Clottey told: Exploit Pacquiao's weaknesses

An inability to fight on the inside and off the ropes could mark Manny Pacquiao's doom in his March 13 slugfest against Ghanian boxer Joshua Clottey, a former boxing champ turned trainer said Friday.

John David Jackson, a former light middleweight and middleweight champion in the late 80’s and early 90’s, said Clottey could win the bout if he tries exploiting some of Pacquiao's weaknesses.

“Pacquiao is not a good inside fighter... and he also can't fight off the ropes. Clottey has to capitalize on that. If he can do that, he can beat him," Jackson told reporters

He, however, said Clottey seems to have a problem with regards to stamina, which could spell trouble when he takes on the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champ.

“He can be dominating and then for some reason, he dies out the second half of the fight. You can't do that against Pacquiao because he's going to fight you for 3 minutes of every round,” said the former boxer.

Jackson is the same trainer who said that Pacquiao has never fought an African-American fighter in his life, therefore questioning the champion’s status as top pound-for-pound.

“It's not a racial thing. I never said anything bad about Manny or any Filipino,” he explained.

“Until he beats a [Floyd] Mayweather or a [Shane] Mosley, then I don't know if he is the top fighter,” Jackson said.

He said that the Mayweather-Mosley fight in May 1 will actually make the task of “being the best” easier for Pacquiao.

Jackson said all the Filipino has to do is beat the winner of the match.

“If he beats that guy convincingly... hey, we can't even argue if he is the pound for pound best. It's automatic.”