COTTO VS CLOTTEY PREVIEW

By Michael Amakor

Suitland MD, March 23, 2009: On Saturday June 13, 2009, there will be a fistic clash of monumental proportions when hard hitting Miguel Cotto the WBO Welterweight (147) champion defends his title against the technically sound and equally tenacious one time IBF titlist Joshua Clottey at Madison Square Gardens in New York.

Puerto Rican born Miguel Cotto (33-1, 27ko’s) best known for his bone crunching body shots and victories over Shane Mosley and Zab Judah, is one victorious title fight removed from his shocking and lone defeat to Antonio Margarito last year and eager to reclaim supremacy of the 147 pound division against the vastly underrated Joshua Clottey (35-2, 20ko’s) from Ghana, who is coming off his 9th round title winning destruction of Zab Judah last year in his best performance to date.

Determining the outcome of this fight is as difficult and as tenacious a proceeding as the fight itself is expected to be, when taking several factors into consideration, one of them being that both fighters lost to the brutal Antonio Margarito in respective bouts and won awe inspiring victories over former unified welterweight champion Zab Judah. But, Miguel Cotto has the higher knockout percentage against stiffer opposition, while defending and collecting titles on his way up from the light welterweight division (140), most sport books naturally have him installed as the near 2 to 1 favorite.

However, boxing insiders will be more cautious, as Clottey, a former regional titlist and undefeated since 2006, has proven himself against progressively stiffer competition up into this fight too, and despite breaking his hands gutted it out to lose by points in his first title challenge, while Cotto got stopped outright in the 11th round in respective fights against common nemesis Antonio Margarito. But Cotto scorches his opponents after suffering flash knockdowns while Clottey on the other hand got disqualified in his only other loss to tough ex champ Carlos Baldomir in a competitive fight.

One thing is for sure, fans will be trooping into the arena in droves for an entertaining classic, and Miguel Cotto will no doubt be energized as a sensational knockout proceeding the Puerto Rican day Parade will ensure that he is lifted sky high through the streets of New York City as a national icon the next day, while underdog Clottey may have timed the right moment to devastate with an upset sure to enshrine him into boxing immortality.

Miguel Cotto vs. Joshua Clottey will be broadcast exclusively on HBO’s World Championship boxing at 10:35 p.m. ET/7:35 p.m. PT. Don’t blink.