(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey square off on Saturday night in what might be the best matchup the welterweight division has to offer.
This is no slight against boxing's most talented weight class. Instead, it's a testament to matchmakers and two eager 147-pound fighters who have already faced most of the other top welters out there.
Shane Mosley? Cotto handled him in November 2007.
Shamone Alvarez? Clottey took care of the then-undefeated prospect a month later.
Paul Malignaggi and Carlos Quintana were both given their first losses by Cotto, and former division poster boy Zab Judah was stopped by both men.
The only name missing from the list is Antonio Margarito, who defeated both men in fights marked with asterisks.
Clottey controlled Margarito for four rounds before breaking his hand. He ended up dropping a 12-round decision for only his second career loss.
Margarito gave Cotto a resounding beating that forced him to quit on his stool late in the fight for his only career loss. However, in his next fight, Margarito was caught lining his wraps with plaster in order to punch harder in a fight with Mosley.
The welterweight division is in a state of flux. Despite his loss to Cotto, the 37-year-old Mosley sits atop the division. Margarito is sitting out a long suspension and will be at least 32 when he returns to the ring.
After stopping one generation of welterweight prospects (in addition to the undefeated fighters, Cotto also took out young Contender star Alfonso Gomez), Cotto and Clottey need to wait until Andre Berto and Isaac Hlatswayo are ready for prime time.
So, for now, the two fighters are made for each other. Cotto is the hard-hitting superstar who still has something to prove. Clottey is the defensive specialist who has traveled a long road looking for recognition and respect.
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