Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey square off tomorrow night / Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

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Michael Nelson takes a look at tomorrow night's welterweight showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey.

Sparring issues. Trainer problems. Rinky dink gym. Not an ideal situation going into Cowboys Stadium to lock horns with the best fighter in the world.

But that's what Joshua Clottey is faced with Saturday night. And he'll be going up with a man who easily disposed of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto within a year. Iconic figure Manny Pacquiao, a fighter proven to have boundless energy and transcendent power.

Clottey is not without his advantages though. He should come into the ring close to 15 pounds heavier than the Filipino star, which essentially pits a middleweight against a welterweight. And there are a number of ways Clottey can make full use of his size.

Clottey has a probing jab that's very difficult to counter, and Pac has shown susceptibility to a good jab in the past. Unfortunately, Joshua's jab output declines appreciably as a fight progresses (not unlike De La Hoya). He'll have to use his stick more consistently to impose his reach advantage and keep Manny honest.

In between a healthy dose of jabs, Clottey has to follow Juan Manuel Marquez' blueprint and find creative ways to throw his right hand - something that Pacquiao's last four opponents weren't capable of doing. Mix lead straight right hands with looping ones around the guard, uppercuts in-close, and blows to the sternum. Clottey can throw beautiful combinations when he chooses to; he'll be best served to finish them off with a cleverly aimed right.

On a more abstract level, he needs to simply act like he's the bigger man. Treat Pacquiao as if he's a diminutive who shouldn't be in front of him by pushing him around the ring. Exorbitant respect for a fighter of Manny's stature is understandable, but given Clottey's history of under-performing, we need to see a certain disdain out of him.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao's main weapons to circumvent Clottey's size are his feet. One of the reasons Joshua couldn't dominate a reeling Miguel Cotto down the final stretch of their bout is because he's not great at hitting a moving target. Expect Pac to fight the tough Ghanaian similar to how he fought De La Hoya; constantly circling away from Clottey's strong hand, attacking with angles, and springing in and out with combinations.

Freddy Roach has likely devised a plan that focuses on Clottey's body, since that's the most exposed part of his guard. The Grandmaster will have to adjust accordingly, which may leave him vulnerable to damaging head blows in the second half of the bout. A recipe for stopping Clottey - if there is one - is to create holes in his guard by thrashing his lumbars early and often.

A big, durable fighter in his prime is a unique challenge for Pacquiao, and it's hardly a formality despite the numerous obstacles Joshua faces. How both men work to overcome their distinct set of disadvantages will make for an intriguing chess match.

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