Joshua Clottey & Jesus Soto Karass

A pair of welterweight contenders (albeit at this juncture not of like standing, one is as of yet still quite a bit more 'fringe' than the other) who are both fighting in the next two weeks, and who I have a great deal of personal interest in - and with perhaps little other connection beyond that. I would like to contrast/compare them, if for no other reason than my continued interest in both as potential dance partners for 147 lb titlists in the coming years, and also to analyze a head-to-head matchup on the outside chance that they meet in the ring someday.

I'd been meaning to make this thread for several days now but grueling hours have regrettably not permitted it until the last minute.

Now, much has been said already on this forum about Clottey, but mostly the wrong things, by the wrong people, for the wrong reasons. Margarito huggers prop him up as a high-profile victim of their worldbeating Mexican hero, where others, such as my colleague Amsterdam, seek to combat this by unfairly painting an unflattering and inaccurate portrait of Clottey as someone who can never hang with the elite at 147 (righteous intention, non-righteous methodology).

As one of the biggest AM skeptics on this board, I have long continued to express a sincere belief that Clottey, while not anywhere close to an A+ level, was a guy who wouldn't be exiting the title picture quietly and has the tools to stay competitive with (if not necessarily victorious against) any active welter that I've seen. This praise is almost verbatim the type that some fence-sitters and mild cases of Margohyper bestow upon Antonio, except in the case of this particular fighter it's actually true. (IMeducatedO.)

The reason I was able to justify Clottey's patent ability to hang at the top, while continuing to deflate the Margo hype and put him in his proper place as a rugged C+, was with the fact that I - and I alone - scored a Clottey win in their fight in the first place. I maintained this position for months, eventually digging the issue out of a long dormancy and urging the top analysts on the board to go take a second look. They did - and not to play the smug canary-cat, but guess what most of them agreed? Even on cruise control for a good half of the fight, JC edged out a close victory against a limited fighter who could not capitalize on his vulnerability on any reasonable, analytical scorecard.

Now, Soto Karass is a less known commodity on ESB, largely due to his being tucked away on Spanish-language television for the bulk of his career. Those who have seen him have noted leaps and bounds in improvement from fight to fight - and almost unanimously acknowledge that he's "not there yet". Just where "there" could be, however, if he continues his marked progress at the same rate, is what makes him so exciting to follow. He has garnered many comparisons to Margarito, which while understandable are not entirely accurate. Stylistically, he is like a less experienced but more aggressive and powerful AM. I see him evolving into a much better fighter. Right now, head to head, I see him as the lesser fighter due solely to Margarito's wealth of ring experience and the fact that Jesus is still in the long process of finding himself as a fighter and forging the style that they have in common into a disciplined, winning formula. Being at different stages in their career is the only thing, in my view, obfuscating the clear difference in their respective class (JSK has been a sparring partner for Margarito).

The most I've seen him struggle is with Juan Manuel Buendia, who he decisioned by a pretty comfortable margin. Every ESB member who saw it was in agreement that it was a terrific fight, though there were discrepancies in opinion as far as what conclusions to draw from the outcome. At least one bitter Buendia fan degraded JSK and called it a case of hasty and ineffective career management, as though JMB just weren't ready for a guy roughly his own age who's been fighting roughly as long. The fact is, the JMB that showed up fought a very solid B/B+ fight and lost to the better man. Soto Karass was able to demonstrate the ability to taste and stomach his own medicine and combat pressure with accuracy and persistence. He adapted to and handily defeated a healthy, young, good brawler with no excuses. The fact that he struggled at all is what gives me pause about throwing him in with any top talent for the next couple of years and/or several fights (he has a pretty healthy schedule). He'll get "there" though, unless he Oumas out and loses his love and drive for the sport. These qualities are what shine through the most in his frequent gutsy and ever-progressive outings on Solo Boxeo.

Stylistically, this is somewhat of a dream match-up for me. I'm pretty fond of both the African high-guard, come-forward-behind-a-snappy-nonstop-jab, throwing endless short bombs in range from a turtle-defense style; and the Mexican get-punished-to-get-close-and-wail body-hunting pressure fighter style - when they are executed correctly. These guys, so far, have proven the ability to execute their styles in a manner that is both successful against decent (though not world-class) opposition, and tv-friendly to boot. And judging by the first four rounds of Clottey-Margarito, the thought of Clottey fighting a (probably) far superlative practitioner of that style (once JSK is ready, again I don't think he's there yet) is pretty tantalizing.

Let's roll with the assumption that they both win their upcoming contests (despite not being incredibly heavy favorites on most lines). Let's look ahead and analayze the future of both vis-a-vis the 147 lb. universe.

We can revisit this, and use what new and useful information (if any) we've gleaned in about two weeks, giving the results of their bouts time to marinate.

Please only contribute if you've seen a substantial amount of both and are willing and able to analyze objectively. Thanks. :good

 

Do you think Soto Karass could patch those holes with some proper matchmaking? Maybe by getting some rounds with an inferior and more beatable African fighter?

 

:thumbsup

Thanks for reposting, and - great analysis.

 

To clarify: in the poll option, by "title" I mean any of the four alphabet WW belts. Currently held by Mayweather, Cintron, Cotto, and Quintana.

 

Well, tonight didn't really provide a whole lot of analytical fodder.

The only notable topic I can extrapolate from this fight is Wally Matthews' assertion that Clottey does not like awkward aggression and jumps in a rabbithole the moment someone tries to bully him from angles. Is that really the case, or is he just an inconsistent starter? Or is it both? And how, if at all, does either conclusion influence where he stands at welter, or in a fantasy matchup with a current or improved Jesus Soto Karass?

Hopefully Telefutura next Friday is more enlightening. :good

 

Despite Clottey doing pretty much everything right in this performance (except maybe not taking a few clear opportunities to finish his man legitimately, although ultimately that's his prerogative and the job got done in the end) I can only see this tainted win leading to negative backlash. Again, I'd like for this to be a safe haven for the objective analysts, such as the fine fellows who have already posted their valuable insights. Knee-jerkers and emotional types need not apply, thanks. :good

 

These results so far are very interesting. They indicate a lot of doubt for Soto Karass, while most of the people verbalizing their opinions in post form seem to agree that he is the more valuable investment. :think

 

His jab isn't always this lazy, at its best it is a rather good B+ jab; he is certainly no Ike. :good