Boxing: Pacquiao too classy for Clottey

(GETTY IMAGES)

Manny Pacquiao finally beat a proper welterweight when he hit a static but stoic Joshua Clottey for 12 rounds without hurting him in front of nearly 50,000 at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium here on Saturday night.

Pacquiao won every round, including the last which was a gentle spar between two smiling veterans, and he hit Clottey's gloves and elbows with a stunning variety of punches. But hitting gloves and elbows is not what boxing is about. Clottey, as predicted by Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum, knew exactly how to lose and did so with just enough pride.

The only change in pattern came in the last round when they embraced warmly at the start and then touched and rolled and patted each other with a succession of gentle punches until the final bell.

Pacquiao, who retained his World Boxing Organisation welterweight title, has beaten world-class fighters in seven weight divisions over 10 years of quality fights and admits that he is looking for just one or two more big fights.