Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey Weigh-In

ARLINGTON, Texas -- As weigh-ins go, to say that Friday's at Cowboys Stadium for champion Manny Pacquiao and challenger Joshua Clottey was atypical would be an understatement.

The two men, who are scheduled to try and bash each other's heads in on Saturday night at The Stadium, could not maintain their composure during the traditional, photo-op staredown.

Seven-division titlist, Pacqauiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), an affable, 31-year-old Filipino whose WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt is on the line, was the first to lose it, chuckling as he turned away from the stone-faced Clottey.

But the 32-year-old Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), a Ghanian-native living in The Bronx, New York, soon followed suit. Clottey beamed a wide smile that belies his intentions to seperate Pacquiao from his senses as well as his championship.

Throw in the presence of stadium owner Jerry Jones, whose $1.2 billion venue is hosting a boxing match for the first time ever, and Oscar-winning actor, Robert Duvall, and you have an event with star power.

"I came down to watch Manny Pacquiao train one time, when my CPA, who is from the Philippines, asked me to go. I came down and watched him, and he looked great," said Duvall, who attended the first Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight. "This kid's going to win. I think this Filipino kid is something really special. I think that he's a phenom."

Pacquiao, for the record, weighed in at a career-high, 145 and three quarters -- this, after having eaten breakfast, and, lunch, earlier in the day.

"Manny had eggs for breakfast and fish for dinner. It's a good weight, he's happy when he can eat, we're going to go have a good meal now, and by fight-time, he'll be around 149," said Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach.

"That's his perfect fighting weight, so we're right where we want to be," said Roach. "This is what he's gone into the ring as for the last four fights, and that's his perfect fighting weight."

Clottey, known for being a large welterweight, tipped the scales at a chiseled 147 pounds even, and did not eat until after the weigh-in.

Clottey checked his weight about 30 minutes prior to the official time of the weigh-in, and was told by promoter Bob Arum, "Don't eat anything."

The pro-Pacquiao crowd of perhaps around 4,000 was treated to a promotional video, not long after which the fighter's assistant trainer, Buboy Fernandez, threw Pacquiao's sneakers into the mass of fans.




Another comical instance developed when Gjin Gjini, owner of John's Gym in New York where Clottey is trained under Lenny DeJesus, challenged Roach to a "battle of cornermen."

"Clottey's a decent fighter, big guy, he's in good shape, but his cornerman told me that if the entourages get into a fight, they would beat us up, and I'm like, 'Who gives a f***?" said Roach, to whom DeJesus was once an assistant trainer as a cut man.

"Their corner can take our corner? Who gives a f***? This guy's an idiot, so who cares? It irritates me a little bit," said Roach. "My lawyer doesn't want me to hit anybody, even though he did buy me a pair of brass knuckles for Christmas."

There are two problems with Gjini's assertion: One, the corners don't fight, and two, Gjini "is not in our corner," according to Clottey manager, Vinnie Scolpino. "He's just a hanger-on."