Fight odds soar for Pacquiao

Source: (The Philippine Star) – Abac Cordero

MANILA, Philippines - Not even Freddie Roach’s statement that he sees the fight going the distance could keep the fight odds from sky-rocketing in favor of Manny Pacquiao.

The other day, the four-time Trainer of the Year told fightfan.com that he’s not looking for a knockout. Instead, he said he sees a 12-round battle with Joshua Clottey.

But no one seemed to listen as oddsmakers for the March 13 showdown at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas remained convinced it’s going to be one-sided.

At least four online betting stations in the United States have placed Pacquiao as the overwhelming favorite, and the only way he could lose if he doesn’t show up on fight night.

Sportsbook, which has control of the betting stations in Las Vegas, has the 31-year-old Filipino superstar at -500 and Clottey, the hungry challenger from Ghana, at +300 with less than a month left.

It’s so huge that you need $500 to win a hundred bucks if you’re rooting for Pacquiao, and that a $100 bet on Clottey gives you $300 in return in case he pulls off the upset of the century.

At sportsbetting.com, Pacquiao was at -500 and Clottey at +350. Bookmaker.com was a little more conservative with its -440 for Pacquiao and +350 for Clottey while sportsinteraction.com has it at -556 and +300.

Clottey having problems in training makes it easier for oddsmakers to point at Pacquiao as the favorite.

First, the 33-year-old challenger could not take his long-time trainers with him to the United States after they failed to secure the required working visas from the US Embassy in Ghana.

And while he trained briefly in New York, a snow storm kept Clottey indoors and unable to do roadwork. For his part, Pacquiao is in the thick of things at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

Those close to him say Pacquiao looked so fit the past week that he’s ready to fight Clottey tomorrow. Roach has even ordered the number of sparring rounds slashed from around 150 to just a little over a hundred.

Still, Roach said he sees a tough fight.

“The first half of the fight will be very hard for both guys,” he told fightfan.com.

“Then we’ll take over in the middle or late rounds. Clottey waits for you to punch yourself out and get tired. But Manny Pacquiao doesn’t get tired,” he said.

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