Philippine Sports News and Updates

The road to Arlington, Texas begins for Team Pacquiao Monday (Tuesday in Manila) as it heads there for the final countdown of the Filipino ring idol’s 12-round showdown against Joshua Clottey of Ghana.

A chartered plane that leaves Los Angeles at around 3 p.m. Monday will bring Manny Pacquiao and around 150 people to Arlington, the seventh-largest city in Texas, following a three-hour flight covering 1,251 miles.

The fantastic $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium owned by billionaire Jerry Jones will be the site of Pacquiao’s 12-round title fight against Clottey this Saturday.

This marks the first time in three years that the 31-year old southpaw from General Santos City is fighting outside of Las Vegas since scoring an eighth round knockout of Mexican Jorge Solis in San Antonio, Texas in 2007.

The change in venue and atmosphere hardly deters the champion, staking for the first time the 147-pound title belt he won four months ago with a 12th round technical knockout of Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.

"We’re ok and we’re ready," said Pacquiao Sunday afternoon at his posh Palazzo Apartment in Hollywood, where he personally supervised the final day of the three-week long weight loss challenge he put up for his bloated staff.

Pacquiao skipped his road work Sunday and instead attended Mass at the nearby Christ The King Church accompanied by his close family members and friends. He later had lunch at his $2 million house located just outside of the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood of Hancock Park.

Prior to his departure for Texas, Pacquiao will be doing his final sparring in training camp at the WildCard gym as he is scheduled to go four rounds against old hand Ray Beltran.

"We’re just going to maintain everything. I have no weight problems," Pacquiao told Manila-based sports writers.

Asked on whether he’s having problem meeting the 147-weight limit, Pacquiao smiled and said, "No, I just eat when I want to."

Pacquiao is arriving in Texas a day after Clottey planes in. The challenger is set to hold his public workout at the Convention Hall of the Gaylord Texan Hotel on Monday, while the champion does his own on Tuesday.

The final press conference of the match, dubbed "The Event" and promoted by Top Rank, is on Wednesday.

With less than a week before finally facing Clottey in the ring, Pacquiao wished his opponent the best.

"Good luck to both of us. May the best man win," he said the Filipino.

• GMANews.TV
• Philippine Sports Central