Cotto vs. Margarito 2: Joshua Clottey Deserves a Shot at Winner

Joshua Clottey deserves one more run at proving he is an elite fighter.

The former IBF welterweight champion's career took a big hit when he lost in a very lackluster effort against Manny Pacquiao.

He has not proven to be a big draw with audiences, and he is not a particularly exciting boxer. However, he bounced back strong, and will give the winner of the Cotto-Margarito bout a run for their money.

Comeback Fight

Clottey (36-4-1) was dominant his last time in the ring against Calvin Green. That was his first fight in over a year, and he looked as good as ever. Check out the highlights.  

Clottey displays the reactions and power that have made him a successful fighter. Time has yet to strip him of his skills, and it is clear he is still capable of fighting at the highest level.

Previous Fights with Cotto and Margarito

Clottey has fought both Cotto and Margarito previously. Both fights were close, and while he lost both, the outcomes could have easily been different. Clottey touched on this Boxingscene.com:

"

I hurt my hand in the Margarito fight. A lot of people thought that I beat Cotto. That was a close fight. I would like the chance to fight either of those guys again.

"

Conclusion

At age 34, Clottey is nearing the end of his run. There is still plenty of gas currently in the tank though, and this fine champion deserves one more shot to climb the mountain.

While his orthodox, straight-ahead, defensive-minded style is not always exciting, he has never been knocked out. This doesn't exactly thrill promoters, but at least viewers will not leave a fight between Clottey and either Cotto or Margarito feeling short changed.

Clottey looked strong enough in his last bought that he could easily take down Cotto or Margarito.

And with Pacquiao looking more and more vulnerable, he could turn that victory into an upset over Pacquiao.