What Did Test-O-Phobic Pacquiao Prove by Beating Joshua Clottey?

http://www.braggingrightscorner.com/harrisonpacclottey031510.html

What Did Test-O-Phobic Pacquiao Prove by Beating Joshua Clottey?

By Elisa Harrison

Monday morning has rolled around, and the time has come to jot down my comments and feelings regarding the latest shameful chapter in the sport of boxing, known to some as a high profile match-up between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey.

Filipino fans will hate this article, others may too, and that's perfectly fine.... I understand what it's like to be fanatical about a particular athlete or an actor, a politician, etc., so I can see how the passion for Manny Pacquiao gets in the way of the reality of it all. However, to me it's not about being a boxer's fan, it's about being a fan of boxing.

It remains a puzzle to me how a man can walk away from at least 40 million dollars because of a certain style blood test. We have read and/or heard many excuses from this boxer's camp and to me, they've all been exactly that, excuses, and bad ones at that.

A man who sports tats is NOT afraid of needles. A fighter who is clean does NOT fear testing, be it the Olympic style testing or whichever type of testing is mandatory according to a particular boxing commission's rules. A proud man does NOT walk away from an opponent who supposedly -according to his fans and camp- would lose to him if their fight was ever made. It just does NOT make sense, and like judge Judy often says, "if it doesn't make sense, it simply isn't true." A smart woman that judge Judy, somewhat overbearing but definitely wise and smart....

As if all of the above wasn't bad enough, when struck by the attack of test-o-phobia that kept Pacquiao from meeting Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the man who has beaten all the men who have stood in front of him, Manny Pacquiao picks Joshua Clottey as his opponent. I am willing to bet that there is still a rank odor at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The choice couldn't have been more comfortable for Pacquiao, after all Clottey is slow as molasses and not a fighter at the top echelon of the sport. He may be a good B fighter, but he is not now, nor has he ever been an A guy. It's as simple as that.

So, what did Pacquiao prove by beating Clottey? In my humble opinion, he didn't prove anything of a positive nature. The night went according to script. Clottey wasn't really worthy of this opportunity, and perhaps should be paid according to the effort he put forth. This was NOT the fight that the boxing world wanted to see, nor the fight that could have resolved who is who, and what is what in the sport of boxing. Who, as in who is the P4P ruler, and what, as in what would the Olympic style testing would have revealed about Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

I want to give Floyd Jr. some props. I believe he has set the bar at a level no one else in the sport has even thought of doing, and this is definitely a good thing. Every other major sport has stringent testing; stiff penalties and fines when rules are violated; capable and honorable officials, (for the most part), and even when rotten apples find their way into the pot, they usually get caught and are dealt with in the appropriate manner. Boxing doesn't seem willing or capable of cleaning its own house, to separate the honest men from the crooks, to deliver a clean product to its fans. Long live MMA some may say!

I wonder what baseball fans would say if whenever the NY Yankees played, the American League was to appoint George Steinbrenner's son as chief umpire at home plate? It's called nepotism and it would never happen. However, similar scenarios happen in our sport. We have a high profile case of nepotism in the state of Texas, where Lawrence Cole Sr. is in charge of the Commission and Cole Jr. referees most of the Commission's high profile fights. It is bad enough that nepotism seems acceptable to those in charge of the game, but to add insult to injury, Cole Jr. is one of the worst referees in the business. How can this be considered up to standard? Why is it accepted?

Last but not least, I would like to express respect for Shane Mosley, who at some point in his career used steroids, (reference Balco Lab scandal), but had no trouble accepting Mayweather's request for the most serious drug testing available. Win or lose, Mosley is already a winner in my book.

I chuckle at the thought that perhaps -and this would be fabulous- ten or twenty years down the road, Floyd Mayweather Jr. will not be remembered for his flashiness, his superior boxing skills or the difficult family issues he has been a part of throughout most of his career. It just may be that "Money" Mayweather's legacy will be forcing the sport of boxing to take a closer look at -and act upon- cheaters and cowards. Yes, cowards, that's what I said. Any athlete who has to use illegal substances to have an edge on the opposition, can't be considered anything short of a cheat and/or a coward.

It is my closing thought that on the main event of a card scheduled for Saturday, May 1st, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, there won't be a loser, regardless of whose arm is raised at the end of the bout.

 

Clottey was as good an opponent as Pacquiao could've found to fight. The writer's objectivity is in doubt when he brings into question Pacquiao's opposition.

 

I disagree that Clottey was not a solid opponent,.. but I definitely agree with everything else in that article,... that any pro-fighter out there, who wont fight without performance enhancing drugs,...is not just a filthy fucking cheat, but also a coward, who is definitely not worthy of worship.

 

Lets put this in Bitch terms.

Sly said this bitch had a loose pussy and was a bad fuck, worse on camera.
I and I tells the bitch.
She says no she doesn't sly has a little prick.
Sly is willing to prove he doesn't have a microscopical prick.
Bitch says she won't bend over for I and I to prove to the world she doesn't.
I and I offers her 40 million.
Bitch says f@ck off. Goes about her life f@cking whoever she pleases.

Don't bend over for Floyd, Pac.

 

The author went after Roy with regard to the Richard Hall steroids issue. One of the very few who did.

 

Yeah, Clottey sucks. His only losses coming to Margarito when he was probably loading his gloves and Miguel Cotto and the DQ loss to Baldomir which he was winning handily. Clottey is a top 5 welterweight and to top it off he's a better fighter than anyone Mayweather has fought at 147.

The Clottey fight was the most impressive performance so far by Pac at 140-147. He fought a big strong guy he couldn't hurt and he shut him out. Cotto couldn't do that, Margarito couldn't do that. Anyone saying this was not a dangerous fight and an impressive victory is just an idiot, plain and simple. Clottey has never been an easy fight for anyone and Manny made it look easy.

 

That would be a perfectly comfortable and convenient avenue, to the perspective of let's say 'someone who takes performance enhancing drugs and doesn't want to submit to advanced random tests and subsequently get caught'... but it doesn't help the progress in deterring pro-fighters from using performance enhancers to advance thier careers, essentially ridding an aspect of corruption in this reputeably filthy sport in comparison to most, if not all other sports.

I agree that Fraud has not, and should not be praised as somebody who 'really cares about the state of boxing',.. however, with this precedent,..he just demonstrates the right any pro-fighter should have, and that is a drug free contest, and his opponent has that right aswell.

 

Disagreed. Clottey has managed to lose all his big fights and on this one he looked to be more than happy just to be there. He wasn't going to throw punches, Manny was obviously going to throw a lot of punches = Fucking easy fight to predict. Anyone who was claming this was a really dangerous fight for Manny and that he could lose is either nuts or on Manny's nuts. Cotto was by far a more impressive win by Manny.

 

Exactly. Clottey is not the 'glossiest' name on Pac's resume but virtually everyone considered him a high risk low reward type fight. (in other words the kind of guys most boxers avoid) Team Pac could have looked for an easier fight, or just sat around and waited.

Instead he went on and fought a top 5 welterweight who's very durable and took care of business.

 

That was published? ::

 

Yep, he just beat Cotto, Mosley and Mayweather are busy with eachother and Clottey rounds out the top 5, so it's really a good choice considering the alternatives. Basically, there is nobody he could have fought that is better than Clottey.

 

Instead he should have fought Castillo.

Mayweather had loads of trouble with JL and many people believe Floyd lost the first fight.

Therefore if he easily beat a fighter Floyd had enormous trouble with it should prove he's better.

 

Great idea, maybe he can do that for his next fight. They can set a catch weight of 143, Castillo will weigh in at 143 then Manny will come in and laugh as he weighs in at 147. Then he would stop Castillo and say he just did something Mayweather couldn't do in two tries.

:stir:

 

So you hate women and love Pacquiao, that sum it up?

 

WRITTEN BY A FUCKING GIRL...OR EVEN WORSE....A BOY WITH A GIRLS NAME!!!!! IS ELISA RELATED TO AVILA???

 

Would it matter if the weight had nothing to do with it? What if Pac just outboxed Castillo and it showed that he was the superior fighter no matter what the weight?

Surely then it would be a huge feather in Manny's cap and nobody could argue that the fight was meaningless.

 

Castillo is fucked. Finished. Kaput. Finito.

 

Find me this bitch who sleeps around with everyone but then turns down $40 million dollars to bend over. She doesn't exist. But in a scary and disturbing twist of fate....the boxing equivalent does.

Is that in the bitch vernacular you understand?

 

my anti-women in sports sentiment may be unfounded...but it could be no more right in this situation.

 

ray:

 

Its her right to say no period. Its pacs right to say he won't give Fled any extra testing. He doesn't have to defend himself anymore than she should.

Cry all you want that Fled/Pac fight doesn't happen. In the long run Fled and Co. made unsubstantiated allegations that a few people are hanging on to be prophecy. Fled is ducking PAC period, he's blinding his sheep/fans with the ped drama.

Without any proof whatsoever people are calling PAC a definite drug user. Its laughable.

 

Pure garbage.

Manny isn't on steroids, stop with the slander.

 

clottey was pacquaio's most impressive victory.

 

:atu::atu::atu::atu::atu:

 

I agree. Not that Clottey is the best fighter Manny has faced but because of the fact that Clottey is a big strong guy who he wasn't able to hurt and he has a difficult style. People act as if Clottey is a choker, but really he fought even with Cotto and Margarito and lost close decisions. Then here comes little ass Manny and he shuts Clottey out. Nobody else in the division, not even Mayweather would shut Clottey out like that. Don't get me wrong, Floyd beats Clottey, but his workrate is nothing close to Manny's and Clottey would definitely throw more against a more defensive guy like Mayweather. Looking good against Clottey is like looking good against prime Winky Wright, it just doesn't happen. Pac made it look easy. If that is not impressive I don't know what is.

 

Little? Didn't you imply on another thread that Manny was weight drained at 130-135?

Pac fans, you can't have it both ways. You want to act like Manny is god for coming up from 106 and call him a natural featherweight beating welterweights. Then say he was weight drained while he was at these smaller weights when people question how he was getting hurt by much smaller fighters and unphased by much stronger and bigger fighters.

Which one is it?

 

Never did I say Manny was god nor have I called him a natural featherweight. Don't make shit up.

I also never said he WAS weight drained, I just said it COULD be the case. If he did have trouble making 130 that still doesn't make him even an average size welterweight. There are two weight classes between 130 and 147. Manny is a small welterweight, that's just the truth of the matter.

 

I didn't make shit up, when I was talking about people claiming Manny being a natural featherweight I was talking about Pac fans in general.

You are not exactly clear of this however, talking about how "little ass Manny comes and shuts Clottey out."

You did imply that he may have been having problems making weight at 130 AND 135 and how this may have effected his chin back then. I notice how you only mention 130 now. Why is that?

Is Manny a small welterweight? Sure. And? Is he supposed to get bonus points? Why don't he go back down in weight? Oh, that's right, because he will then be weight drained.

 

It's quite likely Pacquiao can still make 140. He doesn;t even have to try hard to make 147

 

Yeah. When you compare it to some of the other recent top fighters who were basically fighting a division above where they belonged it looks pretty impressive. De La Hoya got a gift versus Sturm and got stopped by Hopkins, Mayweather looked mediocre against De La Hoya, Pavlik got tooled by Hopkins (more like a division and a half above), Mosley's rarely looked good at 154, Hatton got stopped by Mayweather and barely got by Collazo. By contrast, Pacquiao beat the hell out of Cotto and won every round against Clottey.