Joshua Clottey
| Joshua Clottey | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Joshua Clottey |
| Nickname(s) | The Grand Master The Hitter |
| Rated at | Welterweight |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (172 cm) |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Born | October 6, 1977 Accra, Ghana |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 41 |
| Wins | 36 |
| Wins by KO | 21 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 1 |
Joshua Clottey (born March 16, 1976) is a Ghanaian retired professional boxer. Born in Accra, Ghana, Clottey now lives in the Bronx, New York. He is the former IBF welterweight champion. He is also the brother of veteran boxers Judas Clottey and Emmanuel Clottey.[1]
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Early life [edit]
As a child in his native Ghana, Clottey had a passion for football, a sport that was also played by his father. Clottey moved and spent a few years in the United Kingdom then later to the United States.[2]
Professional career [edit]
Welterweight [edit]
Clottey rose to prominence by winning his first twenty fights, including 14 by knockout. His performance set him up to fight Carlos Baldomir, in a title defense by Baldomir for the WBC international welterweight title. Clottey lost by disqualification in a controversial fight. Clottey was winning until the 10th round, where he was penalized two points for an intentional head butt. He was warned for this but did it again resulting in the referee stopping the fight and disqualifying Clottey. The bouts' controversy is over the fact that the referees' decision to disqualify Clottey was far too premature.
Clottey rebounded from the controversial loss by winning the African Boxing Union welterweight title in his next fight. He then rolled off a 10 fight winning streak highlighted by his first win on American soil and capture of several minor welterweight and middleweight titles. The streak culminated in an IBF intercontinental welterweight title. On December 2, 2006, Clottey earned his first shot at a world title but broke his hand in the fourth round of his fight against World Boxing Organization champion Antonio Margarito. That bout against Margarito has since come under controversial suspicion following news reports (released after Margarito's fight with Shane Mosley) that Margarito had boxed opponents with hand wraps illegally loaded with plaster (along with Margarito's first bout with Miguel Cotto). On April 7, 2007 (following Clottey's questionable loss to Margarito), Clottey earned a unanimous decision over Diego Corrales, in what was Corrales's final fight before his death. In December 2007, Clottey positioned himself for another title shot with a win over prospect Shamone Alvarez.[3] Clottey beat Zab Judah on August 2, 2008, for the IBF welterweight title vacated by Antonio Margarito.
Clottey vs. Cotto [edit]
On June 13, 2009 Clottey faced Miguel Cotto in New York at Madison Square Garden for the WBO welterweight title. Cotto dropped Clottey in the first with a jab. Cotto was cut in the third round by an accidental head butt. Clottey's combinations throughout the fight gave Cotto problems. Cotto emerged the winner with a controversial split decision.[4]
Clottey vs. Pacquiao: The Event [edit]
Clottey fought seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao on March 13, 2010 in Arlington, Texas, at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium following the disagreement on terms of a proposed boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. which would have been scheduled on the same date in Las Vegas, Nevada. Clottey lost to Pacquiao by unanimous decision. Pacquiao threw a total of 1231 punches in the fight, missing 985 and landing 246.[5] Clottey threw a total of 399 punches, 291 missed and 108 hit Manny. On November 19, 2011, after over a year away from the ring, Clottey returned to defeat Calvin Green via TKO in the second round. Since then however, Clottey has confirmed that he has retired from boxing.
Fighting style [edit]
A tough, orthodox fighter, Clottey had a balanced combination of size, speed, stamina, power, ring savvy, and a solid chin. In addition, he was an accurate, efficient puncher with effective countering ability. His defensive skills were top notch; he stood upright while holding his arms and gloves high to protect himself, which is similar to Winky Wright's defensive stance.[6] As a result of his defensive prowess and ability to absorb a punch, he would never gone onto lose a bout via knock-out. His only four losses were a controversial DQ loss to Carlos Baldomir, a unanimous decision loss to Antonio Margarito under controversial circumstances,[7] a controversial split decision loss to Miguel Cotto, and a unanimous decision loss to Manny Pacquiao.
Professional boxing record [edit]
| 36 Wins (21 Knockouts), 4 Defeats, 0 Draws, 1 No Contest[8] | |||||||
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Type | Rd., Time | Date | Location | Notes |
| Win | 36–4 |  Calvin Green |
TKO | 2 (8), 1:56 | 2011-11-19 | Reliant Arena, Houston, Texas |
|
| Loss | 35–4 |  Manny Pacquiao |
UD | 12 | 2010-03-13 | Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas |
For WBO Welterweight title. |
| Loss | 35–3 |  Miguel Cotto |
SD | 12 | 2009-06-13 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York |
For WBO Welterweight title. |
| Win | 35–2 | Zab Judah |
TD | 9 (12), 1:12 | 2008-08-02 | Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada |
Won vacant IBF Welterweight title. |
| Win | 34–2 |  José Luis Cruz |
TKO | 5 (10), 2:48 | 2008-04-03 | Aviator Sports & Events Center, New York, New York |
|
| Win | 33–2 | Shamone Alvarez |
UD | 12 | 2007-12-20 | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada |
|
| Win | 32–2 | Felix Flores |
UD | 10 | 2007-08-09 | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada |
|
| Win | 31–2 | Diego Corrales |
UD | 10 | 2007-04-07 | Shrine Mosque Auditorium, Springfield, Missouri |
|
| Loss | 30–2 | Antonio Margarito |
UD | 12 | 2006-12-02 | Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
For WBO Welterweight title. |
| Win | 30–1 |  Richard Gutierrez |
MD | 12 | 2006-07-29 | Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez, California |
For IBF Inter-Continental Welterweight title. |
| Win | 29–1 |  Marcos Primera |
UD | 10 | 2005-12-03 | Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada |
Won Interim WBC Continental Americas Light Middleweight title. |
| Win | 28–1 | Marlon Thomas |
UD | 10 | 2005-10-21 | Turning Stone, Verona, New York |
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References [edit]
- ^ Judas Clottey – Boxer. Boxrec.com. Retrieved on 2012-02-29.
- ^ Joaquin Henson (March 19, 2010). "Clottey chickened out". philSTAR.com. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
- ^ Scorecard: Clottey gets past Alvarez, moves closer to title shot – boxing – ESPN. Sports.espn.go.com (2007-12-24). Retrieved on 2012-02-29.
- ^ Miguel Cotto-Joshua Clottey: Round by Round. Bleacher Report (2009-06-14). Retrieved on 2012-02-29.
- ^ Pacquiao vs Clottey Punch Stats
- ^ Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight packed star power, fans into Cowboys Stadium – ESPN Dallas. Sports.espn.go.com (2010-03-15). Retrieved on 2012-02-29.
- ^ Cotto, Margarito Triumph. eastsideboxing.com
- ^ Joshua Clottey's Professional Boxing Record. BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2011-10-22.
External links [edit]
| Vacant
Title last held by
Antonio Margarito |
IBF Welterweight Champion August 2, 2008 – April 16, 2009 Vacated |
Vacant
Title next held by
Isaac Hlatshwayo |
