411 Boxing's Pacquiao vs. Clottey Report 3.13.10

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 03.14.2010

At the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, in front of 50,994 fans, Manny Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey to retain the WBO Welterweight Title! Elsewhere Humberto Soto defeated David Diaz to win the WBC Lightweight Title, Alfonzo Gomez defeated Jose Luiz Castillio by TKO and more! Check out the full report for all the details!


Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Hello everyone and thanks for joining us for tonight's live blog of "The Event" featuring Manny Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey.

We'll have live updates of the undercard bouts before going to our round by round blog of the main event.

Tonight's card

Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey (WBO welterweight championship)
Humberto Soto vs. David Diaz (WBC lightweight championship)
Alfonso Gomez vs. Jose Luis Castillo (welterweight)
John Duddy vs. Michael Medina (middleweight)

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And here we go...our live coverage begins now!

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John Duddy (28-1, 18 KOs) vs. Michael Medina (23-1, 18 KOs)
10-Round Middleweight Bout

A pretty competitive Round 1 with both fighters wasting no time letting their hands go. Round 2 has been close too. Medina is not here to be a push-over for Duddy who is looking to land power shots. I've got Duddy up 20-19 after the 2nd. Duddy comes out in Round 3 looking comfortable and Medina lands a solid combination to remind him he's in na fight. Hard right hand by Medina...Duddy is throwing plenty of hooks but is missing quite a few in this round.Duddy finally lands a hard right hand. Medina is throwing the jab but seems pretty lazy.

I gave Medina the last round as I felt he was more accurate with his punches (29-28 Duddy). Duddy's a little busier now in Round 4 and got back in control after seemingly giving away the last one. Not a ton of action but he took the lead.

We see Max Kellerman walking through the arena and the crowd goes nuts as we see Pacquiao walking to his locker room with Jinkee.

Round 5 is underway and Medina tries to unleash a combination upstairs that comes up rather short. Duddy keeps pumping the jab but we're sorely lacking any real action. It's a decent scrap no doubt, but I'd like to see a bit more aggression from both men. Round 6 is a better round for Duddy but Medina is trying to steal it about halfway through. The action is picking up a bit here which is good to see. Medina is attacking harshly to the body and Duddy doesn't like it. He's forced to back off and Medina might have taken it. I've got it just like Lederman...58-56.

Clottey is being shown warming up in the locker room with music and an atmosphere like a soccer game.

Round 7 has both fighters exchanging jabs and hooks to the body. Medina however gets warned for hitting low once again. Just when things look to pick up though they drag their feet again. Duddy comes on now with under a minute to go and connects with a pair of shots upstairs. Duddy takes the round but gets blasted with some hard hooks to close the round. He was definitely stunned. Duddy tries to reassert himself in Round 8 but he's getting hit sith some pretty good shots. I'm thinking Chavez Jr. may in fact be able to take Duddy. Medina is slipping some right hands pretty well as he continues to dig to the body. Duddy lands a nice left hook but his shots don't have any venom behind them. Medina misses with a right that might've done some damage. The 8th is over and I gave it to Medina.

Medina is deducted a point for a low blow at the end of the fight. That could be crucial.

Pacquiao is shown smiling from ear to ear in the locker room getting his gear on.

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Round 9 starts off well for Duddy with a crisp hook that lands right on the button. Medina now connects with his own right hand. Looking at the arena again, it looks like we're at WrestleMania or something. Great venue! Duddy misses with some hooks and lands three jabs. A few bodyshots land from both guys. Good round for Duddy and he should have this in the bag by now.

Duddy tries to close strong but the key word is "try". Just don't see enough from Duddy tonight. Round 10 is closing out here and despite where the 'W' ends up, neither fighter gains anything tonight.

This one is finally over and Duddy should get the win. We now await the final scores.

Scores are read as 96-93 (Medina), 96-93 (Duddy) and 96-93 for your winner by split decision...John Duddy.

Next up; the battle of two Mexicans at different stages of their careers. This might be a good one..

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Jose Luis Castillo (60-9-1, 52 KOs) vs. Alfonso Gomez (21-4-2, 10 KOs)
10-Round Welterweight Bout

Both fighters are in the ring now as we get the particulars from Michael Buffer...

Here we go with Round 1...Gomez comes out aggressively before backing off a bit to get a better look at Castillo. Castillo as usual starts slow and only looks to throw the jab. Gomez has a HUGE ad for his band on his back! Gomez pumping out jabs while backing Castillo up. A jab lands by Castillo that buckles his knees. Round ends and Gomez took it. Round 2 belonged to Gomez too which was highlighted by a hard uppercut that he followed up with a body attack. Round 3 is about halfway through here and Castillo has still not adjusted well. Gomez is the busier of the two and has landed some solid shots both upstairs and to the body. He's taken the first three rounds.

Not that we expected anything different but Castillo most certainly shows his age and then some! Gomez taking the fight to the old former champion in Round 4 and another set of right hands land flush. Two more right hands connect for gomez who's in complete control.

Castillo looks so frustrated that I wouldn't be shocked if he called it a night soon.

Round 5 is kind to Gomez as he's landing the right hand at will. More punishment being dealt out by Gomez and this is looking more and more like a sparring session. Gomez lands a couple of quick hooks up against the ropes. He's winning this fight easily folks.

And just as I'd predicted before the end of the 5th, Castillo quits on his stool and this one's over. Alfonso Gomez wins by TKO.

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Humberto Soto (50-7-2, 32 KOs) vs. David Diaz (35-2-1, 17 KOs)
12-Round WBC Lightweight Title Bout

A bit of a feel-out Round 1 and an accidental headbutt opens up a cut on Diaz' head. After a quiet first, Soto lands a clean hook during an exchange that puts Diaz down to one glove. He wasn't badly hurt but it was enough to score a knockdown. Soto is on the attack in the 2nd and Diaz is having trouble getting in on the inside. He's literally landed about one hard punch in this round. Pretty uneventful round so let's hope Round 3 is a little better...Diaz goes to the body as he tries to chase Soto down. The cut isn't proving to be a problem at this juncture but Soto's movement certainly is. Diaz keeps missing badly with Soto boxing beautifully; though the offense for Soto has slowed down a bit.

Round 4 is underway and without question, Soto is up 30-26 by taking the first three rounds and scoring the knockdown. A clean uppercut lands for Soto who's making this look so easy. Diaz is trying but Soto won't let him connect with much. Finally Diaz lands a right hand but no follow-up. Good left hooks from Soto to end the round. Soto now getting more aggressive in Round 5. A wild left hook from Diaz misses but he lands a right. Soto is still trying to land those uppercuts and if he manages to land them with more frequency; watch out! A combination of shots has Diaz against the ropes - harsh. Soto again tries for a pair of uppercuts but misses as Diaz flicks with the jab.

Soto is just winning this fight and Round 6 looks no different than the previous rounds. Diaz is trying to be the aggressor in the 7th and Soto is allowing him to come forward but nothing of note is coming from David D. A few jabs land for Diaz and Soto misses with a winging uppercut. Soto's back is against the ropes and diaz tries to capitalize with an attack but just isn't taking the opportunity. Soto on the other hand isn't doing much and he eats a right hand on the chin and a left hook. Gotta give this round to Diaz.

Competitive 8th round though neither fighter is imposing his will on the other. Diaz misses with a left hook from downtown. Good bodyshot for Diaz and Soto spins out of the corner with a right hand up the middle.

The size of the screen inside the stadium is ridiculous!

Diaz gets warned for supposedly using an elbow in Round 9 but I didn't see it. A left lands to the body of Soto. Soto tries a combo but misses, aside from the final uppercut. To tell you the truth, both fighters have made each other miss quite a bit tonight. They've both showed good upper body movement and as I type this, Diaz forces Soto to mix it up. The round is over but I sense that Soto is slowing down dramatically. Can Diaz steal it?

During a mix-up in the 10th, Soto goes through the ropes while on his feet...kinda funny. Soto misses with some uppercuts and Diaz looks like the fresher of the two midway through the round. Soto now connects with a good right hand and the round closes. I think Soto may be up by 2-3 points.

Diaz is trying his best but it just might not be enough tonight. Soto not looking good tonight though; at least not in the second half of the fight.

Tonight's attendance is an impressive 50,994

We're halfway through the 12th round and Soto is trying to close the show but is obviously tired. Diaz gets an 'A' for effort but is lacking the power to really turn the fight around. Soto eats two uppercuts and now they trade and down goes Diaz! Diaz ate a hook and was losing his balance. He beat the count; not really hurt and the round ends. Fight is over...we now await the scores.

Scores are 115-111, 117-109 and 117-109 all in favor to the winner by unanimous decision and new WBC lightweight titlist Humberto Soto.

With Diaz-Soto now out of the way, it's main event time. We will now begin our round by round, minute to minute update for the main event!

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National anthem time!

The anthems are done and now we see Joshua Clottey making his way out to the ring.

Clottey is STILL making his way to the ring...long walkway. He finally makes it through the ropes and now Pacquiao makes his way out smiling as usual.

Manny comes out to "Eye of the Tiger" and honestly, he still has it.

"LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLET'S GET RRRRREADY TO RUMBBBBBBBLEEEEEEE!" - Michael Buffer.

Enjoy the fight everyone!

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Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) vs. Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs)
12-Round WBO Welterweight Bout

Round 1: Here we go! Pacquiao comes out jabbing to Clottey's body then throws upstairs. Clottey has his usually high guard and is looking to counterpunch. Pacquiao gets his hook blocked an dlands a jab downstairs. You can see immediately how much faster Pacquiao is. Clottey lands a jab but is still laying back. Clottey lands a jab and Manny misses a three-punch combo. Clottey is blocking most of Manny's shots but hasn't offered up much offensively yet. Clottey eats a jab but is mostly trying to figure Pacquiao out while Manny throws his combinations as usual. A right lands upstairs for Clottey and then another one. Pacquiao throws two jabs that are blocked and Clottey lands another jab then a right hand. Good right hook by Pacquiao to the body and the round ends. Pacquiao took the round but Clottey's defense is superb.

Round 2: Pacquiao begins the round with a set of jabs and a few pawing left hands. Manny, though not having to defend himself too much yet is trying to be smart and not rush in. Stiff jab lands for Clottey and Manny returns fire with a left and a bodyshot. Theyr'e stepping on each other's feet but no one's tripped yet. Manny going downstairs but he's not really throwing with power; mostly touching shots. Hard right hand lands for Clottey. Left hook to the hip lands for Clottey but no warning. Manny now connects low and then a left lands..Clottey showboats a bit...not sure why. Manny throws another set of combinations but Clottey blocks most of them. Essentially, Clottey is blocking and countering while Pacquiao throws more but can't get through the guard. Round ends.

Round 3: Pacquiao has taken the first two rounds on my card but Clottey's forcing him to be patient and has kept him from throwing too many shots at once. Now Pacquiao opens up but Clottey is still blocking most of his shots to the head. The left shots to the body are landing for Pacquiao though and now Clottey lands a left hook that pushes Pacquiao back. He's not landing much but when Clottey does, he moves Manny. A hard right hand lands for Clottey right down the pike. A right connects to the body for Clottey and now Manny lands two shots and a hook downstairs. He has Clottey against the ropes but can't connect upstairs so he goes back do the body. Pacquiao partially lands two hooks to the jaw and Clottey shakes it off. Very tactical round and a tough one to score.

Pacquiao looks frustrated through 3 rounds but has decided he needs to keep going to the body..it's really the only place he's landing shots.

Round 4: Manny comes out jabbing and throwing left hands...he's still touching Clottey downstairs. A few hooks land for Pacqiuao an then he throws a double punch!! Manny literally through both his left and right hands as Clottey kept his guard high...funny stuff! Clottey backed up against the ropes and he eats a series of shots. Not sure why Clottey isn't throwing more. Pacquiao focusing his attack to the body right now and it's smart. Less than a minute left and Manny is throwing more and more punches while Clottey just blocks...that won't win Joshua any rounds.

Round 5 & 6: Pacquiao attacks, Clottey blocks and it's starting to look like another sparring session.

Round 7: Clottey comes out with a set of shots to the body and then misses an overhand right. He now lands an overhand right but he's WAY too timid. Pacquiao (who's up 60-54 on my card), lets Clottey come forward and now tries to throw back a pair of hooks to the body as he pushes Clottey back. Clottey misses with a left hook but connects with a right that pushes Pacquiao back...and then another one. A left hook lands for Clottey but he needs to take more risks. An uppercut lands on the inside for Clottey but Manny throws back a combination to the body. He now has Clottey in the corner; throws a few shots then backs away. I believe Manny's even getting bored in there. 30 seconds left in the 7th and the crowd is very silent. Two right hands land for Clottey and the round closes.

Round 8: Clottey lands a left hook early in the round but Manny sticks to the jab and throws a right hook. Manny staying busy in there and although he eats a left hand, keeps throwing combos. A left uppercut lands for Pacquiao and Clottey just sits there and block. For crying out loud....Clottey seems to be content to survive....he's got no killer instinct up to this point. They trade straight rights and a headbutt occurs but no one gets cut. Manny throws away but Clottey does NOTHING.

Things got so boring in the 8th round that Jim Lampley shouted "BANG" everytime Pacquiao landed a punch towards the end...it was quite funny and ridiculous. WTF?!"

Round 9: Pacquiao in complete control as he's stayed busy while Clottey has been "happy to be here". Pacquiao lands a hook and then he goes to the body. Surprisingly Pacquiao's right eye is swelling. Sigh..Clottey....sigh.

Round 10: Pacquiao is throwing punches, Clottey is not. I could probably leave it at that for the 10th and that would be enough. Alas...you want updates and I'm obliging! Pacquiao unleashes a combo to the body and Clottey just holds his hands higih. Manny throws a one-two that connects and then a body shot. Clottey then leaps in with a right hand and now he opens up for a few seconds. Pacquiao wants him to bring it. A right hook lands for Pacquiao and they tie each other up. End of the 10th.

Without question, Pacquiao is up 100-90.

Round 11: Pacquiao continues to put the perssure on Clottey although he eats a right hand here and again. That eye is still closing but Clottey isn't doing a damn thing. Pacquiao, now out of frustration throws a barrage of punches. The crowd is now chanting for Manny; they appreciate is effort. Two uppercuts land for Clottey...some of his best punches but just not enough. Clottey taking more punishment to the body and he's against the ropes. Manny closes strong.

Manny has thrown over 1000 punches tonight...

Round 12: They hug to start the 12th and Clottey is probably ecstatic that he's only three minutes away from going back to the locker room. Pacquiao dances around and takes a left hook flush...a headbutt follows but they're both OK. A left hook lands for Clottey and then a right uppercut. A left hand lands for Pacquiao and then a right hook to the body. Manny continues to attack the body with less than a minute to go. Clottey then rips a left uppercut that snaps Pacquiao's head back. Now the Pacman goes downstairs and then lands a hook to the head. Under 10 seconds left and the fight is all over after a bit of trading in the corner.

No way Clottey won 1 round tonight. We now await the scores...

The scores are read as 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision...Manny Pacquiao!

No surprise here except for Clottey's lack of everything tonight

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Until next time, see you at the fights!