Cotto-Clottey, thoughts?

[Robbi]

What a great fight last night. Very suprised with how well Clottey pushed Cotto throughout the fight. I did expect Clottey to pose problems, although not quite to the extent that he did. This fight had a bit of everything. A knockdown at the end of the first round, one fighter badly cut, and each fighter coming back after the other won the previous round.

Clottey's workrate left a lot to be desired after the 8th round. He never stepped his foot on the gas during the 9th, which he should have done. It looked like Cotto might well evaporate down the stretch in a similar manner to when he fought Margarito last year. But he hung in there on the backfoot, on the move around the perimeter, and his survial instincts passed the test. The cut was pretty serious - along Cotto's left eye and deep. His cutman did an excellent job considering how serious it was, with the doctor having a look and the fight close to being stopped. Overall, a fight that contained high drama from start to finish.

My guess is that Cotto will not fight again until later this year at least.

[Addie]

What a great fight last night. Very suprised with how well Clottey pushed Cotto throughout the fight. I did expect Clottey to pose problems, although not quite to the extent that he did. This fight had a bit of everything. A knockdown at the end of the first round, one fighter badly cut, and each fighter coming back after the other won the previous round.

Clottey's workrate left a lot to be desired after the 8th round. He never stepped his foot on the gas during the 9th, which he should have done. It looked like Cotto might well evaporate down the stretch in a similar manner to when he fought Margarito last year. But he hung in there on the backfoot, on the move around the perimeter, and his survial instincts passed the test. The cut was pretty serious - along Cotto's left eye and deep. His cutman did an excellent job considering how serious it was, with the doctor having a look and the fight close to being stopped. Overall, a fight that contained high drama from start to finish.

My guess is that Cotto will not fight again until later this year at least.


Great fight. The cut happening in the third round really hightened the drama, and got both fighters to open up to make it an exciting spectacle for the fans.

I felt the fight was being fought on even terms during the first couple of rounds. Both were landing some good punches, Clottey was finding a home for his uppercut in particular. Cotto had the left hook counter working, and a few right hands were finding its target, without any real reaction from his opponent.

When the headbutt came, I think the cut looked to be in a bad spot for Cotto, as the blood was beginning to seep into his eye and impairing his vision. This is a huge factor in the fight. Throughout the middle rounds up until the end of the 12, Cotto is clearly seen rubbing at his eye, and I think the main reason he went on the backfoot was because he didn't want to run into Clottey's right hand. I don't think he could see out of it at times, but he did well to lie to the doctor about it. That cut looked destined to stop the fight prematurely.

As said, once Cotto was having trouble with his eye, Clottey was putting on the pressure a little more. I thought he'd use his lead right a lot more like he did in the Judah fight, but he was clearing getting to Cotto through the middle rounds. Landing uppercuts, right hands, and although Cotto never appeared to be hurt, he was in clear distress about his cut. Great work by the cornerman, he kept Cotto in the fight.

I don't think it was a robbery. Clottey gave the fight away in the last 4 rounds, where instead of pouring on the pressure on a one eyed fighter, he seemed content to just follow Cotto around the ring without throwing anything of significance. Cotto landed the better shots down the stretch, and that is where the fight was won in my eyes.

A lot of criticism has been shoved Cotto's way for dirty tactics, and his overall showing in this fight. I think they are forgetting how difficult it would be for any fighter to fight at the elite level with his vision clearly impaired. He made the adjustements, and it worked for him. I can't wait to see him fight again, and it's a shame Clottey had to play the robbery card.

Good fight.

[PowerPuncher]

1-3 - BORING AS HELL - nip and tuck, battle of the guards
4 - the cut happened and both started to fight
5 - Clottey outboxes him but gets bodyslammed
6 - Cotto turns
7-9 - Clottey beats his ass
10-11 - Clottey takes his foot off the gass, Cotto hits gloves, Clottey lands cleaner
12 - Cotto probably outworks him but Clottey still lands cleaner, nip and took

Cotto won 1 round BIG (6), Clottey won 4 rounds BIG (5,7,8,9), the other rounds were nip and took, Clottey took 3 of those rounds though and would have taken the 1st too if he wasnt caught off balance, there's a case for that to be a drawn round.

The 116-111 card was bought and paid for in advance, no doubt about it, the other Cotto card may have been too but the judge wasn't quite as blatant

[Addie]

1-3 - BORING AS HELL - nip and tuck, battle of the guards
4 - the cut happened and both started to fight
5 - Clottey outboxes him but gets bodyslammed
6 - Cotto turns
7-9 - Clottey beats his ass
10-11 - Clottey takes his foot off the gass, Cotto hits gloves, Clottey lands cleaner
12 - Cotto probably outworks him but Clottey still lands cleaner, nip and took

Cotto won 1 round BIG (6), Clottey won 4 rounds BIG (5,7,8,9), the other rounds were nip and took, Clottey took 3 of those rounds though and would have taken the 1st too if he wasnt caught off balance, there's a case for that to be a drawn round.

The 116-111 card was bought and paid for in advance, no doubt about it, the other Cotto card may have been too but the judge wasn't quite as blatant

I disagree with you on most accounts.

Cotto deserved to win the fight because he finished better than Clottey.

[ChrisPontius]

Cotto deserved to win the fight because he finished better than Clottey.

Since when are fights scored on the basis of who finishes better? Last time i check it was on a twelf-round basis.

Who on my scorecard was Clottey. Since the cut, i had the impression that Cotto was looking for a way out and didn't want to fight. When Clottey was punishing him with seemingly little resistance through rounds 6-8, i thought there was no way the Puerto Rican is going to finish the fight. But he came back strong, credit for that. But no strong enough to win the match, in my opinion. There were several close rounds though.

I was very impressed by Clottey's defence. Cotto had very few clean connects to the head.

Cotto's problem is that he doesn't know how to tie his man up. As a consequence, he has a lot of trouble with pressure fighters, and it costed him the match against Margarito.



The knockdown was a curious case, by the way. Even Clottey had a "what the hell happened?" look on his face. Reminds me a bit of Peter knocking Toney down with a jab. Both very strong jaws cracked by jabs.

[Quick Cash]

I predicted Cotto to win, but, to be honest, I'm not sure if he actually did. I have yet to score the fight myself, but it looked to me like Clottey edged it.

It was close though.

Clottey had his chance when he was catching Cotto almost at will in the middle rounds after the big sixth for Miguel. He should have known he wasn't going to win a close fight against the crowd-favorite with a fight with Pacquiao on the horizon.

It was a very good fight, but I can't help feeling disappointed for Cotto.

Cotto, to me, looked very beatable, and it increasingly seemed like he was having flashbacks of Margarito; he was backing up and fighting the wrong fight once again. He had the Ghanaian stuck in the ropes in trouble but he wouldn't capitalize and even backed away in some moments.

[Addie]

Since when are fights scored on the basis of who finishes better? Last time i check it was on a twelf-round basis.

Your not as dumb as you look.

I scored the fight, I felt Cotto was ahead slightly before the cut, and in the middle rounds Clottey began to take over. Cotto won 3 of the last 4 rounds on effective punching for me, and that won him the fight.

No robbery in place.

[Quick Cash]

Since the cut, i had the impression that Cotto was looking for a way out and didn't want to fight.

I felt the same. He fought a completely different fight to the one I envisioned him fighting.

Truthfully, I thought Cotto would outgut him at close-range-- unlikely, seeing as how Clottey utterly ripped him with left and right uppercuts-- but to back up completely was a little off-putting. I did not anticipate that at all.

[Robbi]

I disagree with you on most accounts.

Cotto deserved to win the fightbecause he finished better than Clottey.


You watch it on Setanta?

[GDG]

I had a small amount of cash on Clottey on points, but I must admit I gave the fight to Cotto!!!

I think he needs to be credited with not trying to get the fight stopped as that was a pretty nasty cut!!!

2 of the best WWs fighting an absolute war and all I seem to be hearing is criticisms (on the general forum I must add)!! Intersting!!!

[lefthook31]

Close fight Cotto won. He fought through some serious adversity did a little extra and showed a little more dimension which won him the fight in my opinion

[Addie]

You watch it on Setanta?

Yes. Decent commentators.

[GPater11093]

You watch it on Setanta?

i did. I even got a shout out for mentioning De La Hoya vs Quartey but i wanted him to say Basilio vs DemArco 2. He called me Pater.

Yes. Decent commentators.

they was good i was impressed better than that guy from saved by the bell.


It was a good intresting 'thinking mans' fight.

The fight started slow and tactically with both fighters probing each others defences, Clottey was perhaps busier in the first but i felt Cotto was controlling the ring better and the knockdown sealed him a 10-8 round for me.

The next few rounds were nip and tuck with both probing each other.

After the cut it started to heat up with the action ebbing and flowing. In the 5th Clottey got slammed to the ground which looked abit rough by Cotto but they continued.

The 6th was strange as Clottey backed up on the ropes the whole round and looked in trouble ALOT of trouble. Cotto picked his shots well and didnt go mad, kept his cool and conserved energy.

Then Clottey mounted a come back and it really made the fight intresting as Clottey seemed to controll the round but Cotto landed a little flurry at the end of the rounds but didnt seem to do enough.

In the 10th Clottey seemed to think he had won and coasted on my card all he needed was 1 round but he let Cotto out box him and lost the fight. Clottey lost the fight IMO.

I thought Cotto won by 1 point in a fairly easy fight to score but i did think it was more a case of Clottey losing the fight than Cotto winning it per se.

The cut on Cotto was patched up well and didnt pose too many problems and Cotto seemed to fight through it any way.

As for dirty tactics i didnt see hardly any except the body slam from Cotto in the 5th it was a tough physical fight but it wasnt dirty.

A good solid Welter fight

[zadfrak]

The twist the guy and punch him in the back of the haed in the 12th round was dirty. Anyone who has watched the sport for any duration could've surmized the scorecards right then and there when Cotto wasn't even warned.

I'm sure if the roles are reversed and Clottey Turns him and throws a clean shot to the back of the head, a point is deducted. As a matter of fact, if Clottey throws Cotto to the floor & Cotto gets up limping, what does the ref do under those circumstances?

[Robbi]

The fight started slow and tactically with both fighters probing each others defences, Clottey was perhaps busier in the first but i felt Cotto was controlling the ring better and the knockdown sealed him a 10-8 round for me.

I was very surprised that Wally Mattews and the other commentator were even considering giving Cotto only a 10-9 round after he floored Clottey at the end of the first. For it to have only been a 10-9 round, Clottey would've needed to have seriously dominated the round convincingly. The type of "convincingly" I mean is winning the round up until he was knocked down to the extent that nobody in the arena or watching on TV had any doubt he was winning it. Clottey was shading the action, slightly. But with that said, If I have Clottey edging the round up until the knockdown, it's still a 10-8 round for Cotto. He's given the benefit of the doubt for scoring the knockdown.

It's like Mattews was telling us, "you can only get a 10-8 round by the result of a knockdown if the fighter who scored the knockdown won the rest of the action within the round" Nonsense, because no way was Clottey winning the first round big.

[brownpimp88]

After Paul Williams beat Carlos Quintana and they interviewed him. He said "what's up Miguel Cotto". Well I don't think cotto is ready to fight williams, he'll lose.

[GDG]

i did. I even got a shout out for mentioning De La Hoya vs Quartey but i wanted him to say Basilio vs DemArco 2. He called me Pater.



they was good i was impressed better than that guy from saved by the bell.


It was a good intresting 'thinking mans' fight.

The fight started slow and tactically with both fighters probing each others defences, Clottey was perhaps busier in the first but i felt Cotto was controlling the ring better and the knockdown sealed him a 10-8 round for me.

The next few rounds were nip and tuck with both probing each other.

After the cut it started to heat up with the action ebbing and flowing. In the 5th Clottey got slammed to the ground which looked abit rough by Cotto but they continued.

The 6th was strange as Clottey backed up on the ropes the whole round and looked in trouble ALOT of trouble. Cotto picked his shots well and didnt go mad, kept his cool and conserved energy.

Then Clottey mounted a come back and it really made the fight intresting as Clottey seemed to controll the round but Cotto landed a little flurry at the end of the rounds but didnt seem to do enough.

In the 10th Clottey seemed to think he had won and coasted on my card all he needed was 1 round but he let Cotto out box him and lost the fight. Clottey lost the fight IMO.

I thought Cotto won by 1 point in a fairly easy fight to score but i did think it was more a case of Clottey losing the fight than Cotto winning it per se.

The cut on Cotto was patched up well and didnt pose too many problems and Cotto seemed to fight through it any way.

As for dirty tactics i didnt see hardly any except the body slam from Cotto in the 5th it was a tough physical fight but it wasnt dirty.

A good solid Welter fight


I've just re-watched it and heard your shoutout!!

What were your list of fights out of interest!?!?!

[GPater11093]

GDG it was

Leonard vs Hearns 1 (obviously)
Leonard vs Duran 1 (obviously)
Barney Ross vs Jimmy McLarnin 1 2 and 3
Cotto vs Margarito
Leonard vs Benitez
Curry vs Honeyghan
Jose Napoles vs Curtis Cokes 1 (not necesaarily a barn burner but a masterful performance from Napoles a joy to watch)
Carmen Basilio vs kid Gavilan (this is a great fight)
Basilio vs Tony DeMarco 1 and 2
Basilio vs Johnny Saxton 2
Ike Quartey vs De la Hoya
Mosley vs De la Hoya 1
Emile Griffith vs Luis Manuel Rodriguez 1 2 and 3 (very controversial fights more of a chess match though)
Jose napoles vs Hedgemon Lewis 1 (good interesting chess match)
Pernell Whitteker vs Buddy McGirt 1 (very underrated chess match)
Andre Berto vs Luis Collazo (great war)

[kolcade4]

i would have loved to have seen the fight progress without the cut on cottos eyebrow. imo i think the headbutt was intentional. clottey knew what he was doing. i think clottey was going to be outsmarted by cotto and felt it necessary to create an advantage. so clottey changed the fight altogether by doing so. instead he made cotto retreat and fight a more defensive fight than cotto had planned. i knew that clttey was going to pose problems for cotto to begin with. i think clottey is an all around better puncher and has way more power in his left hand. i love the way he fires hooks to the body and head. i do think clottey was also trying to get an oscar nomination with his dramatc overreactions. still the story of this fight was the heart that cotto showed which in my book ranks among the best. he truly showed us why he is who he is. as far as scoring the fight i feel that after the cut clottey outboxed cotto. lots of right hands were landing for clottey due to cotto being visualy impaired which had me scoring more rds for clottey than cotto . clotteys guard was so good that cotto was mostly hitting gloves. one of the judges scored it 116-111 for cotto. which is absolutley ridiculous. im not sure he was watching the same fight . 114-113 is more the tale of this fight . and cotto did get favortism for 1. knocking down clottey in rd 1. which didnt hurt clottey it just pissed him off. 2 . cotto is the reigning wbo champ 3. cotto never went down and 4 . cottos cut man did one hell of a job of preventing skull exposure. cuddos to him . all in all a great showing of heart. i would like to see a rematch without a cut of the magnitude that was involved here.