Canelo vs. Clottey: Are the fans underestimating Clottey? M.DeTyrone

Could be just wishful thinking to believe that Joshua Clottey will give “Canelo” Alvarez a good fight? Most experts and fans believe it’ a mismatch and they know it’s a tune-up fight for a big fight in 2015 vs. Miguel Cotto, who many of the Canelo fans and the boxing media believe will defeat Cotto, or there’s also a possibly Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight. “Canelo” Alvarez is 5’9” with a 70.5 reach and Clottey is 5’8” with a 70” reach both physically on paper  are even but “Canelo” is a younger boxer, the money interest is behind him, he’s will be fighting with overwhelming favorable crowd, and very likely will have a huge weight advantage during the day of the fight. The odds are against Clottey like many other of the “Canelo” Alvarez opponents that have been either out of their weight class, old, and outmatched.

It’s obvious that “Canelo” Alvarez learned nothing from the Mayweather Jr. Fight. In his next fight vs. Erislandy Lara fight, he only landed a total of 9 jabs in a 12 round bout! It’s disgraceful to land 9 out of 183 jabs thrown, and claim to be a boxer-puncher. That’s a sign of a slugger that can’t close the distance. Be that as it may, that seems not be part of the famous “Reynoso’s Mexican School of Boxing” curriculum.  “Canelo” Alvarez landed 0 jabs in rounds 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, & 12 and only landed 1 jab in rounds 1, 3, & 11. In the 2nd Round “Canelo” Alvarez landed 3 jabs & 2 jabs in the 7th round and only connected a total of 88 power punches out of 232 thrown, yet if you examine the numbers they were 73 to the body, many which were blocked by Lara.  Canelo still does not know how to close the distance, and repeats the same combinations, and his power is way overrated at 154 lbs. or 160lbs. The consensus is that Clottey was picked to make “Canelo” look like an elite boxer-puncher vs. a stationary boxer. This will appease that “Canelo” fans after his performance vs. Lara.

 Clottey is remembered by the fans for his fights in the welterweight division, but his dismal performance vs. Manny Pacquiao in 2010 tainted his reputation with all sorts of allegations on social media sites. This is one of the major reasons why nobody gives him an opportunity among many others.  Joshua Clottey holds a pro record of 38-4 (22KO) has never been KO’d, however, he will be 37 years old at the time he faces “Canelo” Alvarez 44-1-1 (31KO) in December. Let’s not be mistaken Clottey has faced top opposition in their prime boxers like Antonio Margarito (2006), Diego Corrales (2007), Zab Judah (2008), Miguel Cotto (2009), and Manny Pacquiao in 2010 before he moved up to 154 lbs. but with only 3 fights in 4 years and a recent victory over a 39 year old Anthony Mundine in a fight where Mundine was dropped 5 times. Not much is expected from Clottey but for him to play the role and accept defeat.

Clottey will not see any new skills from “Canelo” Alvarez that he hasn’t through his career. He possesses great experience, good defense, and good power. The problem many fans ask is will Clottey make it a fight and pull the trigger and land on “Canelo” Alvarez? Or will he just show up hide behind his defense and play the human piñata for 12 rounds? Team Canelo and the match makers that picked Clottey are expecting that outcome of a passive Clottey similar to the boxer that fought Pacquiao.  

Mayweather jr. and Erislandy Lara have made “Canelo” Alvarez look like a one dimensional boxer with repetitive combinations, a history of bad stamina, and limited power in his division. The biggest things are what many have failed to see is that the blue print has been perfectly laid out to defeat “Canelo” Alvarez.  What will it take for Clottey to defeat Canelo? First of all, Clottey must show that he’s hungry to fight and redeem himself. If Clottey can establish a strong jab behind his defense, and work Canelo’s body early for the first 5 rounds. While “Canelo” Alvarez throws his repetitive combinations of power punches his stamina will begin to fade around the 5^th to 6^th round. This will be the key moment in which Clottey must build the pressure when “Canelo” Alvarez begins to back pedal against the ropes with his hands down. Basically, Clottey must bust up and hurt Alvarez multiple times then obtain a KO or TKO. There’s no way he will win a decision vs. Alvarez in a close fight. 

If! And only if! Clottey shows up to fight expect a controversial decision victory for “Canelo” Alvarez that would be battered throughout the rounds and possibly would have been dropped during the course of the fight.