Pacquiao vs Clottey Prediction

To really understand the Pacquiao vs Clottey fight, I believe one needs to have seen Joshua Clottey in action. At welterweight, Clottey has battled for 33 rounds with 3 of the division's best: Zab Judah, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. Against Judah, Clottey found himself the slower of the 2 fighters, but with consistency and determination his strength was able to break down Judah. When the fight was stopped b/c of a cut after 9 rounds, Clottey won on the cards. Against Margarito, Clottey's performance made for a very difficult fight, landing solid shots on Margarito and staying on his feet throughout. He lost the decision, but I thought the scorecards were too lopsided at 118-109, 116-112 and 116-112. In his most recent outing against Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey won the fight, in my opinion, 115-112. However, the judges didn't agree, giving Cotto a 116-111, 115-112 win, while the 3rd judge scored for Clottey, 114-113. A postfight visual check would've indicated that Cotto was the man who received a beating. Blood and swelling covered his face. Clottey looked fresh and unharmed. But, the popular Cotto prevailed on the cards in what was probably a slightly political result.

Which brings us to tonight. Joshua Clottey, who is probably slightly better than Miguel Cotto, vs Pacquiao. Pacquiao had some anxious moments before proving dominance over Cotto by about round 6. In this fight, however, Clottey is not as likely to break down. He has no history of being badly cut or bruised and maintains a good defensive posture when he fights. I do NOT think there will be a knockout.

Who hits harder? I think the answer is Clottey. I may be proven wrong tonight, but I think if the 2 just traded hard shots, the man on the canvas would be Pacquiao. Let's not forget that Pacquiao was fighting at 130 lbs as recently as 2008. Clottey is a strong 147-lb welterweight. This is a dangerous fight for Pacquiao, if he gets too brave.

My final prediction....W 12 Pacquiao. Trainer Freddie Roach knows that the most important thing at this stage of Pacquiao's career is to win. I believe there is a clear path to victory for Pacquiao, which involves combination punching, staying away from Clottey's power and using his speed of both hand and foot. Being the showman that he is, I expect Pacquiao to mix in some exciting moments of trading power shots, but a knockout for either man would surprise me.