THE EDGE: Five Reasons Joshua Clottey Will Not Be Able To Upset Manny Pacquiao (UPDATED POST)

(Joshua Clottey is a top-ranked welterweight with only three losses on his resume, but the tough Ghanaian also has a slew of flaws that Manny Pacquiao should be able exploit when the two meet in Dallas on March 13th, at Cowboys Stadium.)

1. Defense

In a strange paradox, Clottey has a strength—defense—that can often be a weakness in the ring. Against Pacquiao, his skill at tucking himself behind his gloves and blocking shots can also be considered a drawback. This tactic allows opponents to run off combinations and move away before Clottey can react, and a fighter as inventive and as busy as Pacquiao will certainly take advantage of this fact. Clottey tends to wait for his opponent to stop punching before he goes to work, but Pacquiao will be darting in and out so quickly that it might be hard for Clottey to connect with anything significant. Miguel Cotto managed to outmaneuver Clottey, and Cotto is nowhere near as fast or as elusive as Pacquiao is.

2. Right Hand

Aside from an occasional effective right uppercut, Clottey has a very weak right hand. Traditionally considered the weapon of choice against southpaws, right hands certainly caused Pacquiao no end of trouble against Juan Manuel Marquez. But Joshua Clottey is not Juan Manuel Marquez. Not only does Clottey slap with the right, but he also throws it as a strange double lead in a way peculiar to West African fighters and often falls off-balance in doing so. If Clottey ever developed a more effective right hand, he would be more than just trouble for the top welterweights in the world. As it stands now, however, his lack of a two-fisted offense will be a major advantage for Pacquiao.

3. Corner

Anyone with a worse corner than Miguel Cotto is bound to be in trouble during a major fight. And Clottey, whose training camp has been the subject of rumors for weeks, proved that during his close decision loss to Cotto last year. It will take a smart gameplan and a level head to tackle Pacquiao, and Clottey is simply outgunned in the trainer/corner department. Especially since Clottey is without his regular team for the biggest fight of his career. Usually it is Manny Pacquiao who makes headlines for distractions and chaos before a fight, but this time, it is Clottey who seems to have the edge in confusion. Clottey actually broke camp at one point to try to convince Ghanaian officials to issue a visa to his preferred trainer Godwin Dzanie Kotey. Daniel Clottey, his favored second, has also been denied a visa. At this point, there is no telling who will be in his corner come fight night, but it will certainly be a cut or two below Freddie Roach. UPDATE: Veteran trainer and cutman Lenny De Jesus is training Clottey at the moment, which will probably mean an improved corner for Clottey come fight night. De Jesus used to work the corner for Pacquiao, in fact, and might be able to impart a little extra knowledge to Clottey.

4. Speed

Although Clottey is not the slowest welterweight in the world, he will appear to be light years behind Pacquiao in the ring. Quick hands and quick feet—along with a unique improvisational style—are Pacquiao trademarks, and Clottey will have to struggle to keep up with the Filipino whirlwind. Since Clottey is not the type to punch with an opponent, preferring instead to cover up on the defensive, it will be that much harder for him to reach Pacquiao.

5. Pace

Because of his defensive outlook, Clottey does not set a fast enough pace in many bouts. In addition, his stamina has been questioned despite the fact that he has gone twelve rounds on several occasions. The real issue seems to be a loss of focus. At some point in most fights, Clottey will take his foot off of the accelerator and begin to coast. Needless to say, Manny Pacquiao, a buzzsaw between the ropes, is not the kind of fighter you can coast against. Clottey inexplicably failed to ramp up the pressure against a bloody Miguel Cotto during the late rounds and lost a hairline decision because of it. He will need to fight hard from bell to bell against Pacquiao or risk being overwhelmed and losing a lopsided decision.