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Friday, June 12, 2009

Cotto Vs Clottey Pre-Fight Analysis

One more day and its Cotto against Clottey or Clottey against Cotto. However you place their names, everybody is just excited to see who can beat the crap out of the other and probably win a date to their biggest fight yet – a bout with the #1 Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world. But before we even delve with Cotto-Pacquiao or Clottey-Pacquiao, let’s see what these guys can deliver com fight night.

Miguel Cotto boasts of an almost pristine record of 33-1, with 27 victories coming by way of knockout. The only lone defeat in his standings came from Mexico’s Antonio Margarito, which became a point of controversy when it was discovered that Margarito’s hand wraps were coated with plaster of Paris moments before his bout with Shane Mosley.

The Puerto Rican native has hand speed and punching accuracy in his resume. These are his essentials come fight night against Clottey. He can also conjure vicious body shots and fast combinations, which he used extensively in his last inning against Michael Jennings. That said, Cotto is also vulnerable to powerful punches to the chin, as evident in his earlier fights. While he is good at defense, Cotto is hittable and his offensive style makes him more open to power shots.

Joshua Clottey , however, is no pushover. He has garnered 35-2 record and has never been stopped. His first loss was due to disqualification while the second was via a unanimous decision favoring Antonio Margarito. While Clottey packs power in both hands, Cotto is still the harder hitter between the two. But what makes Clottey a dangerous opponent is his ability to take hard punches and still fight back. He also has the stamina to go the distance.

As an observer, I believe Cotto will own the earlier rounds with sheer aggressiveness but Clottey will assert himself in the middle rounds and dictate the pace. Most boxing experts say Cotto’s chances are high, but I beg to disagree. If Clottey can hold his own against Cotto’s attacks, the tides will slowly roll to Clottey’s favor.

A knockout for Cotto is a possibility, but highly unlikely.

Verdict: Clottey by split decision

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