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Clottey hints at surprises in store for Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey will fight in Dallas on March 13. © Getty Images

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Joshua Clottey has suggested he will make changes to his style as he prepares to go head-to-head with Manny Pacquiao in Dallas in March.

Clottey was lined up to fight Pacquiao, widely considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, after the clash between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jnr fell through, and Clottey believes it will be a great bout for the fans.

"This fight is going to be a hell of a fight," said the Ghanaian. "I love Manny Pacquiao. He's one of my favourite fighters. If you throw at him, he throws back at you. It's not going to be an easy fight."

The Ghanaian is aware of the class of Pacquiao and is ready to mix things up in a bid to gain the upper hand. "I'm going to change some things in my training," Clottey said. "I'm going to get my trainer to start preparing me. I already started my training. I know I've got to fight Manny Pacquiao. It's not going to be easy. The two of us are going to give the fans a great fight. It's going to be a nice fight."

Speaking at the press conference at the Dallas Cowboys stadium, which will host the fight on March 13, Pacquiao insisted he was focused on the fight. "It's going to be a good fight," he said. "Clottey, he is a good fighter, a top fighter, and he is bigger than me. I have to prepare hard for this fight and train hard and focus."

As Pacquiao was introduced amid cheerleaders, fireworks and blaring music, his coach Freddie Roach said: "This is going to be the Super Bowl of boxing."

Speaking about the abandoned showdown with Mayweather, which hit a brick wall over pre-fight blood testing, Roach believes the American feared his fighter. "Life goes on without Mayweather," Roach told ESPN." He wouldn't agree to (a limit of) 14 days before the fight. We did our best to appease him but he wouldn't go along with it. Mayweather's people agreed to it but Mayweather wouldn't go along with it. I don't think he wants to fight (Manny). It was a smoke screen for him to say no. I want to beat this guy's ass, believe me, but he won't give us the opportunity."

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