INQUIRER Sports

HE WAS perfectly sure they?d get Joshua Clottey but, not knowing whether the knockout would come in the first or ninth round, premier trainer Freddie Roach used one straight sentence to explain what the mysterious Ghanaian was all about.

Clottey?s best shot is an uppercut, Roach said.

?His second best shot is a headbutt,? Roach quipped in the same breath.

Newly arrived at the lead of Team Pacquiao in Dallas, Roach did not have to explain they were ready for the worst.

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On the other hand, Lenny DeJesus, Clottey?s newly appointed trainer, swore they would win by knockout.

How?

DeJesus, who has worked as cutman for Manny Pacquiao several times, refused to explain.

Of course, that was improbable, said premier columnist Quinito Henson.

Henson also suggested it would not be beyond Clottey to resort to foul tactics on fight night.

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?Clottey only 1 KO in last 11 fights since 2005,? Henson said in a text message the other day. ?His KO rate is 57 percent of wins while Pacquiao is 76 percent. Clottey only 3 fights since 2008, Manny 5.?

What makes Clottey worthy is his durability, Henson said.

The Ghanaian has never been KO?d.

?He has responsible defense and has had no difficulty handling southpaws,? Henson explained.

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Is that all?

?No, what makes Clottey truly dangerous is his record as an instinctively dirty fighter.?

Records showed Clottey?s recent big fights had been smeared with blood and vileness.

?The most dangerous weapon in Clottey?s arsenal is undoubtedly Clottey?s head,? warned Don Stradley in an article for Ring Magazine. ?The sheer contour of it is menacing, the forehead bulging slightly as if nature designed Clottey with the specific intention of giving other fighters headaches and bad cuts.?

Clottey and his trainer predictably disagreed.

They seemed singularly sure they could beat Roach and Pacquiao using clean, legit tactics.

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On the other hand, Roach said speed, speed, speed, will be Pacquiao?s main weapon to nullify Clottey?s size edge.

Countered Team Clottey: ?We won?t be caught going their pace, there?ll be no brawl with Pacquiao?we will engage in calculated exchanges.?

Pacquiao, no stranger to foulness, is all set to win it neat and legit.

Pacman will do it the noble way of mythical Filipino warriors.

Not Clottey.

The African jungle cat, tough as a truck tire, may not survive without spitting venom.