By Chris Williams: World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao supposedly has created a new fighting technique to use in his fight against former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey when they meet up at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium.

In an article at Abs- cbn news Pacquiao says “We’ve created a new technique. It’s going to be exciting, and a lot of action in the ring.” A new technique could be a number of different things.

However, given that Pacquiao is already fighting using an in and out style of throwing quick combinations and then scurrying away, it’s not likely that’s what he’s talking about. The only other thing I can think of is that is even worth Pacquiao trying against Clottey is by throwing a massive amount of fast punches while Clottey covers up on the ropes the way he likes to do.

That kind of technique would probably pay off for Pacquiao, because Clottey is, as Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach likes to say, is way too passive on defense. Clottey just lets his opponents tee off on him while he covers up for extended periods of time trying to let them wear themselves out while at the same time allowing the stamina poor Clottey much needed breaks. You might as well tape a ‘hit me’ sign on Clottey when he covers up like that.

It’s not a style that top fighters use, but then again, Clottey hasn’t faced all that many top fighters in his career despite his high number #1 ranking by the WBO. Roach has probably taught Pacquiao to throw fast prolonged flurries when Clottey goes into his clamshell defense. And if Pacquiao is free to rain 30 or more consecutive punches on Clottey while he just covers up, Pacquiao can get a stoppage at some point if the referee thinks Clottey is taking too much punishment.

That’s the thing. When a fighter is free to rain fast prolonged punches on an opponent that foolishly just covers up for long stretches, the referees often jump in to stop the fight. My guess is that’s what Pacquiao is talking about here.

Clottey says he’s ready for the Pacquiao bout, but it’s disappointing that he’s talking about using a strategy of just covering up to try and make Pacquiao tire himself out. That’s not much of a strategy if you ask me. It’s also no departure from the way that Clottey has been fighting in the past. You would think that he would come up with something different for this fight, but it doesn’t look like that.

I think Clottey is making a mistake if he thinks that Pacquiao is going to get tired of pounding on him. By the time Pacquiao gets tired, the fight will have long ago been stopped by the referee to protect Clottey from absorbing any more needless punishment with his passive defense.

If Clottey wanted to shake things up, he’d drop the rope-a-dope technique and go after Pacquiao and try to make him fight. Who knows? Maybe Pacquiao’s leg cramp problem might pop up again and then Clottey could batter Pacquiao while he hobbles around the ring on one leg.