THE EVENT’S AFTERMATH
By Doods A. Amora, PEE
Pacquaio won by a wide margin!
Every one of the 51,000 in attendance at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium and the millions in the boxing world knew it.
Judge Duane Ford scored it at 120-108, a shutout for Pacquiao – meaning, not a single round won by Clottey. Judges Levi Martinez and Nelson Vasquez each scored it at 119-109, giving Clottey one round. My own score card shows a 119–109. I gave Clottey Round 3.
INTENSITY Vs. TEPIDITY
But Pacquiao’s victory was perceived by many as an anemic drama sans the customary excitement. It was not even close. Sad to say, the fight became a target work-out for Pacquaio. That’s why the boxing world was unanimous in its verdict. No argument about it. Lopsided indeed as it was.
Pacquiao widely outgunned Clottey in almost all departments, throwing more than a hundred punches per round against Clottey’s average of thirty three; in the process, pressing Clottey to crouch into his defensive shell almost all night. The fight had just a very few exciting moments despite Pacquiao giving Clottey repeated lures, if not, opportunities to rumble.
Clottey's Lack of Aggression: The Pacman, while skirmishing with a virtual punching bag, his opponent Joshua Clottey ironically was not there to tango any serious risks, much more to stake for a stunning win even if he has the capability to do so. What seemed to steal the limelight of the fight may have been the "piyang-piyang" punch (double-roundhouse punch) Pacquiao landed simultaneously in the 4th round around Clottey's ears. Now, with the ‘mythical double punch’ in boxing (as respected sports analyst & columnist Quinito Henson puts it), it brought down shades of memory lane musing the circa Fernando Poe or Jun Aristorenas of the old Philippine movies.
There were no knockdowns in the fight despite its lopsidedness. Clottey’s turtle shell defense was excellent but his offense pathetically sporadic and was not enough to give colour to The Event. But then the aftermath showed a huge mouse swelling under Pacquiao’s right eye and his face reddened. In contrast, Clottey’s facade was hardly bruised (except for a slight swelling) although blood trickled from his nose. In short, Pacman seemed to appear as the vanquished while Clottey, the winner.
Tough Fight: Yet, the fight gives something to contemplate. Promoter Bob Arum was right in saying that “Clottey would be the toughest Pacman opponent ever”. Indeed he was, as Pacquiao himself conceded: “It was not an easy fight. It was hard. I felt his power. He is incredibly tough”.
In my previous article I mentioned that Joshua Clottey, the hard rock from Ghana, Africa would give Pacman a hard time. In the actual battle yesterday, not only that Joshua Clottey was in fact visibly much bigger, much taller and stronger but also was indeed a German Tiger Tank with crocodile armour. The audible loud thuds of the shots by Pacman on Clottey’s body speak for themselves as they seemed only to bounce back like hitting a heavy rubber bag.
Contrasting Agenda: Noticeably smaller on the ring, the Pacman looked as if a 12-year old kid fighting a full grown adult. The machinegun onslaught by the Filipino Destroyer couldn’t even dodge the Grandmaster. Although Clottey appeared wobbled in the second round, it was just a stroke of fluke as the Ghanaian reappeared unhurt. And the durable Grandmaster in the ensuing rounds took everything that Pacquiao had to offer.
But then Clottey had to lose. Pacman came to fight. Joshua submitted himself to preserve his own agenda. Pacman’s Brilliancy against Clottey’s Passiveness - so to speak!
“Pacquiao is very fast. This is the first time I’ve lost a fight”, a befuddled Clottey said, dismissing of course his previous three arguable losses. The former welterweight champion Clottey lost while maintaining his claim of never having been knocked out as a pro. Was this his motivation?
STATISTICS SPEAK
Compubox numbers show Pacman threw 1,231 total shots and connected on 246. Out of 1,231 that Pacman unleashed, 632 were power punches and 549 lead right hand jabs. Out of 632 power punches, 232 of them connected while out of 549 jabs, only 12 landed cleanly.
On the other hand, the Ghanaian Hitter threw a total of 399 shots connecting 108. Of his 399 punches, 237 were power punches where 82 connected. Out of 399 Clottey thrown, 162 of them were jabs landing 26.
To recap:
1) Total Punches Thrown: Pacman = 1,231 (246 landed);
Every one of the 51,000 in attendance at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium and the millions in the boxing world knew it.
Judge Duane Ford scored it at 120-108, a shutout for Pacquiao – meaning, not a single round won by Clottey. Judges Levi Martinez and Nelson Vasquez each scored it at 119-109, giving Clottey one round. My own score card shows a 119–109. I gave Clottey Round 3.
INTENSITY Vs. TEPIDITY
But Pacquiao’s victory was perceived by many as an anemic drama sans the customary excitement. It was not even close. Sad to say, the fight became a target work-out for Pacquaio. That’s why the boxing world was unanimous in its verdict. No argument about it. Lopsided indeed as it was.
Pacquiao widely outgunned Clottey in almost all departments, throwing more than a hundred punches per round against Clottey’s average of thirty three; in the process, pressing Clottey to crouch into his defensive shell almost all night. The fight had just a very few exciting moments despite Pacquiao giving Clottey repeated lures, if not, opportunities to rumble.
Clottey's Lack of Aggression: The Pacman, while skirmishing with a virtual punching bag, his opponent Joshua Clottey ironically was not there to tango any serious risks, much more to stake for a stunning win even if he has the capability to do so. What seemed to steal the limelight of the fight may have been the "piyang-piyang" punch (double-roundhouse punch) Pacquiao landed simultaneously in the 4th round around Clottey's ears. Now, with the ‘mythical double punch’ in boxing (as respected sports analyst & columnist Quinito Henson puts it), it brought down shades of memory lane musing the circa Fernando Poe or Jun Aristorenas of the old Philippine movies.
There were no knockdowns in the fight despite its lopsidedness. Clottey’s turtle shell defense was excellent but his offense pathetically sporadic and was not enough to give colour to The Event. But then the aftermath showed a huge mouse swelling under Pacquiao’s right eye and his face reddened. In contrast, Clottey’s facade was hardly bruised (except for a slight swelling) although blood trickled from his nose. In short, Pacman seemed to appear as the vanquished while Clottey, the winner.
Tough Fight: Yet, the fight gives something to contemplate. Promoter Bob Arum was right in saying that “Clottey would be the toughest Pacman opponent ever”. Indeed he was, as Pacquiao himself conceded: “It was not an easy fight. It was hard. I felt his power. He is incredibly tough”.
In my previous article I mentioned that Joshua Clottey, the hard rock from Ghana, Africa would give Pacman a hard time. In the actual battle yesterday, not only that Joshua Clottey was in fact visibly much bigger, much taller and stronger but also was indeed a German Tiger Tank with crocodile armour. The audible loud thuds of the shots by Pacman on Clottey’s body speak for themselves as they seemed only to bounce back like hitting a heavy rubber bag.
Contrasting Agenda: Noticeably smaller on the ring, the Pacman looked as if a 12-year old kid fighting a full grown adult. The machinegun onslaught by the Filipino Destroyer couldn’t even dodge the Grandmaster. Although Clottey appeared wobbled in the second round, it was just a stroke of fluke as the Ghanaian reappeared unhurt. And the durable Grandmaster in the ensuing rounds took everything that Pacquiao had to offer.
But then Clottey had to lose. Pacman came to fight. Joshua submitted himself to preserve his own agenda. Pacman’s Brilliancy against Clottey’s Passiveness - so to speak!
“Pacquiao is very fast. This is the first time I’ve lost a fight”, a befuddled Clottey said, dismissing of course his previous three arguable losses. The former welterweight champion Clottey lost while maintaining his claim of never having been knocked out as a pro. Was this his motivation?
STATISTICS SPEAK
Compubox numbers show Pacman threw 1,231 total shots and connected on 246. Out of 1,231 that Pacman unleashed, 632 were power punches and 549 lead right hand jabs. Out of 632 power punches, 232 of them connected while out of 549 jabs, only 12 landed cleanly.
On the other hand, the Ghanaian Hitter threw a total of 399 shots connecting 108. Of his 399 punches, 237 were power punches where 82 connected. Out of 399 Clottey thrown, 162 of them were jabs landing 26.
To recap:
1) Total Punches Thrown: Pacman = 1,231 (246 landed);
Clottey = 399 (108 landed)
2) Power Punches Thrown: Pacman = 632 (232 landed); Clottey = 339 (82 landed)
3) Jabs Thrown: Pacman = 549 (only 12 landed); Clottey = 162 (26 landed)
THE BOTTOM LINE
It is clear then that the prolific Pacman outworked the economical Hitter from Ghana in a ratio of 3:1. No doubt about it, and it was these sheer numbers that made him victorious. But note that Pacman wasted 400 power punches (63.3%) to the Grandmaster’s gloves, arms and elbows. On top of this, Pacman’s measly twelve connecting jab outputs are only 2.2% of his inputs. It meant further that 537 of these jabs did not reach its destination. All taken together, about 985 Pacman blows were blocked by the Grandmaster. Whew!
2) Power Punches Thrown: Pacman = 632 (232 landed); Clottey = 339 (82 landed)
3) Jabs Thrown: Pacman = 549 (only 12 landed); Clottey = 162 (26 landed)
THE BOTTOM LINE
It is clear then that the prolific Pacman outworked the economical Hitter from Ghana in a ratio of 3:1. No doubt about it, and it was these sheer numbers that made him victorious. But note that Pacman wasted 400 power punches (63.3%) to the Grandmaster’s gloves, arms and elbows. On top of this, Pacman’s measly twelve connecting jab outputs are only 2.2% of his inputs. It meant further that 537 of these jabs did not reach its destination. All taken together, about 985 Pacman blows were blocked by the Grandmaster. Whew!
Of the total punches Pacman unleashed, only 246 landed or a measly 19.98% - what a very low efficiency so to speak. And to emphasize, Manny Pacquiao was unable to land (except for a few streaks) his signature darting straight lefts that everyone was waiting for. Somehow it went to show the effectiveness of Clottey's defense. Had it not been for the Pacman’s stamina in the same work rate, Manny would not have reached the end of the 12-round tunnel.
On the other hand, 31.86% of Clottey’s total blows connected, while 24.19% of his power punches found its mark. Clottey’s jabs was 387 less than Pacman’s, but it connected 26, that is more than double of Pacman’s output of 12. Economical but accurate? If that's what we call efficiency, let it be.
What does this mean? If Pacman was lethargic, and Clottey a little bit industrious, the outcome might have ended up in reverse.
MATTER OF POWER
What if The Hitter opted not to be ‘economical’? What would have happened should the Grandmaster double his inputs? By saying ‘double the workrate’; I mean, I wish to see only 798 blows from the Hitter. That's only 64.8% of Pacman’s unleashed punches.
Scary Thoughts: I fancy imagining this scenario because Clottey did manage with ease and uncanny timing to land crisp jabs, a number of counter right hands, body hooks and strong uppercuts that all the time snapped Pacquiao’s head up. These few moments of Clottey’s brilliance were the ones responsible for Pacman’s face swelling. And this is the reason why Lenny de Jesus, Clottey’s trainer pleaded him to throw more of his own attacks. He must have seen a very probable upset.
Clearly, there was terrifying power packed in those Hitter’s blows. And imagine if Pacquaio received double the amount, what could have been the damage? Clottey said, “I didn’t feel Pacman’s power”. Then, why didn’t he engage? After all, he is a warrior of hardened steel make-up clad in crocodile armour? He could have always bulldozed those Pacman’s flurries and find the marks of his own weapons? He could have done it, I believe. We saw how the Ghanaian ignored and brushed away Pacman’s attacks on the body. Or probably, he was afraid because he knew his chin is not as good as his granite body.
“I think he’s feeling Pacquiao’s power,” in contrast, Clottey’s trainer Lenny DeJesus said during a late-rounds interview with HBO. Clottey himself explained why his caution, “Pacquaio was waiting for me to open up so he could time and counter me.” Clearly Clottey must have felt that engaging with the Pacman for 12 rounds would only end up in frustration and futility.
SPEED & VOLUME DID IT
It can be recalled that there were scary instances that Manny stood in front of Clottey in the willingness to receive the Hitter’s thunderous body shots and uppercuts. I don’t really know if they were ploys to dupe Clottey to open up into a false sense of confidence. But if they were, just the same, Manny would launch series of fists of fury in massive counter-attacks that just overwhelmed Clottey’s impetus every time.
Even if the Grandmaster wanted to play toe to toe, Manny Pacquiao’s volume of punches thrown in crazy angles would have drowned Clottey of any chance of any counter-offense without opening himself up for a sure knock-out. Remember, Manny threw 832 more punches than the defense preoccupied Clottey and clearly didn’t give the Ghanaian much of an opportunity. In this fight, Manny’s defense is his offense.
There was no way to escape, then. The same end-result was inevitable.
“Clottey was afraid to open up because he knew Manny would hit him,” said Roach. “That’s why he didn’t throw as many punches as he should have. If he did, Manny would’ve located the openings to land his hooks and straights.”
In the eyes of the legendary trainer Freddie Roach, “If there was something that I found lacking, it was probably Manny’s defense. I thought he got hit with Clottey’s right hand once too many. Other than that, it was a perfect fight.”
In this case gentlemen, Joshua Clottey, the Hitter, or the Grandmaster from Ghana achieved his objectives.
On the other hand, 31.86% of Clottey’s total blows connected, while 24.19% of his power punches found its mark. Clottey’s jabs was 387 less than Pacman’s, but it connected 26, that is more than double of Pacman’s output of 12. Economical but accurate? If that's what we call efficiency, let it be.
What does this mean? If Pacman was lethargic, and Clottey a little bit industrious, the outcome might have ended up in reverse.
MATTER OF POWER
What if The Hitter opted not to be ‘economical’? What would have happened should the Grandmaster double his inputs? By saying ‘double the workrate’; I mean, I wish to see only 798 blows from the Hitter. That's only 64.8% of Pacman’s unleashed punches.
Scary Thoughts: I fancy imagining this scenario because Clottey did manage with ease and uncanny timing to land crisp jabs, a number of counter right hands, body hooks and strong uppercuts that all the time snapped Pacquiao’s head up. These few moments of Clottey’s brilliance were the ones responsible for Pacman’s face swelling. And this is the reason why Lenny de Jesus, Clottey’s trainer pleaded him to throw more of his own attacks. He must have seen a very probable upset.
Clearly, there was terrifying power packed in those Hitter’s blows. And imagine if Pacquaio received double the amount, what could have been the damage? Clottey said, “I didn’t feel Pacman’s power”. Then, why didn’t he engage? After all, he is a warrior of hardened steel make-up clad in crocodile armour? He could have always bulldozed those Pacman’s flurries and find the marks of his own weapons? He could have done it, I believe. We saw how the Ghanaian ignored and brushed away Pacman’s attacks on the body. Or probably, he was afraid because he knew his chin is not as good as his granite body.
“I think he’s feeling Pacquiao’s power,” in contrast, Clottey’s trainer Lenny DeJesus said during a late-rounds interview with HBO. Clottey himself explained why his caution, “Pacquaio was waiting for me to open up so he could time and counter me.” Clearly Clottey must have felt that engaging with the Pacman for 12 rounds would only end up in frustration and futility.
SPEED & VOLUME DID IT
It can be recalled that there were scary instances that Manny stood in front of Clottey in the willingness to receive the Hitter’s thunderous body shots and uppercuts. I don’t really know if they were ploys to dupe Clottey to open up into a false sense of confidence. But if they were, just the same, Manny would launch series of fists of fury in massive counter-attacks that just overwhelmed Clottey’s impetus every time.
Even if the Grandmaster wanted to play toe to toe, Manny Pacquiao’s volume of punches thrown in crazy angles would have drowned Clottey of any chance of any counter-offense without opening himself up for a sure knock-out. Remember, Manny threw 832 more punches than the defense preoccupied Clottey and clearly didn’t give the Ghanaian much of an opportunity. In this fight, Manny’s defense is his offense.
There was no way to escape, then. The same end-result was inevitable.“Clottey was afraid to open up because he knew Manny would hit him,” said Roach. “That’s why he didn’t throw as many punches as he should have. If he did, Manny would’ve located the openings to land his hooks and straights.”
In the eyes of the legendary trainer Freddie Roach, “If there was something that I found lacking, it was probably Manny’s defense. I thought he got hit with Clottey’s right hand once too many. Other than that, it was a perfect fight.”
In this case gentlemen, Joshua Clottey, the Hitter, or the Grandmaster from Ghana achieved his objectives.
Firstly, even the Pacman, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world could not stop him. Secondly, he achieved his millions a number of his countrymen are wanting.
With the guaranteed $ 1.2 million ++ (probably reaching $ 3.0 million), life in boxing must after all, not that bad.
DOODS
March 14, 2010
With the guaranteed $ 1.2 million ++ (probably reaching $ 3.0 million), life in boxing must after all, not that bad.
DOODS
March 14, 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment