Margarito victim goes for his old title...

[bennie]

Former British-based man Joshua Clottey gets an overdue second shot at a major world title when he takes on brash New Yorker Zab Judah for the vacant IBF welterweight title in Las Vegas this Saturday (August 2). The title was previously held by rugged Antonio Margarito, now the division No. 1 after his sensational win over Miguel Cotto in Vegas a few days ago.
Clottey gave the big, remorseless Margarito a great fight in 2006 in Atlantic City in a stab at Margarito's WBO welterweight title, before dropping a close but unanimous decision. He came back with fine wins over Diego Corrales (an admittedly faded Corrales, just weeks away from his untimely death) and a previously unbeaten Shamone Alvarez and has won his last four. Indeed, in 37 outings only Margarito and Argentina's Carlos Baldomir have ever bettered the 31-year-old Clottey, who was slung out for butting Baldomir in the 11th round of a fight he was winning at Wembley way back in 1999, after which the Ghanaian returned home for a few fights and then relocated to the States, where he's been largely avoided.
Who needs him?
Clottey was still kicking his heels seven years later, when Judah also lost to Baldomir. Judah was defending his WBC welterweight title that night (at one point he held WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight belts, and is also a former IBF light-welterweight champion) and went into it a prodigious favourite on home turf in Madison Square Garden. Cocky, loud, even abnoxious, Zab found himself up against a man who showed no fear and worked hard from the start. An increasingly desperate Judah tried to 'steal' the later rounds with typically quick flurries, but Baldomir worked even harder and deserved the unanimous verdict and that WBC belt.
A humbling experience for the loser.
Since then Judah has also lost to Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Miguel Cotto in long, punishing fights, and you wonder how much the 30-year-old southpaw has left after 12 hard years as a pro - Clottey is undoubtedly the fresher of the two. Still, Brooklyn's Judah comes off two (rather obscure) wins and, slick and sharp-hitting, is not one to give anyone an easy night, especially in the early rounds, although he tends to fight in flashy spurts after his lightning start.
Clearly, Clottey will have to reproduce the form he showed against Margarito two years ago, when he belted the Mexican around at times, until the iron-jawed champion, making the seventh defence of his WBO title, put in his usual late-round surge and came through in much less convincing fashion than he did against Cotto. Even in defeat, then, it was an excellent performance from Clottey, a durable, brave, clever, relaxed performance. Clottey is classic African, good at picking fast, chopping punches behind a tight guard, and immensely proud. His punches are less potent than Judah's but his defence is better, along with his stamina.
This one looks close on paper. Judah's experience and boxing brain undoubtedly give him a shout but Clottey is probably as quick as the ex-champ and that could prove crucial if he can tag Judah as the American goes for his own quick shots, although Judah has a decent enough chin.
Ultimately, and tentatively, one sides with the more ambitious Clottey.


In a clash of genuine punchers, Ghana's Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko makes the first defence of his IBF bantamweight title against Nicaraguan southpaw William Gonzalez in Puerto Rico, also this Saturday.
Agbeko won the title with a hugely impressive stoppage of another Nicaraguan southpaw, Luis Alberto Perez, last year in the States. The New York-based champion outclassed the seasoned Perez in Sacramento in September, until Perez was pulled out at the end of the seventh, and in 26 fights has lost only to former outstanding IBF bantamweight champ Wladimir Sidorenko on a disputed 12-round decision in Germany in 2004. Remarkably, for a small man, Agbeko has stopped 22 of his 25 victims. His punches are quick, accurate and heavy, shades of Joe Calzaghe, and he goes in a big favourite against Gonzalez, who can whack himself but does not hold a shot so well.
At 21-2 (19) the rangy challenger has been stopped in both his defeats but had world class Mexican Jhonny Gonzalez on the floor before he was poleaxed in three rounds in Arizona in September 2005 in his last defeat. Gonzalez, with a fine 12-round decision over Mauricio Martinez in Panama last year, has come back well - this undoubtedly will be a shootout while it lasts. Agbeko, however, looks a bit special and much the more durable of the two.
He boxes and punches his way to a middle-round stoppage.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Not sure if victim is an accurate description

[Autobarn]

He did seem to submit himself to the idea of defeat, sometime in the middle of the fight. But definitely not a victim in the way that Cotto - or Lujan - were victims.

[johnty1888]

Anybody have any live streams for this fight?

I've checked Justintv but its not on

[hitman_hatton1]

just got a question guys.

on that boxpicks on facebook.

have u gotta do ya pick the day before or something?

cos i wanna go with a clottey stoppage and i can't do it.

there's no pick button to click.

[DG.]

Should be a good fight.

[SticknMove]

White people should all die.

[Post edited by Moderator]

Yes, as they universally do. Just like anyone else you arsehole.

[Asterix]

Anybody have any live streams for this fight?

I've checked Justintv but its not on

Here you go.

just got a question guys.

on that boxpicks on facebook.

have u gotta do ya pick the day before or something?

cos i wanna go with a clottey stoppage and i can't do it.

there's no pick button to click.

Yeah, you have to bet at least the day before.

[johnty1888]

Cheers man! Top banana

[lefthook82]

Clottey v Margarito 2 would be an interesting fight

[hitman_hatton1]

Anybody have any live streams for this fight?

I've checked Justintv but its not on

Here you go.

just got a question guys.

on that boxpicks on facebook.

have u gotta do ya pick the day before or something?

cos i wanna go with a clottey stoppage and i can't do it.

there's no pick button to click.

Yeah, you have to bet at least the day before.

cheers asterix.