Thursday, June 11, 2009

Cotto-Clottey: A Gem in The Garden

How bad did Joshua Clottey want to step into the squared circle and stare down a fellow top welterweight? The Bronx-based native of Ghana vacated the IBF belt he earned in a ninth-round technical decision over Zab Judah to get the chance.

If there are few fighters who considered Clottey's constant call outs, there are even fewer who would relinquish a trinket for the sake of facing a more dangerous opponent. But that's how Clottey rolls. He's 32 and has 37 bouts under his belt. He's as good as he'll ever be yet isn't where he wants to be in terms of name recognition.

That may change June 13 when the underdog Clottey challenges Miguel Cotto in what might as well be Cotto's back yard.

Cotto, 28, is no stranger to Madison Square Garden, where he is 5-0. From 2005-2007, Cotto has headlined at the legendary arena during the weekend of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. The native of Puerto Rico has not only possessed an edge in skill in the main events but also had a rabid crowd behind him.

And it took Antonio Margarito, a common opponent between the two, to be suspended for the fight to come to fruition. Basically, when Margs decided to defecate on the sport by attempting to use an illegal substance in his hand wraps against Shane Mosley, the seeds of a solid matchup were fertilized. Fans will find out how it blossoms at 10:35 p.m. ET when HBO airs the fight live as part of its free preview weekend.

To expand on the pre-fight report card posted in the last blog, here is how the two compare:

Speed: Cotto: B | Clottey: B

Neither fighter has especially quick hands, and each has a different type of speed. Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs) creates combinations from footwork. His lateral movement opens his opponent's guard and allows him to unleash both hands to the head and body. Creating the multiple targets gives the illusion of speed and, while certainly not slow, the punches aren't thrown at a blistering clip.

Clottey, who is more of a defensive fighter than Cotto, has sneaky speed. He confuses opponents by not allowing them to solve his rhythm. He occasionally lets his hands go -- and vows to do so on the inside where he's most effective -- but he is more economical with his output than Cotto.

Power: Cotto: B+ | Clottey: B-

Despite a high knockout ratio, Cotto's jab and right hook aren't as damaging in single shots as someone like Mosley's. He has been the physically stronger guy in most of his fights and will be against Clottey. His left hook to the body is probably the best in the game at the moment.

Clottey (35-2, 20 KOs) relies on outlasting rather than outslugging his opponents. Because he is a pressure fighter who prefers to mix it up in a space equivalent to a phone booth, he throws short, well-placed shots while preserving energy.

Chin: Cotto: C+ | Clottey: A

Listen, Paulie Malignaggi rocked Cotto. There is, of course, no shame in being shaken by Ricardo Torres, Mosley or Margarito (whose KO win looks shady now). But Cotto, even if he was drained at 140, was visibly rattled by DeMarcus Corley, Kelson Pinto and Lovemore N'Dou.

Whether Margarito used the plaster of Paris against Clottey was a non-issue. Dude has a beard. Even though Clottey lost that bout, he continued to go head-to-head with the Mexican for most of the 12 rounds and was showing no signs that Margarito's punches were bothering him as much as they have others.

Ring generalship: Cotto: A- | Clottey: B-

What Cotto might lack in his jaw he makes up for in his brain. He knows how to use the expanse of the ring, as he did against Mosley and Margarito. He also knows when to jump on a guy when he has him hurt. His footwork has improved over time, and he can be surprisingly elusive sometimes.

Make no mistake, Clottey has been in some stinkers (Clottey-Gutierrez II, anyone?). Because of his propensity to fight on the inside he is prone to the occasional, sometimes frequent, clinch. He has had point deductions for hitting low and -- intentionally or not -- been warned for other fouls. He was disqualified for a low blow in round 11 against Carlos Baldomir. He was up on all three scorecards at the time.

Intangibles: Cotto: A- | Clottey B

Cotto has the crowd, that much is clear. He will carry his aforementioned record at MSG into the ring along with an alphabet soup strap. Cotto is as focused as they come, even if he's working with a new trainer in Joe Santiago after firing uncle Evangelista Cotto in April's physical confrontation.

As focused as Cotto might be, Clottey is just as determined. He has not fought on stages as high as Cotto, but that may be to his advantage. It's a surprise this will be his first bout in The Garden, but rest assured he'll want to make it a lasting impression. He has the death stare locked.

Prediction: Clottey W12 Cotto

How is that for a curve ball? Ever since the bout was announced I've leaned slightly toward Clottey to pull off the upset. He's not as skilled as Cotto, but styles make fights. Both are known to fade down the stretch. I'm picking the guy who can take the better punch and has the defense advantage. I can see Cotto outboxing Clottey, sure, but eventually he'll be dragged into a brawl. Clottey will take four of the final six. A draw is a strong possibility.

Remember to tune in!

"Fight Night Club" premieres: Golden Boy Promotions' first "Fight Night Club" card premieres tonight on Versus at 9 p.m. ET. The monthly installment will showcase prospects and is intended to attract a younger audience by implementing a disc jockey and broadcasting on RingTV.com.

The first card is full of feel-good stories. In one of the co-main events, David Rodela squares off against Juan Garcia at a catch weight of 133. Rodela, who sparred with Manny Pacquiao in preparation of his decimation of Ricky Hatton, is on the comeback trail after surviving a near-fatal car accident.

Garcia spends his time outside the ring working with children at a Los Angeles YMCA. Though he began his career 14-0, he has lost his last two and has fought once in the past 14 months. The matchup is intriguing enough to carry the inauguration of "Fight Night Club" if the innovation doesn't.

Etc: Don't forget Robert Guerrero is in action on "Friday Night Fights."

It's a sweet weekend of boxing. Drop science in my comment section.

4 comments:

Kylan said...

Wow, that was a curveball of a prediction. I think the bout may go to the cards, but I expect Cotto to knockdown Clottey at least once.

Lee Payton said...

Hey, Joseph. I've been looking all over the place for contact info, but have come up empty. How can I get in touch?

Unknown said...

Great analysis thanks

John
boxpres.com

JRH said...

Lee and John,

Thank you both for your comments. I can be reached at diabloy2j@yahoo.com. I also have a facebook page under my full name, Joseph R. Holzer, and a twitter account under the username joeholzer. Feel free to contact me.

Thanks again,

Joe