By Dave Lahr: There are reports that Manny Pacquiao suffered some leg pains in training for his March 13th fight against Joshua Clottey. Could it be that at 31, Pacquiao is starting to show the ugly ravages of age? It would be the first fighter that got old all of a sudden. Small fighters like Pacquiao often have shorter careers than the fighters at the upper weight classes. Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz doesn’t think the leg pain is a big deal. In an article at Insidesports.ph, Koncz says “It’s nothing serious just cramps.”

It may be just cramps like Koncz says, but it could show the signs that Pacquiao is starting to get old as a fighter. In looking at Pacquiao’s appearance from only two years ago, Pacquiao looks noticeably older. His head hasn’t just gotten bigger along with his body. He looks kind of old now. Naturally, when you start to look old, injuries are just around the corner.

Just imagine what would happen if Pacquiao suddenly experienced these same leg cramps against Clottey on March 13th. Pacquiao would be in deep trouble, and his trainer Freddie Roach would probably be helpless to do anything about it. When a body part blows out because of age and wear, even the best trainers are rendered as helpless as a baby.

If Clottey is paying attention to this news, it might be giving him more confidence that he can beat Pacquiao. If it was me, I’d be looking to make Pacquiao work hard in the fight to see if his leg cramps might come back on him. Clottey needs to push the fight, make Pacquiao work hard, and see what happens. Pacquiao could come up with another one of his cramps and Clottey would then dominate the smaller fighter.

It appears this problem has happened before. If Pacquiao can’t move well because of cramping problems with his leg, Clottey is going to have a great chance of beating the stuffing out of Pacquiao. This is how things go. When you get old, things break down on you.

Think of it like this: Pacquiao could be like an old Antelope moving around and struggling to keep up with the herd. The lion [Clottey] is going to spot that old decrepit Antelope and chase after it. Chances are if the antelope is feeling the effects of age, the lion will catch it and tear apart with his teeth and claws. Could this happen with Pacquiao?