He fought 39 times, winning 35 with three losses.

His last fight was with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto almost a year ago at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Many boxing fans believed that Clottey won the fight but lost in a controversial decision by the judges.

(original article appeared @ Digital Journal )