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MANILA, Philippines – It was the first time for defending World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao to fight in a massive venue on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Fighting at the $1.2-billion Cowboys Stadium proved to be fruitful for Pacquiao as he was able to defend his title against Joshua Clottey of Ghana via unanimous decision with the scores 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109.
“Grabe dahil alam mo na-surprise ako sa tibay ni Joshua Clottey,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN Correspondent Dyan Castillejo.
“Pero noong pagpasok ko pa lang sa ring, nakita ko ang mga fans lalo akong naganahan. Dahil sabi ko first time in my life, in my boxing career, na ako ang main event na ganito karami ang mga tao. I have to show my best na mapasaya ko iyong mga tao,” he said of the more than 50,000 spectators at the Cowboys Stadium.
Pacquiao, who was in the locker room when he was interviewed by Castillejo, added that Clottey was a tough nut to crack. The Ghanaian refused to go down so Pacquiao kept the heat on.
“Talagang ang ensayo, ang training naman is enough for this fight, pero di tayo nag-kumpiyansa, ‘di tayo nagiging careless kasi he's looking for a big shot. He’s looking for a timing para ma-counter tayo at nag-ingat naman tayo,” said the Filipino boxing icon.
Meanwhile, Clottey, in an interview after the fight, said he could not keep up with Pacquiao’s pace.
“The guy is fast and he threw a lot of punches. I’m too tight, my body’s tight,” noted the Ghanaian.
But he said he could have won the fight if he fired more punches.
“You see he never hurts me. His punches doesn’t (sic) hurt. If I threw a lot of punches, I’m gonna win,” he stated.
When asked what he would do differently if ever there will be a Pacquiao-Clottey rematch, the Ghanaian remarked, “I have to throw a lot of punches.”
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