Official picks for Cotto-Clottey
by Scott Christ on Jun 10, 2009 9:34 PM EDT
in Boxing Fight Previews
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I'll tally up the Berto-Urango card picks on Monday with this card, so fear not, your picks are not lost or anything.
Miguel Cotto v. Joshua Clottey (HBO, Saturday - Welterweights, 12 Rounds - Cotto's WBO title on the line)
Cotto (33-1, 27 KO) and Clottey (35-2, 20 KO) are two top five welterweights, and while Clottey's lack of name power and overall danger has been a problem getting him good fights in the last couple years, this is a big fight. Madison Square Garden has had great advance sales and the building will be rocking on the weekend of New York City's annual Puerto Rican Day parade.
I've said a few times that I simply don't think Clottey is good enough or skilled enough to beat Cotto. His strengths are a great chin and really good defense. He's not too quick, not a big puncher, and is prone to bouts of inactivity and has some stamina issues.
I think Clottey could beat Cotto, but it would require Joshua's best night and an off-night from Cotto, and I don't see it happening. Miguel is on the verge of a potential huge money fight with Manny Pacquiao should he win, and at the least could find himself lined up for a big rematch with Shane Mosley.
But if Clottey wins, what happens then? Cotto wouldn't be a big money option, and would Clottey really be one? Mosley might fight him if he can't find anything else, but who else would? He would definitely not be worth the risk for Pacquiao or the Mayweather-Marquez winner. In short, a Clottey win gums up a whole lot of peoples' best-laid plans.
Cotto should be given respect for taking this fight, too. It seems like a no-brainer fight on the surface: Top five welter, Cotto needs a good win right now, and they're both promoted by Top Rank. But boxing doesn't always work with no brainers; more often, it works with no brains. Cotto has shown guts fighting Clottey. No one else was knocking down his door, even with Clottey holding the IBF title (which he's vacated to take this fight).
But when it comes down to the matchup, I love this one for Cotto if training camp went well after the rocky start with his now-fired uncle Evangelista. If he's prepared, he'll march to a wide decision over Clottey, who just doesn't have enough firepower. Cotto UD-12
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Cotto UD-12
My man Miguel Angel won’t exactly coast through this one, Clottey being a rugged, tough SOB, but he’s just one step above in class. He’ll work for that decision.
Clottey UD- on paper this is a toss up fight with a slight skew to Miguel due to his percieved greater versatility. Cotto can box and move, but he’s not at home with it enough for it to be enough against a rough customer like Clottey. With all of the talk about Cotto’s skills lets not forget about Clottey’s: great defense, straight punches, perfect balance and intelligent footwork. My rationale for picking Clottey is that he’s the bigger man (170 lbs vs Corrales on fight night!) and will rise to the occasion. Also I think something was taken out of Miguel by that (loaded?) beating he received from Margarito that Michael Jennings was just not able to exploit. Teddy Atlas made a great point about Miguel that he does his best work in the 1st half of the fight to break the opponent down and uses the second half to finish them off. However if that opponent isn’t broken down after the 1st half he’ll give in a little. With all of these factors in mind, Clottey by close decision in a minor upset.
Cotto UD 12
And I apologize for not posting more this week. Been swamped with work, and apparently not much juicy is happening anyway.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I’ve been busy, too, and there really hasn’t been much going on. Even when I’ve been free to post, there’s just not much to say. Slow week.
by Scott Christ on Jun 10, 2009 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Cotto TKO 10
Ref stops it after Clottey takes serious damage late. I think Cotto wants to prove something in this fight.
Boxing is like jazz. The better it is, the less people appreciate it.
-George Foreman
My pick
is the same as this, and for the same reasons.
Cotto TKO 10
I just think Cotto will continue to bang away at him in the ribs until he fades, as he has done before. I have great respect for Clottey, but accumulative damage against someone like Cotto will be too much for him I feel.
Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)
Cotto – UD. Cotto will get to a good start using his skills to win the rounds and to pick apart Clottey but Clottey being tough as nails he will keep coming at him and get more momentum as the fight gets going. I think he will try do what Margarito did and wear Cotto down with pressure. But Cotto will work out the win.
The mid to late rounds will be interesting to see how much of an impact that loss to Margarito was to Cotto, if anything isn’t right it will show in this fight.
COTTO TD WIN 7TH ROUND
Cotto gets cut accidently and it goes to the cards and he narrowly wins a decision.
I'm gonna be controversial
Clottley TKO 11.
I think the Marg beat down may have damaged Cotto. Hope I’m proved wrong as he’s a good fighter and I like his style (some of the slickness of Floyd, but with some attacking nous in him!)
Either way, that’s what I’m seeing!
i beat you to it ;)
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Jun 11, 2009 4:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Cotto UD
Like everyone else, I see Clottey turtling and coming out of his shell for openings. So, Cotto by UD. Though, Clottey can definitely pull the upset here.
Dinks Pick
Cotto UD 12
But he will have to be at his best.
When you dream...anything is possible... People can fly. Sometimes theres a moment when you wake and become aware of your surroundings..but you are still dreaming... You may think you can fly but you better not try...
clotty tko 9
i’ve liked clotty since they announced this, i like cotto, he comes to fight and is tough but overrated. hes a very beatable and vulnerable guy. much like plaster hands did, i think clotty just wears him out and just beats his ass late in the fight after they get a rhythm going and cotto wears down and his punches lose their steam. Clottys straight right hand punches and crisp combos are going to find a home all night and cottos fragile little chin. clottys defense is sooo tight and superior to cotto in every way. cottos not going to find a home for his left hooks to the body.
I think cotto is in for a nightmare of a night.
Nice to know that if Clottey wins he’ll at least get full credit for being lucky when Cotto was having an off-night haha
It's not the size of the dog... It's whats in the fight of Bernard Hopkins! -BHOP
If Cotto looks like usual and Clottey still beats him, Clottey will get full credit
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I don't know if you seen him lately but he looks rather weak
From what I saw, he looked like a Jr. Welter rather than an actual Welter. Not sure there’s something off there. Could be the problems with his uncle or something else but a fight its a fight either way.
I gotta go with my country man thought:
Cotto TKO 10.
"Penelosa is not human." -Max Kellerman on Gerry Penelosa during the Juan Manuel Lopes-Gerry Penelosa bout.
I never said I wouldn’t give Clottey full credit. I said the only way I can see Clottey winning is if he has a great night and Cotto has a bad one. I don’t think he’s in Cotto’s league. If he beats Cotto, I’ll be singing his praises for sure, unless Cotto comes out looking terrible.
by Scott Christ on Jun 11, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Pick COTTO UD
He may hurt Clottey at some point in the fight but I don’t think he will stop him. The same could be said for Clottey possibly hurting Cotto. I am very interested to see what Cotto’s stamina will be like in this fight, with the different training regimen and all. I really hope they worked hard at improving it some. I’m not saying I think he is a fighter who fades real hard in the second half of a fight but there is room for a little improvement. Plus I keep hearing people say Clottey is going to own the later rounds for this reason. Here is to hoping they are wrong and that Cotto will soon regain the #1 WW spot. Do you guys think Cotto becomes #1(since he has already beaten Mosley) if he beats Clottey or is he going to have to go through Shane again to get that? thats another little tidbit people are talking about.
Shane and Cotto are sort of 1A and 1B to me at this point.
by Scott Christ on Jun 11, 2009 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Cotto — UD
This is a huge fight for both guys. A loss for Cotto destroys all of the big money fights that are seemingly on the horizon, whilst a win for Clottey would be the biggest of his career, and might help him get some of the rich pickings around welterweight instead. There are a lot of question marks about Cotto in this build-up, and he picked the wrong opponent to have trainer issues against, but i think he will just edge a hard-fought contest
Clottey KO 12
I pick a knockout here only because I think it will take that to beat Cotto. Not only is Cotto overrated, but he always seems to be hyped up by the announcers (Lampley) and the judges. I thought he lost to Malignaggi, and Clottey beat Zab, who has a slightly worse chin that Miguel. Zab is quicker than Cotto but he does tire early. I think it will end up a unanimous decision for Cotto but it will be a fight he should have lost if scored fairly.
The pick above stands.
What?!
“I thought he lost to Malignaggi”
Tell me you’re joking.
Seattle Seahawks: We've got Brian Russell and TWO kickers!
Cotto beat the living tar out of Malignaggi
Malignaggi put up a legitimate fight, but he maybe won three rounds if you’re feeling generous, and Cotto broke his jaw.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
respectfully disagree...
It was one of those nights where I did not even disagree with the announcers that much. I don’t remember many calling it a blowout during the fight. I know Malignaggi’s jaw was broken but he won rounds. Eh, if I ever find this fight I will watch it again and re-score, maybe I was loaded or something but I remember feeling draw at worst.
Cotto mauled Malignaggi. That fight wasn’t even close. He broke his entire face.
by Scott Christ on Jun 11, 2009 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
It wasn’t just his jaw, it was his orbital too. Man, I usually don’t say stuff like “he got f**ked up” but… Paulie got f**ked up in that fight. Paulie is one tough little dude to take that kinf of beating and finish the fight.
"This fight'll be the nastiest thing you'll ever see. I been sober for six weeks, and that makes me vicious."
-- Randall 'Tex' Cobb
Cotto SD-12
It will be a good fight but no knockdowns.
Seattle Seahawks: We've got Brian Russell and TWO kickers!
puerto rican power! the fight before the parade .
A yo, I got COTTO he havent lost a fight at the M.S.G its the night before the parade to much P.R. pride, dont get me wrong CLOTTY is not a push over but the big quistion is can CLOTTY take COTTO’S body shot’s and his switching boxing style he could fight left and right stance he’s like a switch hitter in baseball could hit bomb’s on both side’s of the plate and a very paition boxer with a strong chin, CLOTTY got his hand’s full it should be a good fight .
De Caguas, Puerto Rico.......
Cotto TKO 11
"Karma - there it was. The meaning of life, straight from Carson Daly's lips to my morphine-laced ears." -Earl Hickey
Clottey TKO 11
I hate to say it, but Cotto is ripe for this and Clottey is ready to do it. I am 1 half PR but Cottos camp sounds like it sucked, and Jshua seems like the guy to take advantage and Jennigs was not telling anything about anything.
Clottey TKO 11 late and a brutal loss for Miguel.
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