Joshua Clottey defends himself from a right-hand blow from Manny Pacquiao during the Filipino's WBO welterweight title defence in Dallas. Photograph: Chris Cozzone/AFP/Getty Images
Manny Pacquiao has defended his WBO welterweight title with a comfortable points victory over Joshua Clottey in Dallas. The Filipino scored a 120-108, 119-109, 119-109 but could not find Clottey's breaking point as he maintained his proud record of never having been stopped.
The Ghanaian entered the ring with a flamboyant dance but he failed to show as much imagination once the fight started and Pacquiao was always on top.
"He's a very tough opponent. He was looking for a big shot," Pacquiao said after the fight, which took place in front of a crowd of 50,994, the biggest in the US for 17 years.
Pacquiao also revealed the he still has hopes that a potential fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr may still go ahead. "I want that fight, the world wants that fight, but it's up to him," he told Associated Press.
The pattern Saturday's fight would take was established early in the first round when, despite Clottey's peek-a-boo defence, Pacquiao still managed to advance against his taller opponent and throw punches with both hands from all angles. It was the same style that gave him spectacular wins in his past three fights and though Clottey was clearly the bigger fighter, he rarely sought to use his reach advantage.
Clottey's corner was urging him to take some risks late on but even in the final round, when he needed a knockout to win, the Ghanaian only sparingly dropped his guard.
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