(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
On Saturday, June 13, boxing fans are being given what has become something of a rarity in the sport: an evenly matched, competitive bout between two of a division's best—in this case, Ring Magazine's No. 2- and 4-rated welterweights, Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey.
The matchup is exciting not only because of the calibre of the fighters, but because of the formidable weight class in which they make their living. Shane Mosley, Andre Berto, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Antonio Margarito, and Zab Judah are just some of the sharks swimming in the higher waters of the welterweight pool.
A win for either Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs) or Clottey (35-2, 20 KOs) would mean taking centre stage in that division, as well as paving the way toward possible super fights with the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather Jr.
Puerto Rico's current favorite son, Cotto will be stepping into the ring (his sixth occasion at Madison Square Garden) as the heavy favorite.
That the fight coincides with the annual Puerto Rico Day parade means Clottey is in the unenviable position of fighting in front of 20,000 largely pro-Cotto supporters, as well as being the betting underdog.
But make no mistake: Clottey is a real live opponent and he will be Cotto's first serious test since his now-controversial loss to Antonio Margarito in July of last year.
Clottey also dropped a loss to Margarito, who was disgraced earlier this year when the California State Athletic Commission found evidence that he had attempted to "load" his gloves against Shane Mosley, back in 2006.
In this regard, the spectre of Margarito hangs over the fight, allowing us some insight into the strengths and weaknesses of both Cotto and Clottey.
Here are a few of them:
- The affects of the Margarito loss over Cotto, as well as the fall out from his uncle/trainer being recently fired under acrimonious circumstances, are not fully known. He looked confident and strong against an underwhelming Michael Jennings in February, but Clottey is in a higher league than the Englishman. If the Ghanaian effectively mimics Margarito's pressure-boiler approach, could he produce the same result?
- Expect pace and work rate to be central to this fight. Both Cotto and Clottey have shown signs that they tend to tire in the championship rounds; therefore expect the fighter with the smarter work rate to dominate the contest.
Clottey will do this in one of two ways: by closing off the ring should Cotto choose to box, or by breaking down the latter with uppercuts should he choose to make excursions on the inside. As Margarito demonstrated, Cotto can be made to regret standing his ground and pushed onto the back foot with consistent pressure.
If Cotto is smart he will attempt to reproduce the first eight rounds of his 2007 victory over Shane Mosley, switching effectively between move-back boxing and aggressive assaults throughout the rounds. In the later rounds, should he tire, he'll need to engage in the tactical clinching he's until now been unwilling to practice. It may not be well regarded in the more machismo
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