Check in with Benchwarmers United throughout the night as we provide full coverage of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey welterweight showdown.  Pacquiao (50-3-2) defends his WBO welterweight title against Clottey (35-3) at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas before a crowd of 50,000 beginning at 11:50 PM EST.

Pacquiao Vs Clottey Live Play By Play

The following is the play-by-play call of the fight:

Round 1

Pacquiao comes out and immediately attempts to establish his jab.  Pacquiao lands a left followed by right to body.  Clottey is on defensive, blocking punches.  Pacquiao lands some shots to body and arms along the ropes.  Clottey misses with jab and takes a right to head from Pacquiao.  Pacquiao sticks the jab and Clottey follows with a hard right hand.  Bell sounds.

Uneventful first round goes to Pacquiao.

Round 2

Pacquiao comes out again and is dictating the pace.  Clottey still on defense and Pacquiao is struggling to find openings.  Pacquiao continues to throw punches but Clottey is blocking them all.  Clottey lands blow below the belt, but no call from ref.  Pacquiao rips a left through Clottey’s guard.  Solid left by Clottey.  Pacquiao continues to throw but everything is being blocked.  Pacquiao gets through the guard and scores just before the bell.

Another round for Pacquiao due to his constant activity

Round 3

Pacquiao comes out and is still throwing punches without much response from Clottey.  Pacquiao is starting to get through Clottey’s guard a little better now.  Clottey unleashes a few punches, now back on the defensive.  Pacquiao keeps pouring on the punches.  Clottey counters and lands a hard right.  Pacquiao picks up pace and corners Clotter in corner, landing partially blocked shots.  Round comes to end.

Pacquiao still throwing too many punches to Clottey’s, another easy round.

Round 4

Clottey is slightly picking up his pace, but Pacquiao is still outpunching Clottey three to one.  Clottey’s defense is still tough to break.  Pacquiao lands punches with two hands at once, ref pauses fight and gives warning.  Pacquiao lands a shot and Clottey falls back into the corner.  Clottey’s defense is still tight with his defense and recovers.  Clottey hasn’t thrown a punch now in 30 seconds.  Pacquiao still struggling to break the defense as Clottey lands to body.  Another left by Clottey as round ends.

Another walkover round for Pacquiao

Round 5

Pacquiao is now throwing four punches to every shot thrown by Clottey.  Pacquiao calls on Clottey to throw punches, taking open shots to body.  Pacquiao begins throwing hands again, but Clottey is still defending well.  Pacquiao still pecking away with shots that are being partially blocked.  Clottey is again not throwing punches.  Right to head by Pacquiao.  Pacquiao attacks landing a flurry of shot.  No response from Clottey as round end

Pacquiaouiao with another easy and clear round.

Round 6

Pacquiao continues to throw hands at a fast pace.  Clottey has no answer to respond.  Right to head by Pacquiao.  Flurry of shots landed by Pacquiao.  Clottey lands back to back rights, followed by a combination.  Pacquiao responds with flurry of punches, putting Clottey back on the defensive.  Pacquiao unleashes another flurry of shots to close the round.

Six rounds to zero, Pacquiao in a total mismatch here.

Round 7

Clottey opens the round with more activity and lands a few shots.  Pacquiao goes back to unleashing shot after shot, but Clottey strikes back with a left.  Clottey is beginning to open up more, but Pacquiao is still outpunching him by a wide margin.  Pacquiao lands a left, followed by a body shot.  Clottey again dormant, not throwing punches.  Pacq is burying Clottey with shots. Round ends.

Best round of night for Clottey, but another round goes to Pacquiao

Round 8

Clottey comes out in tight defense again as Pacquiao remains active.  Pacquiao lands a solid left.  Low blow by Clottey, refs gives Pacquiao time to recover.  Pacquiao goes right back to throwing shot after shot with Clottey going dorman again.  Pacquiao has thrown about 30-40 shots without a response back.  It’s getting ugly and Clotteys corner begs him to open up and fight.

Dominating round by Pacquiaou

Round 9

Pacquiao is just bombing away again as Clottey stays in tight defense.  Clottey is fighting scared looking to last.  Clottey unleashes a combination, but goes right back into his defensive guard.  Pacquiao is back to throwing shot after shot. Clottey misses with a right and Pacquiao counters with combination that make Clottey pay for it.  More punch activity by Pacquiao as the round ends.

Score another round for Pacquiao

Round 10

Pacquiao still looks fresh as the first round as he continues to bomb away.  Clottey’s defense is still solid, blocking most of Pacquiao’s punches.  Combination of body shot landed by Pacquiao.  Clottey continues to not take a chance, as Pacquiao keeps slamming shots on Clottey’s guard.  Clottey lands to blows, but backs out into his guard again.  Pacquiao is again unloading as he throws 20 unanswered punches.  Clottey lands a solid right to close round.

Another easy round for Pacquiao.  Ten rounds to zero.

Round 11

Lampley notes that Pacquiao has thrown more punches tonight after ten rounds than any of his previous 55 bouts. Pacquiao has reduced his pace, but Clottey still refusing to open up.  Clottey lands a shot and Pacquiao unleashes about 15 unanswered punches.  The crowd is now chanting Manny.  Clottey battles back and lands three left uppercuts in a row.  Pacquiao rallies and begins to unleash again as Clottey goes back into his shell.

Another great round for Pacquiao

Round 12

Clottey is looking a little more game, lands a hard left hook.  Inadvertent headbutt pauses the action.  Clottey lands a left to body. Pacquiao is still throwing flurries of punches.  Clottey throws a left that lands, but Pacquiao picks up pace and starts landing shots again.  Pacquiao is landing shots three to one again, as Clottey ends the fight as he started it, burying his face behind his gloves.

Twelve rounds to zero.  Pacquiao throws a dominating shutout.

Official Result

Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 to retain his WBO Welterweight title.

Will 13 be a lucky number for the underdog fighter Joshua Clottey tonight or will Manny Pacquiao turn the lights out on him tonight?This fight is a enormous opportunity for one and would be a devastating loss for the other. Who walks away with the Welterweight title tonight?…

Manny Pacquiao has too much to lose tonight.

Pacquiao has everything to lose and very little to gain. He is a huge favorite and is more than expected to get the job done tonight. He was supposed to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in what would have been the potential fight of the decade but instead must sort of tune up of sorts in hope that theWill 13 be a lucky number for the underdog fighter Joshua Clottey tonight or will Manny Pacquiao turn the lights out on him tonight?This fight is a enormous opportunity for one and would be a devastating loss for the other. Who walks away with the Welterweight title tonight?…might still take place down the road. Pacquiao must not and will not take the hungry Clottey lightly. Pacquiao looked as dominate as ever in his 12th round TKO of Miguel Cotto in his last fight. He has as much pride as any fighter there every was and is considered the best pound for pound fighter in the world. A loss would derail all the momentum he has worked for and would be more than a blip at this time in his career.

Clottey can use this opportunity to make a big name for himself and grab the title all in one bout. He is a very hungry and determined fighter and that makes him so dangerous. He is coming off a split decision loss to Cotto in a bout that he could of well won. He is a relentless fighter and will come to fight for sure. His birthday is March 16 and what a birthday present this would be. Manny better be ready to fight form the opening bell because Joshua will come prepared and ready.

This fight will come down to you wants it more and who has most to lose. Pacquiao has the heart of a champion, fights for a country and has too much to lose in this fight. He is in prime condition and will be relentless as long as the fight lasts. He will also be out to show Mayweather Jr. what he is made of. Too much Manny too often. Manny will punish him from the opening bell and get this fight stopped fight in the fifth round be a TKO.

Prediction:Pacquiao by TKO in the Fifth Round.

I can’t help but turn my attention this week  to what could of happened this Saturday March 13th. It could of been one of the best boxing matches of all time but instead we can only use our imagination of what would of happened between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Boxing  and boxing fans sorely needed this matchup but for some reason this  colossal fight is not what we will seeing  this Saturday. What is the real reason?…

What would of happened if Manny Pacquiao fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. this Saturday?

Pacquiao will instead take on Joshua Clottey this Saturday  and Mayweather Jr. will take on Sugar Shane Mosley on May 1. While these matchups could produce some great fights, they  fail in comparison to the Pacquiao/Mayweather Jr fight. This would of been a spring fling that could of made boxing history. Mayweather Jr. is unbeaten and Pacquiao is on top of his game. It is unfair to the fans and as usual they are left out in the cold looking in.

Mayweather has accused Pacquiao of taking steroids, and the proud Pacquiao did sue Floyd for defamation of character. While this back and forth banter could of made for a better fight inside the ring instead it made for no fight at all. Pacquiao thinks that Mayweather should of concentrated on the fight at hand instead of acquisations. I have to agree with Manny’s thoughts as he would be Floyd’s greatest threat to his unbeaten recoord. Mayweather knew that Manny is the best pound for pound fighter in the world ,and he wanted no part of him at this time in his career. Was he afraid to get his first loss of his career?

I hope that both fighters win their fights and maybe their next fight will be against each other. Both fighters need this fight to put a exclamation  on their careers. If this fight never happens, every boxing fan will be left to what would of happened if they fought. Both fighters would have to live with that, lets hope boxing fans don’t have to.

After days of speculation, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0) officially signed a fight contract to meet Shane Mosley (46-5).  Rumors leaked out last week that the fighters had come to agreement, but Mayweather had yet to sign the deal.  The bout will take place on May 1, 2010 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mayweather / Mosley Officially On

A key stipulation of the bout agreement was drug testing, an issue which caused the collapse of the Pacquiao negotiation.  Mosley has previously admitted to taking steroid supplied by the notorious BALCO labs, although he stands by his statement that he did so unknowingly.  Mosley agreed to Olympic-style drug testing, the very same arrangement Pacquiao refused to accept within the fight contract.

The moves made by Mayweather’s team of advisers are masterful.  They were not prepared, nor desired to make the fight with Pacquiao.  The sports media pressured Mayweather’s team to make the “super fight” between the two fighters considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.  Taking another fight or two against top-shelf boxers with less weapons financially makes more sense, especially considering Mayweather’s known financial issues.

Requesting the same Olympics drug testing of Mosley is also genius.  They got inside the head of Pacquiao first by asking for it, now they get another respected fighter in Mosley to agree to the very same terms, and this guy previously has used steroids for real.  It puts Pacquiao’s back against the ropes to agree to the drug testing terms, which he will eventually have to accept now that Mosley has agreed to these same terms and has set a precedent.  If he refuses, he places a stain on a wonderful career that will forever have an asterisk placed next to it.

More importantly, the drama unveiled by the Mayweather team has just significantly increased the interest in a Pacquiao showdown further, which will no doubt smash pay-per-view records when it finally occurs.

For Mayweather, a fight with Mosley holds very little risk to his undefeated record and pound-for-pound title reign.  Mosley’s style is made to order for Mayweather.  The stalker walk-down approach that Mosley applies will result in a blitz of counter punch shots that will come at a speed Mosley has never experienced in his career.

The losses to Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright provide the blueprint to beating Mosley.  Establish a solid jab, focus on counter punching and when Mosley gets in close, work the clinch.  You read this and if you’ve watched a Mayweather fight, these are the things that Mayweather does better than anyone in the fight game.

Despite what appears to be a mismatch for the aging Mosley, his pride keeps him defiant.  In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Mosley shared “They can test me every day, twice a day, if they want.  I’m a clean athlete and I’ve been a clean athlete.  I’m willing to do this for every fight I have for the rest of my career.  I want it so you guys (in the media) know, so the public knows, so everybody knows.  I’m clean, I’ve been clean and I have nothing to hide.”

But Mosley didn’t stop there.  “I lost to guys he wouldn’t fight,” Mosley said. “The bottom line is, I’m the best fighter in the world.  I know that.  I believe I’ve proven that. But this is a great fight, a big fight against a guy who is very talented. When I get my chance, I’ll show you who deserves to be the best in the world.”

Again, masterful work by Mayweather’s team.  A fight against Mosley will generate much interest and he’ll make millions in what will likely be a sparring session against a fighter whose best days are behind him.   A Mosley matchup after Pacquiao held much less cachet and getting this fight in before the “super fight” lines the wallets of everyone involved.

The best fighter in the world was honored Monday with a much deserved distinction. Manny Pacquiao was voted fighter of the decade by the Boxing Writer’s Association Of America. Along with fighter of the decade, Manny wins his third fighter of the year award. He is in some elite company joining Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield  with the distinction. Pacquiao will now be considered one of the best boxers of all time.

Manny Pacquiao wins fighter of the decade.

Pacquiao (50-3) with two draws was last seen dismantling  Miguel Cotto in November in a Welterweight bout that secured Manny  a record 7th title in a weight division. Pacquiao was a dominant as you can get in that fight and was set to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a colossal match set for March.Both fighters are fighting at their best and this would of been one for ages.  Instead of this  fight  taking place, Pacquiao will take on Joshua Clottey for his WBO belt. Manny beat out the forementioned Mayweather Jr among others to win fighter of the deacde.

It is a cryin’ shame that this bout will not tke place as both fighters are considered the best pound  for pound fighters in the  world. Boxing fans were hoping for this “Spring Fling” to take place, but it just was not meant to be. I was looking forward to this fight more than any other I have as a boxing Fan. You had people going back and forth on who they think would win. It was a great debate but now will we will have to wait. What a shame.

I am glad to  see Pacquiao was recognized as the best fighter around. I have no doubt that he would of showed Mayweather Jr. the reason why he was honored. Anyway Manny will have to settle for this in the mean time. I am glad the writers got this one right. Congratulation Manny Pacquiao.

Current WBO Featherweight champion Steven Luevano (37-1-1) will take on Juan Manuel Lopez  (27-0) for the title. The fight is taking place at Madison Square Garden and is the co-main event feature being broadcast live on HBO.

The following is the play-by-play call of the fight:

Round 1

Luevano comes out in southpaw stance and begins working the jab from a distance.  Lopez lands a solid combination to the head.  Luevano catches a Lopez with a right jab counter to the chin.  Lopez lands a left hook which backs up Luevano. Luevano continues to work at a distance.  Lopez lunges and connect with a right hook.  Round comes to an end.

Round to Lopez. 10-9

Round 2

Luevano still keeping his distance with Lopez trying to close the gap between the fighters.  Luevano lunges with a right cross but misses.  Lopez lands a combination to the body.  Lopez comes forward with a right and Luevano counters.  Another right by Lopez with a counter response from Luevano.  Lopez trying to come forward again and gets jab stuck in his face.  Lopez comes back with combination, followed by another combination to close the round.

Round to Lopez, 10-9

Round 3

Lopez comes out stalking.  Lopez lands a solid left that hurts Luevano.  Lopez tries to follow with combination, but Luevano is okay.  Lopez goes for the head and misses, Luevano counter with combination of shots to the body.  Another right to the head by Lopez. An uppercut from Lopez lands, followed by a strong right hook.  Lopez pushes forward with a combination of shot as the go to the ropes.  Luevano defends well as the round comes to a close.

Round to Lopez, 10-9

Round 4

Lopez stalking again with Luevano at a distance.  Combination to the head scores for Lopez.  Another solid right.  Lopez is moving foward without much resistance now.  Uppercut lands for Lopez followed by a right.  Another right hook to the head by Lopez.  Combination lands for Lopez, as Luevano counters and lands combination of his own.  Left to the body followed by a right hook that buckles Luevano as the round comes to an end.

Round to Lopez, 10-9

Round 5

More of the same as the round begins. Lopez stalking and scoring power shots at will.  Lopez is consistently landing first with Luevano on the defense looking for a counter.  Lopez lands an uppercut.  Straight left to the head for Lopez.  Luevano fights back with combination to the body.  Lopez works off the ropes with another combination.  Luevano lands a combination counter.  Lopez swings wildly as the round ends.

Round to Lopez, 10-9

Round 6

Luevano’s left eye is starting to swell as the round begins. Lopez is teeing off again on Luevano.  Shot to the body followed by an uppercut for Lopez.  Another combination as Lopez continues to get off first.  Another combination of shots landed by Lopez.  Luevano is still looking for a counter opening.  Another combination lands solidly by Lopez. The fighters both land a flurry of punches as the round comes to an end.

Round to Lopez, 10-9

Round 7

Luevano sticks the jab.  Lopez counters the jab with a vicious uppercut that sends Luevano stumbling back.  Lopez pounces, lands a combination of shots, ending with a rock hard left hook which floors Luevano.  The ref begins the count and Luevano gets to his feet.  Luevano looks like he’s unaware of his surroundings and the referee calls an end to the fight.

Lopez by TKO at 0:44 of the seventh round.

Current WBA Featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (16-0) will take on Rogers Mtagwa (26-13-2) for the title. The fight is taking place at Madison Square Garden and is the co-main event feature being broadcast live on HBO.

The following is the play-by-play call of the fight:

Round 1

Mtagwa comes out aggresive and lands right cross.  Mtagwa goes for body shot and gets tagged hit a left hook counter.  Gamboa lunges with and connect with a left hook.  Gamboa connects solidly again with a combination to the head that shakes Mtagwa.  Gamboa is picking Mtagwa apart, lands uppercut.  Mtagwa comes forward and gets hit again with a counter left.  Mtagwa comes forward and gets hit with another counter left hook to the head that knocks him down the canvas.  Mtagwa is up quickly and the round comes to an end.

Round to Gamboa, 10-8

Round 2

Mtagwa comes out assertively and looks unphased by the knockdown.  Mtagwa moves for a jab and Gamboa connects with left hook followed by a right.  Gamboa lands another combination.  Mtagwa pushes a weak jab forward and is tagged again by a vicious combination of shots.  Gamboa pushes the action and rocks Mtagwa with a right cross.  Gamboa unleashes a combination to the body followed by a right to the head that knocks Mtagwa down for the second time in the fight.  Mtagwa is able to geft of the canvas.  Gamboa shows patience and chooses not to pounce.  Mtagwa paws a jab and Gamboa goes for the kill with a flurry of shots that Mtagwa cannot defend.  Another left hook buckles Mtagwa and he moves back, slumping down to the canvas along the ropes for another knockdown.  The referee steps in and calls the fight.

Gamboa by TKO at 2:35

Manny Pacquiao has to fight Floyd Mayweather out of the ring due to the fact that Mayweather and his team, family and Golden Boy Promotions have defamed the character of the best fighter in the world. Mayweather will do anything to try to get into the head of Pacquiao.

Maywather may have bitten off more than he can chew in his allegations against Manny Pacquiao.

I think he knows the daunting task that is ahead of him in this bout. This will be his toughest fight of his life, and he knows it.

Manny was forced to file a suit against Mayweather and his entourage. Mayweather has alleged that  Pacquiao has used performance enhancing in the past.  This a insult to the proud Pacquiao. Pacquiao, like any fight in his life, has not ducked any blood or urine test whatsoever. In my opinion, this is dirty pool by Mayweather. He fears Manny. This will backfire and give the already highly motivated Pacquiao another reason to punch Mayweather in the  face.

The March 13 Superfight in Vegas is the boxing match that every fan wants to see. These un found allegations could up

tainting this colossal mathup. Mayweather needs to concentrate on the fight in the ring instead of the fight outside of it.I don’t like to see these tactics in any sport at anytime. I hope this fight happens in the spring ,and these allegations does not hinder it.

I liked Pacquiao in this fight, but know I love him. This will give him the drive to fight even harder. It is always the fight inside the fighter that you have to worry about. Mayweather has a fight on his hands and better worry on March 13. Lets see what is inside of him. It is time to fight inside the ring.

Vitali Klitschko Earns Unanimous Decision

Vitali Klitschko (39-2) left little to dispute inside the ring, handily earning a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Kevin Johnson (22-1–1) in an absolute mismatch of heavyweight fighters.  Klitschko pitched a shutout on two judges’ cards 120-108 and earned a 119-109 score on the third judge’s card.  The fight was held at PostFinance Arena in Berne, Switzerland.

Fight fans left the arena with little excitement after a boring, non-action affair.  From the earliest onset of the fight, Klitschko was the stalker with Johnson on the defense.  With his masterful jab and fluent agility, Klitschko pecked away with Johnson constantly backing himself up along the ropes, round after round.  Klitschko dictated the pace as Johnson bobbed, weaved, ducked and ran without trying mount much of a counterattack.

By round 4, the mismatch was obvious as Klitschko pelted Johnson with shot after shot.  Klitschko was unable to land solid shots due to Johnson’s constant head movement, but received nothing in response.  Although Johnson jawed at Klitschko throughout the fight about not hurting him, all the action came from his mouth rather than his fists.

In the final round, Klitschko finally broke through with a hard right that shook Johnson.  Klitschko followed with another hard right and initiated a barrage of shots on Johnson along the ropes.  It was clear Klitschko was irritated by Johnson’s inaction and jawing, trying desperately to finish him off before the bell.  Johnson survived, which was his game plan coming into the fight.

A truly shameful effort by Kevin Johnson.  Championship belt shots don’t come that often and should never be squandered in such a fashion.  Not only did he disgrace himself in the ring, he took away an opportunity from another worthy fighter that would have given their best effort.  While Chris Arreola might have been beaten by Klitschko as handily, at least he put up a fight and left the ring with his respect know he gave it his best shot.  Johnson never attempted an aggressive attack the entire fight, an embarrassing accomplishment.

The heavyweight division continues to limp along with the two Klitschko brothers leading the pack, miles ahead of everyone else.  Hopefully we will get to see the brothers hook it up against one another by the end of 2010.  It would be a fantastic way for both to end their careers, just as they started them, duking it out against one another.  Not to mention a huge payday fight for both.

Mayweather Will Fall From The Ranks of The Unbeaten Against Manny Pacquiao

I cannot tell you how forward I am to seeing Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. This bout pits the best p0und for pound fighters in the world. Boxing is in bad need of a colossal matchup like this, and the public will eat it up. Pacquiao is coming off a most impressive victory over Miguel Cotto. He dominated Cotto with his speed and endurance on his way to  a 12th round fight stoppage.

Cotto came into the fight in the best shape of his life and left a badly beaten fighter. The beating was so bad, Cotto’s wife left ringside in the 10th round and his father pleaded with his corner to stop the fight in the 11th round.  Mayweather scored a impressive unanimous victory over Juan Manuel Marquez. These two fighters have the talent to make this Welterweight bout the best boxing match in years.

Pacquiao has the speed and endurance to match the great counter and speed of Mayweather. There is no greater heart than that of Manny Pacquiao, and he fights with the pride of the Philippines in every fight. He also has the best trainer in the world in Freddie Roach. I love all the intangibles that Manny has going for him and that will make the difference in this fight. Manny has more heart and will than Floyd. Mayweather will need to fight his best and counter Manny’s speed and endurance. It will be too much Manny from start to finish. Pacquiao wins a unanimous decision.

This bout looks to take place March 13 in Las Vegas. I think 13 will be a unlucky number for one Floyd Mayweather Jr.