Miguel Cotto vs Joshua Clottey

June 13th will feature a sure brawl as Miguel Cotto will take on able challenger Joshua Clottey. This is sure to be a "Fight of the Year" contender as both fighters look to prove their worth at the Welterweight limit of 147 lbs. Cotto will try to secure a fantastic showdown in the fall against Manny Pacquiao. Clottey will try to rip the strap from Miguel's waist and possibly challenge dynamo Paul Williams afterward.

High Risk-High Reward

For years, Miguel Cotto has worked hard and endured the ups and downs of the sport of boxing. He has seen great nights in which he broke down opponents from the amazing display of body punching and an overachieving boxing ability. As Cotto stormed up the ranks of the Junior Welterweight division he became known as a relentless rib bender who crumbled his opponents to the canvas blow by blow. As he jumped to the Welterweight limit he was to face many challenges. He had to face the likes of Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. Aside from the body punching, Cotto knew that he had to clean up his boxing skills. He would be facing fighters that could box and stagger an opponent in a single shot. Judah prooved to be an excellent test as he boxed and staggered Cotto on two seperate occasions. Miguel would bend but not break as he progressively imposed his will upon Judah earning a tough TKO in which he suffered a cut on his eye and lip. Drastic changes were made by the time he fought Shane Mosley as we witnessed Cotto display improved boxing technique and patience. He would outpoint Shane Mosley in a bout in which he found out that he didn't have to take punishment in order to win fights. Then came the Margarito fight where we would see Cotto attempt to fight going backwards while abandoning his original fighting style of "sticking to his guns". It prooved costly as he was broken down in the same manner in which he was so known for doing.

Cotto is now back with a title and seeking to take the sport by storm once again. He will bring his polished boxing technique and combination body punching. He will work to beat Clottey to the punch all night and look for opportunities to land his hook to the body. He will be tested and tested often. Cotto the superior boxer in this fight will have to command the ring by jabbing and looking for uppercut opportunities. He will be smart to try and outbox Clottey throughout the early rounds.

Clottey's story is one of courage and persistance. Long known for being one of the most avoided fighters in the game, Joshua has shown a fan friendly approach to boxing. He has always called upon his promoters to put the best fighters in front of him. Many times the opponents seemed hesitant to face Clottey in the ring, other times they seemed to want bigger money fights. Either way, Clottey has always been there awaiting his chance to get his piece of the pie. With an overwhelming shell defense, Clottey has made many opponents look helpless in front of him. He inches toward them with great purpose and patience. Joshua times his opponents well and doesn't waist his punches. He has a great chin and tough body build. Coincidentally he too saw a defeat at the hands of Antonio Margarito in a fight where he would hurt his hand and lose his scorecard lead as a result. He would go on to lose that fight but gain tremendous respect for carrying on while injured.

"The Hitter" now gets his chance to dethrone Miguel Cotto and leave the other welterweights no other options available at the top. Clottey knows his time is now. He must demonstrate to the world that he is the next great welterweight. He will come to the ring with his trademark defense and punishing hooks. Clottey will be patient and allow Miguel to open up in order to fire counterpunches. He will test Cotto's will often as he too will look to throw some shots at the body. Look for Joshua trying to lean in on Miguel to force clinches and close range fighting.

The Garden will be on its feet as this has "Classic" written all over it.


RigoBox chances to victory: Cotto 65% - Clottey 35%
Prediction: Miguel Cotto by decision