Cotto vs. Clottey - Old
Fashion Welterweight "Donnybrook"
by James “Coach Rick” Coward
June 10, 2009
(JUNE 10) The business of sanctioned
violence is growing in immense proportions, Mixed Martial Arts have a
hugh following and the draw is enormous. But for the many true “Fight”
fans out there, nothing beats a good old fashion “Bellicose”, “Fist
Fight” for our slightly younger enthusiasts,,, and for these the octagon
will not suffice.
On June 13th at Madison Square Garden in
New York City, the stage is set for a sensational battle, a good old
fashion “Fist Fight” on a world class level, between two of boxing's
“Elite” pugilists. World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight
champion, Miguel Angel Cotto (33 - 1, 27 KO’s), the pride of Puerto Rico
will step into the square ring to face his toughest challenge to date,
since his now (controversial) lost to Antonio “Hands of Plaster”
Margarito.
His opponent, Accra Ghana native, Joshua
Clottey (35 - 2, 20 KO’s) is about as tough as they get in the prize
fighting game. Clottey has distinguished himself as a skilled boxer,
with excellent defensive skills and respectable speed and power in both
hands.
This fight is going to be a test of wills
between both men, neither is a one punch knockout artist, so the battle
will prove to be mental in as much as it is physical. Simply put, this
will be a test of who has the ability to stay focused and execute there
game plan the best. Both will look to capitalize on the others mistakes,
so it is going to be a long entertaining night, because neither has a
history of making many mistakes in a bout.
Cotto has the ability to box from the outside very effectively and he
has proven that against his last four opponents, but he will need to do
more than that in this fight, he is going to have to go back to his
“Roots” and utilize what had become his “Signature Attack” the right
left to the body, and do so early in this fight. Clottey is generally a
slow starter with a “Ear Muff / Elbows-in-Tight” style of defense early
in fights.
He has deceivingly fast hands especially
his straight right hand and left hook. Cotto will have ample opportunity
to attack the body around the in-tight elbows of Clottey and with his
good lateral movement should be able to avoid the “Methodical” type of
attack Clottey will bring early in the fight. With that said, Clottey
does have another side to his game, and when he chooses to use it, he
can dramatically change the tempo of a fight.
This is, his ability to box from the
outside, and the ability to do so in very effective fashion. He has
shown glimpses of fighting out of the “Shell”, rolling and countering
off the right shoulder, and the speed to double and even triple his left
hook effectively to the head and body of his opponents. If that doesn’t
get you excited about what this fight has the potential of becoming, I
don’t know what will. But for the true “Boxing Enthusiast” this world
title bout should provide a “Vagarious Sortie”, one that only two
“Elite” world class athletes at this stage in there careers could
provide,,, a good old fashion “Fist Fight” on a world class level.
