Styles though. You're not looking at styles. Clottey is a terrible style for Cotto. Clottey is a huge welterweight with fasthands that loves to fight in the inside. He's at his best when a fighter comes directly at him. He would have a hard time with pure boxers like Floyd because he would have to chase them all over the ring. You have to look at STYLES.
King Dan, I agree with your assessment about Clottey and Cotto, but Zab might find a way to beat Clottey. Clottey isn't a fighter that likes to pursue his opponent. He's a big welterweight slugger that loves to fight inside. Zab may just run around the ring and keep Clottey in a stationary position to win a UD. Against Cotto though, it would be a totally different story. Cotto doesn't have the boxing ability that Zab has and wouldn't be dancing around Clottey, but going straight for him. This would play right into the 170 lb hard hitting welterweight's hands.. People should be able to get somewhat of a picture of how this fight might take place, (off night or not), by how Cotto performed against Urkal. Urkal used a guard similar to Clottey, but had NOTHING on Clottey in terms of power or speed. Besides, when has Clottey been down? The man is hard as ****. All of you who think Cotto would steamroll him need to learn STYLES MAKE FIGHTS. STYLES MAKE FIGHTS.
Terrible style for Cotto because he has fast hands and loves to fight on the inside? Cotto's style is terrible for Clottey. Cotto has underrated hand speed and loves to fight on the inside even more. The difference is Cotto is an elite fighter with real power and real skills (on the inside especially) and Clottey is a good fighter at best with little power. Your styles make fights argument might work if Clottey had devastating power, but he's doesn't. You're making him out to be Trinidad or something. Come on.
Look, this is basic fundamentals in boxing. I shouldn't have to explain this. Swarmers have the most trouble with Sluggers. Boxers have the most trouble with Swarmers. Sluggers have the most trouble with Boxers. Cotto is a swarmer, and Clottey is a slugger. Clottey is HUGE for the division, maybe one of the biggest guys in it and hasn't been down, but ONCE in his career by an opponent that outweight him by 15 lbs! Clottey also hits very hard, but probably doesn't get the KO's he should because he often lets his opponent come to him instead of pursuing him. How does he do this? Well, when his opponent is on the outside, Clottey uses a high guard to frusterate them and make it difficult to jab him cleanly. This means that his opponent often has to take risks to get inside and hit Clottey. Clottey isn't a stupid fighter though and knows that he leave himself vulnerable when he pursues his opponent, mainly because of his size and his issues with stamina. If he fought the same way Cotto fought, Clottey would burn out and eventually get KOed. What gives you the impression that Cotto would just steamroll through Clottey when Margarito had Clottey in the corner for about 30 seconds, relentlessly punching him, and STILL FAILED to KO or knock down Clottey. And Margarito could fight Clottey more effectively from the outside because of his reach. Cotto will BE FORCED TO FIGHT inside and right into Clottey's hands. I don't see how this is so difficult for people to see. I didn't say Cotto wouldn't find a win, but it would be NO WALK IN THE PARK. Cotto would get BEAT UP in this fight. This is how Clottey fights. He wants his opponent to come to him and uses his size to his advantage. A terrible style matchup for Clottey would be someone like Paul Williams or Floyd. Ya'll got to look at fights through styles and get off fighter's nuts.
Thanks for explaining boxing to me in that long ass post. Now, let me give you a simple answer. Clottey doesn't get KO's because HE HAS LITTLE POWER. Big size does not mean big power. Margarito failed to KO Clottey because he too has little power and is not an ELITE FIGHTER. Elite swarmers with technical skills, stamina, and great heart like Cotto do not lose to C+ level "sluggers" like Clottey without power and stamina. You're the one who needs get off a boxer's nuts.
I would pick Clottey over Cotto, Cotto would have a lot of problems against Clottey. Clottey's chin is granite, and his workrate is very good. Clottey is a handful for anyone in the division.
Especially if you're a fighter who's built and fights like Cotto. I think Williams is an example of a fighter that would pick Clottey apart. Cintron would be a bad matchup for Clottey too. Williams because of his range and workrate, and Cintron because of his range and power.
Did any of you even see Clottey-Flores? Clottey looked really good for 3 or 4 rounds, and then surprise surprise..he started to fade and began fighting in spurts. Flores' body attack was noticeably effective and was turning him around. Flores pushed Clottey to a point where he didn't want to engage, forcing him to get on his bicycle drawing boo's from he crowd. I gave Clottey a pass on the Margarito fight, thinking he would have beaten him had it not been due to injury. But after this fight, I'm convinced Clottey will never beat Marg, or any other top welter because he can't fight the full 12. He is a talented fighter, with good d and handspeed (throws one handed combos faster than anyone in the sport), but his lack of stamina and tendency to slap with shots won't allow him to win against top tier fighters.
Styles are a factor in fights, but a fighters skills and abilities are a greater factor. Cotto is a better fighter, and would wear down Clottey for a late TKO IMO.
Everyone is still arguing about this? Even after Flores fight? Haha, what the hell did Clottey do to get so many supporters other than give the b-level Margarito a tough win?
I can't even believe this topic was made after that fight with Flores. It's laughable... If anything Clottey made Flores look good. Styles make fights? Did you see how many body punches Flores landed on Clottey? He literally had to run from him during part of the middle rounds... Then Clottey got tired and started taking random breaks... I was not impressed at all... Like it or not that was a rough fight for Clottey... Put him in against Cintron, Judah or Collazo before you even mention Cotto
At the same time, how do you expect Clottey to get up for Flores? Just as how do you expect Cotto to get up for Urkal? Both men looked off their game.
