The Manny Pacqiao vs Joshua Clottey match up figures to be a rough and tumble affair in which Pacquiao is expected to be extended by the rugged African out of the Bronx but the undercard is shaping up to promise an even bigger shootout than the main event as it offers a mix of cagey veterans, action brawlers, and knock out artists.
Joshua Clottey gets his much deserved mega fight against the man in boxing right now Manny Pacquiao and he is expected to make the most out of this opportunity that he has fought all his life to obtain. Clottey brings an inexhaustible pressure style along with decent power that can hurt the Philipino dynamo. This will be the second top ten welterweight in his prime that Pacquiao will face since he defeated Miguel Cotto. If there is a weakness for Clottey is that he is not considered a finisher, his punch output starts to wane in the closing rounds of his fights with top flight opponents. It happened to him against Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cott costing him on the judges cards. It even cost him in his victory against Diego Corrales as he had Corrales on the canvas several times but could not find the final combination to score the knockout that was in reach. If he hesitates against Pacquiao that could be all it takes to lose this fight to the unhesitant champion from the Phillipines. Manny Pacquiao is an all action fighter that has evolved into a blend of speed and power that offers fight fans skill without sacrificing power and excitement. This should be a barn burner.
As exciting as the main event promises to be, the undercard offers excellent match ups that have a chance to steal the show. You have streaking Humberto Soto (50-7-2 32 KOs) against David Diaz (35-2-1, 17 KOs) to fight for the WBC lightweight championship that was relinquished by Manny Pacqiao. Humberto Sosa is an exciting boxer puncher that can break any boxer down while veteran David Diaz is one of those boxers that is made for TV; a brawling bleeder. Diaz is looking to regain the WBC lightweight championship that he lost to Pacquiao in 2008 by knockout.
The other match features the return of future hall of famer former lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo (60-9-1, 52 KOs) against former tv show contestant on the NBC show The Contender Alfonso Gomez (21-4-2 10 KOs). Gomez has a crowd pleasing style that is conducive to action fights and Jose Luis Castillo is an all time great that has tangled with the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Joel Casamayor, Julio Diaz, Ricky Hatton, and his unforgettable epics with the late Diego Corrales. He excels at body punching and cutting off the ring. Gomez has recently tailored his style to include more movement which he is sure to use on the older Castillo but the former champ is a cagey veteran who knows how to slow down his opponents.Any one of these fights has the potential to steal the spotlight.
DVD Fight pick of the week: Diego Corrales vs Jose Luis Castillo 1
Just like Hagler-Hearns, Ali-Frazier, and Gatti-Ward are linked, I cannot mention the name of Jose Luis Castillo without instantly thinking of the late great Diego Corrales. They traded wins in their two fights but it was really their first fight that link them eternally in boxing lore. Its quite simply the greatest fight I had ever had the privilege to witness. If you have never seen a boxing fight, this is the one you have to see. Enjoy the highlights.
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