The only common opponent shared by Joshua Clottey and Manny Pacquiao is Miguel Cotto. Granted Miguel has not been the same fighter since his loss to Antonio Margarito, but he still is (or should be) considered among the elite fighters in the division and he was such when he faced both Clottey and Pacquiao. The fight in Dallas on Saturday, however, has more to do with Zab Judah and Ricky Hatton.
Zab Judah is the fastest southpaw Clottey has faced to date. Now it would be blasphemous to suggest that Judah is comparable to Pacquiao, but the tapes will show two things about that fight–Clottey’s positioning was excellent and his straight right landed at will. By keeping his left foot on the outside of Judah’s right foot for most of the fight, Joshua was able to lock Zab in the pocket. For a southpaw facing an orthodox, the pocket is an invitation to eat straight rights. Winning the battle of the footwork helped Clottey earn a close technical decision in the 9th round.
It’s the “close technical decision” that probably convinced Freddie Roach to change his prediction from Pacquiao will win by unanimous decision to Pacquiao will win because Clottey will “quit.” The reason being is that for everything Clottey did textbook perfect against Judah, it almost wasn’t enough. If Judah had a little more pride in him, then he would have put more combinations together. Lateral movement, which Judah showed a scant amount, would have made a significant difference and probably would have changed the result. Regardless, it was Zab’s speed that kept the fight close.
The officially retired Ricky Hatton comes into play for one reason only–he has a lazy right hand. Pacquiao timed him and delivered one of the most devastating one-punch knockouts in recent memory. Guess who else has a lazy right hand? Joshua Clottey. Clottey leaves the door wide open several times per round with his right dangling out in space. When such is done against the speed and power of Pacquiao, well the result may well mean that Clottey will go to sleep in Ghana Wonderland.
In Clottey’s defense (pun intended), nobody expects him to win. He is irrelevant because he is not Floyd Mayweather, Jr. He is just a guy who fight fans admire in a Micky Ward sort of way. In other words, it doesn’t matter to us if he wins or loses, we celebrate his determination. We watched him take Cotto to the wire. He took all the plaster that Antonio Margarito could throw and he never stopped. Clottey is a fighter’s fighter. He is also substantially outgunned on Saturday night.
Here at Examiner we like to go on record with our mega fight predictions. While it is difficult to bet against Freddie Roach, he has it wrong on this one. Clottey will not quit and his corner doesn’t appear smart enough to throw in the towel if things turn ugly. It doesn’t matter because this one will end by technical knockout in favor of Pacquiao. The referee will stop the action at some point during the championship rounds. Blinding speed, lateral movement, and Manny’s counter left will be the difference in the fight.
