Remember back in March of 2010, when rock-solid welterweight Joshua Clottey fought superstar Manny Pacquiao, and how the warrior from Accra, Ghana let everyone down, himself included, by failing to let his hands go? It bugged you, right? Well it turns out it bugged Clottey too – and still does. So much so that “The Grand Master,” now aged 41 (a year older than Pac Man) has offered to fight Pacquiao a second time. For free. No fee.
Clottey admits he is practically desperate to fight Pacquiao again, so as to be able to redeem himself for his non-effort of almost ten long years ago. Currently 40-5(23) and set to fight a 16-0 Ibrahim Guemues on September 14th, Clottey so badly wants to get back in the ring with Pac Man after that, so as to be able to “redeem my image.”
“It is not my call. But I wish it was my call – I would charge just one Ghana Cedi,” Clottey said at a press conference, as quoted by Ghana Web. “I won’t charge any money for the match. If I get in the ring and the performance is not good, then no pay, but if the performance is good, I will charge for the match. I want that fight so badly just to redeem my image but that opportunity is not available. But if it comes, I will grab it.”
Pacquiao is widely expected to fight again, likely next year, but it seems he has a number of options open to him; far more than a return with Clottey. You never know for sure, but it seems Pacquiao-Clottey II will not happen – slim and none and all that. Clottey had his big chance in 2010 yet for whatever reason or reasons, he never fully opened up and gave his all in an effort to win the biggest, most high-profile fight of his career (after the fight, when kindly affording this writer a telephone interview, he attributed his dire effort to a stomach bug “a runny tummy,” is how Joshua put it).
Clottey had shown ahead of the Pacquiao failure that he could really fight (he still can now, at 41) – big fights with the likes of Antonio Margarito, Diego Corrales, Zab Judah and Miguel Cotto, during which Clottey showed his class and ability, proved his capability. But against Pacquiao, nothing – or nearly nothing.
Does Clottey deserve a chance to put things right so long after the fact, taking no money home if he flops again? Let’s see if Pacquiao has any interest in a rematch with the man he won a lopsided decision over in March of 2010.