Joshua Clottey (L) and Manny Pacquiao training (Photo: Chris Farina)
Manny Pacquiao’s WBO Welterweight title bout against Joshua Clottey is a little over a month away and so far there have been varying reports on how each man’s training camp is coming along. Pacquiao is reportedly looking sharp and putting some serious hurt on his sparring partners while other rumors have it that too much of Clottey’s time has been spent focusing on drama outside of the ring for him to be fully focused for a fight of this magnitude.
One man who was able to witness both fighters in camp this past week was Top Rank photographer Chris Farina. Based out of Las Vegas, traveling is a huge part of Farina’s job and his images over the years have served as proof as to the intimate and up close nature of his job. Farina first stopped by the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles this past Monday and was able to witness Pacquiao in rare form.
“Manny looked pretty good,” Farina says reflecting on the Filipino icon. “We’re still a little bit away from the fight but he looks like he is right on his program. He’s right on point and he hasn’t lost a step at all.”
When asked how Pacquiao’s demeanor was heading into yet another pivotal bout, Farina insists that the seven-division champion is relaxed but also tuned in. It also seems that Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach are exactly on the same page in their preparation for the challenge that Clottey presents.
“Once in a while he gets s a little bit crazy and it’s obvious he’s care free,” Farina claims of Pacquiao. “But it seemed to me that he’s very focused and ready to go. He comes right in and goes right to training. He’s all work. Freddie and Manny have their game plan and they are getting it ready to go.”
Over the years Pacquiao’s time inside the Wild Card has been well documented and on many occasions the facility has had to turn people away during Manny’s training. Farina says that the gym regulars have simply adapted to Pacquiao and the impact he has created over time.
“The gym was very busy,” Farina states. “A lot of people work out at that gym and Manny just always comes in and does his thing. People kind of let him do his thing. They work around him and if they have to leave the gym they will leave.”
Later in the week Farina could be found roughly 2800 miles away, tucked inside of John’s Boxing Gym in the Bronx capturing images of Clottey as he prepared for the March 13th contest. Despite reports that Clottey’s head may not be where it ought to be, Farina believes the former champion is on course.
“He was intense but later on he was all smiles too,” Farina says of the Accra, Ghana fighter. “He kind of broke it up with me and he looked like he was very confident. He was in good shape too. He was hitting the mitts and training hard as ever. Both guys looked ready to me.”
Farina has stated in the past that he often remains so focused on his work that he doesn’t allow himself to get caught up in moment during all of the events he attends. While that may be the sign of a true professional, he still admits that being around both men in their respective camps has heightened his expectations for their bout.
“Of course. I’m chomping at the bit and I can’t wait for March 13th. It’s not just another fight; it’s going to be a show. It’s going to be something spectacular and I can’t wait to be in Dallas when it happens.”
To see more about Farina covering Pacquiao and Clottey last week click HERE
To read more about Clottey’s time training at John’s Boxing Gym please check out ‘A Bronx Tale’
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An insider's view of Joshua Clottey
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com, www.Twitter.com/CRHarmony, and www.Facebook.com/CRHarmony. More of his work can be found HERE
Comments
This is a black man manhandling a little Filipino girl.lol.
Mayweather and CLOTTEY would and will DEMOLISH Pacquiao.
Floyd "Xylocaine" Mayweather once again sounds retarded when he opens his mouth!I almost feel sorry for him cause when he does opens his mouth he sets himself to be criticized cause everything he says back fires at him! Lol!Does he have people that speaks for him or sumthin'? I also feel bad to all his fans cause they're retarded as well, they just follow along whatever their retarded "Idol" says...Lol!
@ d-effective1... you're really defective... you should be put to trash...ur absolutely stupid
@D-Effective, How many times has Mayweather won fighter of the Decade????????????????????.....NUFF SAID!!!!!!!
Jealousy is such an Ugly Emotion.
@Huna. .Corrales, Castillo, Baldomir, De la Hoya, and even Gatti at the time were bigger then Floyd. If you look at his 40 fights he has fought more bigger then smaller oppontents. Even Judah had been a welterweight before Floyd was. Just like Pacquiao if you move up you are fighting bigger fighters at that time including when Floyd fought Corley. Now Mayweather is a legit welterweight but he is still a small welterweight then most and will be fighting a bigger Mosley.Pacquiao is now a big junior welterweight and didn't look that much smaller then Cotto. Now, Clottey, Margarito, and Mosley are big welterweights. Floyd and Manny will be fighting bigger men but their speed and skill like always will have them win. Power also for Pacquiao. Nobody can deny that Floyd is the most gifted and skilled fighters ever. I always hear the word speed, quickness, power but what Floyd said makes him maybe the smartest fighter ever. He said timing and distance wins fights.
Deffective, as your brain. Quit sucking on flyod's balls. It might do you good.
a mexican like me will demolish pretty girl floyd's ass in a snap.i cant wait to do that ass whoppin of pgf.viva mexico!
your idol gayweathers go to helll
Knucklehead Fraud Chickenweather (KFC) - We Do Chicken Right !!! For your Safety - All of our chickens are Xylocaine injected and randomly blood tested (Olympic style).
Greatest Battle "KNUCKLEHEADther vs ShaneROIDS" of all time !!! ha ha ha ha ....
FLOYD IS AN ANIMAL...... INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE RING...
1. CHICKEN ....... RUN LIKE A HEN
2. DUCK .......... DUCKING WORTHY OPPONENTS
3. COW............ COW AS IN COWARD FOR NOT FIGHTING PAC
4. HIPPO ......... AS HIPOCRITE... FOR USING XYLOCAINE, BUT ACCUSING PAC OF PED'S
5. CHEETAH...... THE CHEATER, THE FRAUD, TAKE ADVANTAGE AGAINST JMM REGARDING WEIGHTS.
PUTANG INA NI MO FLOYD!! I will hit you a BLOW BLOW!!!
MAY THE BEST FIGHTER WIN!! AND POUNCE ASAP THE WINNER OF THE MOSROID V. CHICKEN DUCK FIGHT AND COME THE WINNER!!!! BUT NO CHEATING PLEASE!!
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT DUMB ENOUGH TO FALL ON FLOYDS ANTICS. WTH IS THIS GUYS DAMAGE ANYWAY? JEALOUS MFCKR. @DEFECTIVE, YOUR MAN FLOYD WILL MANHANDLE PAC? HE GAY?! MANHANDLE?! W T F!!!!
Despite being dubbed the world's pound-for-pound king, three-time Fighter of the Year Manny Pacquiao said he still toils to improve his skills to become an even better fighter.
Pacquiao, a 7-division champion and acknowledged Fighter of the Decade by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), said his training camp in the United States is now entering its final 5 weeks before his scheduled bout with Ghanaian boxer Joshua Clottey.
He said that despite the rain and the cold, he still wakes up early to train and prepare for the match
PACMAN SAYS:
I AM THE GREATEST, I SAID THAT EVEN BEFORE I KNEW I WAS.
HA HA what a boring bout...you might think that clotteys a good guy now but you just wait until he losses...hes such a bad loser...i wouldnt be surprised if he hangs up his gloves permanently after this...of course thats if pacquiao beats him...clotteys never beat any of the topdogs so you can bet his going to be hungry
Fighter of the Year and Fighter of the Decade honors, push him to "fight more and improve more, so I can give more entertainment to all of the boxing fans throughout the world.”
read the name
DENNIS LAURENTE OF PHILIPPINES, LIGHTWELTERWEIGHT SHOULD GO TO MIX WITH HIGH PROFILE FIGHTER,.,.BOB ARUM INSERT LAURENTE ON THE CLOTLEY PACMAN UNDERCARD.,. HE WILL KNOCK OUT VICTOR ORTIZ, MAIDENA AND EVEN AMIR KHAN,., PINOY PRIDE,., HEHEHEHEHE
see you in Dallas!
You stupids retards PacFans Xylocaine isn't a PED you Idiots!.It's ANTIBIOTICS plus Floyd was never positive in STEROIDS like Pacquiao did after the Hatton fight.That team Pacquiao blame it on the DAMN WHITE RICE.HAHAHAHAHA!.
hey pacfans,why are you soooo mad on floyd?who badly want to fight,is it or mayweather,i think you miss the points....its pacquuiao who badly want to fight mayweather.just shut up your mouth please.....lol
@The RETARD Pinoy typing under my ALIAS,HAHAHAHA!.Is that the BEST you can do.HAHAHAHA!.POOR LOSER STRUGGLING in DEFENDING PACQUIAO.HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I'm very excited for this fight!
I love how stupid my fans are. All I need is 2-3 WWE refresher courses on how to freaking trick them all. I am the BIGGEST studio gangsta. I trick ALL yall. Me da bestest in the westest. Me am GOD worship me. I am written on your money. IN GOD WE TRUST. You like me you reeely reeely like me!! But why don't you cheer for me like you do the soldiers... Me me me me Its realy all about me, talk about me!! Give me an AWARD give me something i am the goat... pack you pack man pack you pack man pack you pack man pack you pack man make me rich and do the tests your my maid do my bidding ... Oh yeah get off mah dek
Can't wait to see the two guys on the Dallas ring, it will be a tough fight i gz
WELL WROTE RICK, THE PROSE OF IT ALL. IT IS INDEED SAD AND MAY I ADD, UTTWELL WROTE RICK, THE PROSE OF IT ALL. IT IS INDEED SAD AND MAY I ADD, UTTERLY DISTURBING THAT BOTH FIGHTERS WOULD NOT EVEN HESITATE TO PREMEDITATEDLY PUT A ROBE OF DOUBT ON CHAMPACMANS REPUTATION AS A CLEAN SPORTSMAN WITH ABSOLUTELY NO HAIR OF EVIDENCE TO PROVE SO, AND WHEN THE CHAMPACMAN REFUSED THE TIMELINE(BLOOD DRAWN 14 DAYS BEFORE THE FIGHT) DICTATED TO HIM BY THESE CHEATERS, THEN THEY TAKE THAT REFUSAL AND MAKE THE CLAIM THAT THE CHAMPACMAN IS JUICING. ON THE OTHER HAND, THEM TWO: DELAHOYA AND MAYWEATHER, THE LATTER WITH A HISTORY! HISTORY MY FRIENDS, OF INJECTING HIMSELF LIKE AN ADDICT WITH XYLOCAINE. MEANWHILE THE GRAND OLD POP OF GOLDEN BOY WHO WAS BEATEN UP TO A PULP AND AS A RESULT HAD TO SURRENDER IN THAT FIGHT WITH CHAMPACMAN HAS KEPT QUIET/HIDING IN THE MEDIA SPOTLIGHT AKA REFUSED TO SIGN A WAIVER GIVING NSAC FULL DISCLISURE TO THE PUBLIC OF HIS PED USE. WHAT A SHAME! HERE WE HAVE TWO HYPOCRITES, LIK
roach has said that they will be aiming for a knockout. if manny does succeed in knocking out clottey, then it can be said that maybe it should have been mayweather who was knocked out had it not been for the drug testing fiasco.
u-people very emotive,pantyducker mother is a great dancer fighter right? but we don't judge him because every warrior ,there is fighting tactics or stratigy like mohammad ali and others,so what we can do stop blaming and false accusing by xylocain,esteroids,cryptonite,or any precious stone in las vegas,america and philippines.every fighters knows their capabilities,know how to defeat their foe,not drinking mamas urine or eating grandfas mannure,the best capability to win is must train hard,discipline hard,and most obedient in faith in the CREATOR.We don't blame anybody,especially drugs,white rice,sticky rice and the best especial drink the mamas urine to become a real superman!
remember ,there are 2kinds of food supplement can be use by these warriors chemical and preservative medicine and the natural medicine like herbal supplement.The most important thing is you must fight in fairness according to your skills and ability ,not by this,not by that foolish and stupid drugs.
see you on march 13... i will be one of the part history in the making at dallas
bakla ako
mahilig akong tsumupa
mahilig akong tsumupa
I"m a loseerrr!!!
Does anybody knows the brand of his turquoise boxing gloves?
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