Date: 13th March 2010
Venue: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TexasTitle: WBO World Welterweight Title
Promoter: Top Rank
Tv: HBO PPV
Manny Pacquiao
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50
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3
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2
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Weight: 145¾ lbs
Joshua Clottey
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35
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3
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0
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Weight: 145 lbs
On Saturday, March 13, 2010, the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, played host to the WBO World Welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey, which was promoted by Top Rank and aired on HBO Pay-Per-View. This was the first fight to be held at the newly built Cowboy Stadium, which had opened its doors on May 27, 2009. The fight attracted a paid crowd of 36,371, and the gate revenue was an impressive $6,359,985.
Pacquiao, who weighed in at 146 lbs, was the clear favorite going into the fight against Clottey, who weighed in at 147 lbs. The Filipino boxer was coming off a dominant win over Miguel Cotto in his previous fight, and he was looking to extend his winning streak. Clottey, on the other hand, was a former IBF welterweight champion and had a reputation for being a tough opponent.
Despite Pacquiao's dominance in the fight, Clottey managed to keep the bout competitive. The Ghanaian boxer employed a defensive strategy, keeping his guard up and trying to counterpunch. Pacquiao, who is known for his speed and aggression, had a hard time landing clean punches on Clottey. However, Pacquiao was able to win most of the rounds by throwing more punches and connecting on a higher percentage of them.
In the end, Pacquiao won the fight by a unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 119-109, 119-109, and 120-108 in favor of Pacquiao. While the decision was not surprising, it was clear that Clottey had put up a good fight and had made Pacquiao work hard for the win. Despite the loss, Clottey's reputation as a tough opponent was cemented by his performance in the fight.
The Pacquiao vs Clottey fight drew a huge pay-per-view audience, with 700,000 buys and $35.3 million in domestic revenue. The fight also earned Pacquiao a purse of $17 million, making him one of the highest-paid boxers in history. The bout further solidified Pacquiao's status as one of the greatest boxers of all time, and his dominance in the welterweight division continued for several more years.