Miguel Cotto Vs. Joshua Clottey
WBO welter weight champion Miguel Cotto will be facing IBF welter weight champion Joshua Clottey for a unification bout at Madison Square Garden June 13th, 2009. The two fighters are both represented by Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions and are set to meet at the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Joshua Clottey is going to face WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on 13 June 2009, aiming to clinch his second world title in his career. Joshua Clottey achieved his first ever world title in August 2008 when he defeated Zab Judah to win the vacated IBF Welterweight title. Now, Clottey wants to gain WBO welterweight title by defeating Miguel Cotto.
Can Miguel Cotto can successfully defend his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey? Both the boxers hold impressive career record. Cotto won 33 fights in which 27 were knock outs and lost only one fight which was against Antonio Margarito. With this defeat, Miguel Cotto lost the WBA welterweight title. Joshua Clottey has 35 victories
including 20 knock outs in his career, besides 2 defeats in his professional boxing career. His two losses came against Carlos Baldomir, in 1999, and Antonio Margarito, in a 2006 bout (UD12 loss) he was performing well in until he hurt his hand.
The winner will unify both titles and provide with a solid opponent for the current WBA strap holder Shane Mosley by the end of the year. The other champion of the division holding the green WBC belt is Andre Berto.
Headlining the undercard, Undefeated two-time world champion IVAN “Iron Boy” CALDERON of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico will make his Madison Square Garden debut.
Calderon (32-0, 6 KOs), making the fourth defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior flyweight belt, will be facing steel-fisted No. 4 contender RODEL MAYOL (25-3, 19 KOs), from Manadue City, Cebu, Philippines.
Calderon offers outstanding ring brilliance, exemplary footwork, lightning quick combinations and savvy boxing techniques. His credentials are scintillating at any rate. As an amateur, Calderon fought and defeated the likes of Miguel Cotto and Brian Viloria (3W-1L)
As a professional, he is a two-division world champion and is the reigning WBO light flyweight champion. Add to that he's currently sitting at the eight spot of Ring magazine's immaculate pound for pound list.
Mayol, a two-time world title challenger, has vowed to make the most of his third opportunity at the brass ring, which also marks his U.S. debut. Mayol is now under the managerial control of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. Mayol, originally from Cebu City in the Philippines, also trains at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California.
Cotto vs Clottey Fight Results
A fight isn't a Miguel Cotto fight unless he appears to be on the verge of losing. Saturday, it was a badly cut left eye that was produced by an unintentional head butt from Joshua Clottey that almost led to his undoing.
The Puerto Rican, who held a share of the welterweight crown entering this title match, pulled out a split decision win at Madison Square Garden.
"I could see. The cut made the fight harder, but I felt like I was winning all the way," said Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), who continued fighting rather than have the bout stopped and go to a technical decision after four rounds. Cotto had won three of the first four rounds on all three judges' scorecards, including a 10-8 first round because he knocked down Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs). |
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