Expect a packed house at Madison Square Garden Saturday night when welterweight Miguel Cotto (34-1) takes on Joshua Clottey (35-2-1) for Cotto's WBO belt. The Puerto Rican Cotto is a fan favorite in NYC. Clottey had to relinquish the IBF welterweight belt that he took from Zab Judah.
Cotto is the heavy favorite, although this will be his first real test since suffering a loss at the possibly loaded hands of Antonio Margarito. In the aftermath of Margarito's suspension following the discovering of illegal material in his gloves prior to his loss to Shane Mosley, many have questioned whether his unusually heavy hands may have been doctored when he handed Cotto his first defeat. Regardless of this, it will be interesting to to see if the damage, both physical and mental, that was inflicted by the "Tijuana Tornado" has ruined Cotto.
Clottey is a dangerous pressure fighter that should not be overlooked. His powerful counter punching could cause Cotto trouble. He is a large welterweight (147 pounds), who can weigh up to 160 pounds on the day of the fight. He will have reach and height advantages as well. He owns notable victories over Judah and Diego Corrales. The Ghanan conditioning is never in question, which could be a factor.
As an added element, Cotto has been mentioned as a possible opponent of P4P champ and sometime welterweight Manny Pacquiao. Clottey has said a win should give him the shot at the king, but that is doubtful given his low profile outside hard core boxing circles.
I anticipate a grueling fight which should go the distance. Given both fighter's tendency to focus most of their damage on the inside, this should be a battle of two of the best body punchers. As Clottey defensive high guard leaves him more susceptible to these blows, he may come out the worse if there are lengthy exchanges. I expect Cotto to outwork Clottey for the first half of the fight. If he experiences his usual late fade, Clottey should be able to close the gap in the later rounds.
Cotto by close split decision.
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