A Ki-view: Clottey vs. Cotto

 

by 

 

Kimani "The Ki-olumnist" Holmes 

 

June 14, 2009

 

It is Puerto Rican Day Parade eve at the Madison Square Garden. "Pop Champagne" is on the PA system while HBO announcer Jim Lampley is giving his pre-fight spiel. I’m sitting on my couch, 2462 miles away from the arena, but the energy is apparent. The people on the screen radiate a slightly visible glow. I imagine it is only a glow you can obtain if you have the opportunity to catch a fight at "The World’s Most Famous Arena". You know the place where Rocky Marciano beat a 37 year old Joe Louis. The place where Jake LaMotta and Sugar Ray Robinson fought 2 out of the 5 times they faced each other. The place where Frazier vs. Ali shut down the world. The place where Rocky Balboa beat Clubber Lang to revenge Mickey’s death. Madison Square Garden!

 

I just realized that one of my top 5 sports wishes is to watch a fight at Madison Square Garden. Along with attending a Super Bowl, being at the Summer Olympics 100 metres finals, following Tiger at the Masters, chilling at Rucker Park when a NBA star makes an appearance (WARNING: Music on the link is NSFW)  and of course being at Wrigley Field during the World Series. Since the likelihood of all 5 of the above happening in my lifetime is slim, I will be satisfied on my couch watching Miquel Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs) vs. Joshua Clottey (35-2, 20 KOs).

 

Cotto Notable Victories: Shane Mosely, Zab Judah, Carlos Quintana

 

Clottey Notable Victories: Zab Judah, Diego Corrales

 

Losses: They both lost to Antonio Margartio, while Clottey also lost by DQ to Carlos Baldomir 

 

The pre-fight spiel focused on the changes in Cotto’s corner. Apparently, he fired his trainer and uncle Evangelista Cotto. Miguel was quoted that the camp has better communication and a better attitude as a result of his uncle’s departure. Also, there was a disagreement as to where to train. His uncle wanted to remain in Puerto Rico to train, while Miguel opted for the less stressful Tampa.

 

Cotto’s opponent, Joshua Clottey is an underrated scraper from Ghana. If you closed your eyes and listened to his interview you would swear he was Prince Hakeem from Coming to America. He was expressing his confidenence that the judges will be fair because he and Cotto share the same promoter. I wonder if Clottey was considering the fact that this match was booked the night before the Puerto Rican Day Parade?

 

Both pugilist approach the ring to the theme of their country’s music. The build up for a boxing match dwarfs UFC. It compares to the feel of an international futbol match. Puerto Rico vs. Ghana! Michael Buffer. National Anthems. Manny Pacquiao in the house. The suspense is dense. So come sit next to the Ki-olumnist and peep the fight through my eyes.

 

1^st Round

 

Typical first round. Boxers feeling each other out, until BAM! Clottey is clocked by what appears to be the power of a left hook. After the replay, I realized that Miguel Cotto landed a solid straight left jab to Clottey’s chin. Miguel Cotto fights orthodox position, however he is naturally left handed. Cotto 10-8

 

2^nd Round

 

Clottey 10-9

 

3^rd Round

 

This is a round that Cotto might have won, but this was the round that Clottey developed his chance to win this fight. An incidental head butt gashed Cotto’s left eye. His open eye opened up an opportunity for Clottey. Cotto 10–9

 

4rd Round

 

Come to find out, not only is Cotto’s corner have a new trainer, there is also a new cut man. If this gets stopped due to the cut before this round ends, it will be ruled a no contest. It appears in order for Cotto to get through this round, he acquired the peek-a-boo technique. His gloves cover his face to protect his right eye. Clottey throws a few rights which I don’t think he yet realizes that Cotto can not see. Some how, Cotto still manages to win this round. Cotto 10-9

 

5^th Round

 

The action picks up in this round. Clottey throws another one of his "blind rights" to Cotto’s left eye. While he connects, the referee, Arthur Mercante Jr. trips over a camera man who was boldly leaning all up in the ring. Mercante recovers from his slip, and Cotto begins to bull rush Clottey into the corner. Clottey attempts to hold Cotto. As he grabs him, Cotto pushes Clottey’s arms to the side which resulted in Clottey getting tossed to the ground. In real speed, it looked like Cotto picked up Clottey and WWF body slammed him. Even announcer Emanuel Steward thought Clottey was a victim of a Hulk Hogan move. On replay it was just a awkward collision.

 

Then this is when it got weird:

 

"What happened to your knee? Get up and walk it off! I don’t need you Doc. Suck it up kid! You are a champion!"

 

Was that Clottey’s corner? No

 

Was it Cotto’s corner? No

 

It was referee Arthur Mercante, using his zebra stripe power to motivate Clottey into getting up. I kept wondering to myself, what if Clottey just tore his ACL? How in the world does the referee know he is okay?

Even after all of this, Clottey still manages to out point Cotto in this round. Clottey 10-9 

 

6^th Round

 

Cotto starts to trap Clottey into the corners in this round. Is Clottey actually trapped? It was like there was an invisible fence? Clottey had several opportunities to escape the corner, however he stayed there and took a beating from Cotto. Maybe his knee was starting to bother him? Maybe Clottey was doing an interpretation of the rope a dope style? Regardless, Cotto did damage and won that round. Cotto 10-9

 

7^th Round

 

There was more movement in this round. Clottey’s knee didn’t seem to bother him as much. Maybe his strategy in the 6^th round was working, because Cotto was definitely looking tired now. His hands was down and his mouth was open. Clottey was tapping that left eye with those right jabs all throughout  the round. Clottey 10-9

 

8^th Round

 

Cotto came back in this round with the peek-a-boo style. I think his pain nerves in his eye was sending his hands a message to protect me. Cotto was the aggressor in this round, but Clottey still out boxed him. For some reason Cotto was reminding me of Fernando Vargas with that warrior style. Cotto’s warrior style kept getting Clottey in that corner. Clottey looked way to relaxed for a man whose trapped in the corner. He even looked Cotto dead in his eye after taking several punches in the corner, and walked out shaking his head like you can’t hurt me. Cotto 10-9

 

9^th Round

 

By this time in the fight, it appears as if Clottey is about to take over. Cotto was exhausted and that eye was getting worse. The HD Zoom of blood gushing out of a human eyeball, made my wife turn her head. HBO announcer Max Kellerman suggest that Cotto’s best chance is to go to the scorecards right now. The HBO announcing team suggested that a more experienced trainer, i.e. Evanglista Cotto, might have exploited the cut and went to the cards. Clottey 10-9

 

10^th Round

 

Before this round started I tried to figure out which direction should Clottey turn to maximize the disadvantage of Cotto being blind in his right eye. So I made my wife get up and throw jabs at me while I closed my left eye. She got into this a little more than I expected she would be. (Noted). Well we realized, that it would benefit Clottey if he circled Cotto, moving counter clockwise. That way the eye will need to play catch up to the jabs. I think Clottey got the memo.

Clottey 10-9

 

11^th Round

 

Prior to the fight, Big Play Ray sent me his pre fight prediction via text. Clottey will KO Cotto in 10. Close call Big Play. I thought you was going to display your genius to me. Didn’t happen though.

 

What did happen was Cotto realized he may be in trouble and he needs to win these last two rounds. Cotto came out with so much vaseline on his eye that when he shook his head a glob fell on the mat and Clottey actually slipped on it. Clottey’s suspect knee buckled. If Cotto and his camp planned that on purpose that would be brilliant. Cotto was retreating too much to win that round. Clottey 10-9

 

12^th Round

 

I told my self that who ever wins this round will win the fight In the beginning of the round, Clottey was the stalker and Cotto was dancing. It looked like Cotto thought he had the fight won and he just needed to survive.

 

Within that round, Clottey turned his back on Cotto which resulted in a punch behind the head. Clottey was demanding a rabbit punch but it was clear that Clottey turned his back. I think Clottey’s actions did him in. The HBO announcing crew was saying that Clottey was overreacting. Even the referee told Clottey again to "Suck it up!"

Clottey ended the round with some power flurries,  just enough to squeek a Clottey 10-9

 

Decision

 

The judges seem to be taking a long time. May be the Puerto Rican Day Parade fix? While the judges were deliberating, my wife notice that Madison Square Garden was playing "Pump up the Jam" by Technotronics? We just looked at each other and laughed. It is 2009 right?

 

They start to show the scores with a split screen and both boxers were acting like they had it won. I wish they would show Manny Pacquiao on a third split screen, since this fight appears to be the Pacquiao sweepstakes.

 

Judge 1 116-111 Cotto

Judge 2 114-113 Clottey

Judge 3 115-112 Cotto

 

Cotto wins a split decision and the crowd erupts! PUERTO RICO!

 

I wouldn NOT have been mad if it was a draw. Matter of fact, lets go to my scorecard.

 

Ki 114-113 Clottey

 

I wish it was a draw. But that wasn’t going to happen on Puerto Rico Day Parade eve.  Maybe Clottey should book the rematch on the eve of the Ghana Day Parade.