When Joshua “The Hitter” Clottey mounts the ring on March 13 to fight pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, there wouldn’t be a better opportunity for the orthodox Ghanaian to stake a claim in the boxing world and etch his name in the annals of history, and he knows it!
Though he stands pale in comparison of credentials to the man he replaced, Floyd Mayweather Jr., to fight Pacquiao, Clottey would definitely not just be a pushover for the Filipino legend. As the former IBF (International Boxing Federation) Welterweight Champion, Clottey’s three losses from his impressive thirty-five wins were never via a knockout.
Since losing the WBO Welterweight title in a disputable decision to Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto at the Madison Square Garden in New York in June 2009, Clottey have been off the radar for a while. Therefore it would be a tough challenge if not insurmountable to make your comeback and win against arguably the best boxer in the world now.
It looks impossible. However, Clottey who is credited with his quick jabs and dreadful right-hand punch and also known for his durability looks poised to cause what could be termed as upset of the decade. In a press release from his manager Vinny Scolpino through Top Rank, he said: “Joshua is in great fighting shape right now. He is anxious to get into the ring against Pacquiao.”
As much as Clottey has the credentials to pull an upset, it will be fair and honest, however, to say that Pacquiao would be a mountain too steep for Joshua to climb. The “Pac-Man” doesn’t only stand head over Joshua Clottey in boxing but in shoulders too. What an impressive record he has. He is the first boxer to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions. He is also the only boxer to defeat a particular opponent in four different weight divisions. He is rated by Ring Magazine as the No.1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world. He is also currently the WBO World Welterweight champion and Ring Magazine light welterweight champion.
Most impressive, too, is his defeat of all the big ‘cats’ in the welterweight division. He forced Oscar “the Golden Boy” De La Hoya’s corner to throw in the towel before the ninth round in their December 2008 fight. He disciplined British Ricky Hatton as early as the second round and knocked out former Clottey’s conqueror, Miguel Cotto.
In a bid to downplay the overwhelming favourite title tag hanging on his neck, Manny Pacquiao has been quick to dismiss that Joshua’s fight would come easy. “Clottey is a great fighter”, he emphasized in an interview with local newspaper ‘GMA-7’. He went on further to say how Clottey is stronger and much taller than his last opponent, Cotto.
Many boxing enthusiast believe Joshua Clottey is in this historic bout because of what he will get as a share of the purse, he is reported to be getting over a million dollars, rather than to make a boxing history for himself. It’s not a bad idea, is it? However, I beg to differ! Joshua who is his training camp based in Florida is attaching all the seriousness one can expect to cause an upset. In one of the numerous interviews he has granted the media since the announcement of the fight, he said: “You know this is not an easy fight at all. But you know me, I always come to do my job in the ring, and in the ring I want to make the people happy. I can handle southpaws well and I will beat Pacquiao. I'm ready to shock the world”.
And there wouldn’t be a bigger venue for Joshua to do that. The Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas is an epitome of a sports edifice. Owned by the flamboyant Jerry Jones, the arena has a 100,000 seating capacity. One of the stadiums most significant fan-friendly elements is the world’s largest, and most expensive at $40 millionHD video board, which is 72 feet high and 160 feet wide.
Joseph Agbeko lost his world title. Ghana doesn’t have any world champion. The task looks arduous. However, it can be achieved with determination and zeal. Previous upsets like what James “Buster” Douglas did to Mike Tyson in Tokyo in 1990 and Hassim Rahman over Lennox Lewis in 2001 are there to inspire Clottey. It would be more than welcoming for Joshua Clottey to utilize this opportunity in carving a boxing niche for himself and cementing Ghana’s legacy as the finest boxing nation in Africa.
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