Joshua Clottey on Manny Pacquiao - Part Four By Media Report on Doghouse Boxing (Feb 27, 2010)
What do you think Manny’s weak spots are?
JOSHUA CLOTTEY: No matter what people are going to talk about him, he is the best now. When he beats guys, like in the Cotto fight, he beats guys that don’t have a good defense. I have a defense. I will never say anything bad about the guy because he is the best now. When I walk in the ring with Manny Pacquiao and I lost, I will tell everybody I lost the fight. But I keep telling people I didn’t lose the Cotto fight because I don’t feel that I did. When I walk into the ring, I do what I want to do to win the fight, to do my best.
When I walk into the ring I will know what I need to do to win the fight.
What areas do you need to improve to become great?
JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I trained a lot for this fight. I trained really hard for this fight. I trained when I was in Africa. I run to the beach from my house here and I do everything I can. That is good for me because I am going to be fighting the best guy out there and if I don’t prepare correctly and he is hitting me with the punches he throws, he is going to hurt me so I am protecting myself at the gym. So when I get to the ring I will be fine. I promise everybody a good fight, that’s what I’m telling you.
How surprised were you when this fight came about?
JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I wasn’t really thinking about this fight at all. But I know I can fight anybody and I know I can beat any boxer. It looked like somebody didn’t want to fight. All the guys were talking about Pacquiao vs. Mayweather and it looks like he didn’t want to do it and it’s good for me. If they didn’t do it, I get in. I feel like it was a blessing from God.
Bob, can you talk about the venue?
BOB ARUM: As you will see on March 13, there is no stadium or arena in the world like Cowboys Stadium. It is an architectural marvel – just the paintings alone. But that is not what makes an exciting event. What makes the event super exciting is that screen that goes from one 20 yard line to the other and is super high definition. The screen will be 30 feet above the ring. Every replay and every punch in the fight will be seen in really high definition. Indeed, as pretty as the Cowboy Cheerleaders are, wait until you see them on that big screen, it is something really special. Until you see it and until you’re there, it is very difficult to describe the experience. I know that they just had the NBA All Star Game and the players were on the bench waiting to get in as the game was going on and many of them were watching the game on the screen rather than right in front of them on the floor.
When I saw the Cowboys-Eagles game sitting in Jerry Jones’ box, I found myself half the time watching the game on the screen than watching the field just because just because the picture is so incredible. I think that’s what helps make it. It has lounges, the Patrón Lounge, the concession stands. Yankee Stadium has a lot of that but it is really an experience to be in the huge arena and watch an event.
What about Margarito, was it a disappointment he not being on the card?
BOB ARUM: We are disappointed. The Texas Commission said they would have to hold a hearing and if they did we realized we wouldn’t get a result until it was too late. So instead we did the Humberto Soto/David Diaz lightweight championship in its place.
Did steroid testing come up in the negotiations for this fight?
BOB ARUM: My view is that is not a topic for negotiation. That is something for the commission to decide. If a boxer would like more stringent testing than is applicable in that state, he should go before the commission, present his case and let the commission decide. It is not for a bunch of amateurs to start talking about and start making demands – that is what’s called chaos. That’s what you have to do and that’s what you have commissions for. You go before the commission and you tell them I want such-and-such done and you let the commissioners decide – that’s what they are getting paid for – to handle those kind of questions.
VINNY SCOLPINO: I couldn’t agree with Bob more. If the commission wants to implement other drug testing rules, let them implement them. We abide by the rules that are set for us then we move forward. Manny is a super champion and we all hope he is doing the right thing. If the commission finds it in their drug testing – they find it. We were going to abide by the rules set by the state. W are professionals in the sport, Joshua is a professional and if that commission in that state says to do this, we do it.
Is 40,00 people still a target?
BOB ARUM: We didn’t set the stadium up for 40,000, we set it up for 45,000 and we are on our way to selling out.
There are a lot of Hispanics in Dallas. We are selling a lot of tickets to Hispanics. On the principal undercard bouts we have Hispanics. We have Jose Luis Castillo fighting Alfonso Gomez, John Duddy, who is Irish, fighting Michael Medina, a Mexican from Monterey, middleweight, and David Diaz against Humberto Soto for the WBC lightweight title. On the non-televised portion of the card, it is loaded with Hispanics like Roberto Marroquin of Dallas – the Hispanics and Mexicans will be well-represented. Manny Pacquiao has fought many Mexicans and when I was down in Mexico identified Manny as a Filipino/Mexican and the Mexicans in California feel that Manny is one of them.
When did you feel it was a reality to be having a fight at Cowboys Stadium?
BOB ARUM: Well, you remember back when we were involved in the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, Jerry had called me at home. I knew Jerry, he had come to a couple of fights and he said, ‘Bob, we want the fight in Cowboys Stadium.’ We set up a meeting and Mayweather’s guy, Richard Schaefer, canceled the meeting the day before and it was kind of embarrassing for us. I knew in my mind that Cowboys Stadium would be a great venue for this fight. When the Mayweather fight fell out and the fight was made with Joshua Clottey, the first call I made was to Jerry Jones. I told him I want to come out and make a deal with Cowboys Stadium. He invited me out and it was in conjunction with the Cowboys-Eagles game. I was there that night and the next day, Jerry, Todd [duBoef] and myself and Jerry’s staff and Steve Jones had a meeting and we made a deal.
Could you get more than 45,000?
BOB ARUM: That’s up to Jerry. Right now everyone would have a tremendous view of the fight. We could expand but right now we are on target to sell the 45,000 tickets and we’d be very happy doing that. I know yesterday we sold 350 tickets and we are on course to do that again today. By the time the fighters get into town, we would have sold well over 40,000 tickets. We would then have 3,000 or 4,000 tickets to go and it would be up to Jerry to expand.
Are you worried about the training situation?
VINNY SCOLPINO: I think Lenny [DeJesus] brings a lot of experience, probably over 40 years and he was with Pacquiao during many of his fights. Lenny has always been more than just a cut-man, he also trains a lot of fighters. He brings a wealth of experience, he knows the business, he knows what to do in the ring whether he’s a cut man or whether he’s a trainer. So we are comfortable. Joshua is comfortable with him and we are ready to rumble. We feel comfortable coming out of that rind with a victory with what we are doing. Josh was training in Ghana with another trainer and we tried to get that trainer in but we weren’t sitting on the sidelines hoping and praying that that trainer would get in. We had plans. If the trainer joined us from Ghana we would love it. Right now we are comfortable with what we have and Josh is a true professional. Josh is so excited to get in that ring with Manny. We are ready to rumble. When that bell rings, everything changes. Right now they are respectful of each other and are true professionals, but when that bell rings, those hats come off. Fists are going to fly.
