Joshua Clottey Can Come Again, But Will He Get The Chance?

by James Slater – It’s been reported how Joshua Clottey, so angry and genuinely shocked was he after being deemed a loser against Miguel Cotto when the tallies of the three judges were added up in New York, briefly contemplated retiring from boxing altogether. “The Grand Master” soon calmed down and realised he would not hang ’em up, however, and now he looks to get himself another big fight. But will the man who came within a whisker or two of becoming the second man to defeat the superb Cotto be able to entice another big name into the ring with him?

As has been pointed out by better writers than me, Clottey is in a very tough situation. On one hand, he is a proven talent, yet on the other he is not a household name.. Had it been, say, an Oscar De La Hoya or any other star of the sport who had been so closely and upsettingly beaten on the scorecards this past Saturday, he would have no trouble getting a big fight in his next outing. But Clottey is too dangerous for any of the other belt holders/top names at 147 to want to risk a fight against. There would be no huge payday in a fight against Clottey and a win, though admirable, would not earn the victor too many rave reviews. Yet defeat against the 32-year-old would also be a big possibility for an Andre Berto, a Shane Mosley or any other name at or near the top of today’s welterweight picture.

Promoter Bob Arum has promised Clottey a big fight for the near future; the promoter seeing how annoyed and despondent his fighter was after seeing Saturday’s verdict go against him. But who in the way of a big name will Arum be able to get for Clottey? Is the 35-3(20) warrior too tough for his own good? Damn right he is.

Clottey did manage to get Zab Judah into a ring with him last August, and Joshua won the vacant IBF 147-pound belt as a result. But Zab didn’t really have too much choice in taking that fight, and in any case Judah perhaps never knew how good Clottey was anyway. Now, however, Clottey will be very fortunate to see such a big opportunity come his way. The cat – if it wasn’t before the Judah and Cotto fights – is very much out of the bag.

Clottey’s best chance at a big, high profile fight, might come against, of all people, Antonio Margarito. The disgraced “Tijuana Tornado” is hoping to fight again soon, and he has gone on record as saying he wants a non-title bout before going for a world crown. Maybe Clottey – the man who was outscored while having injured hands over the last two thirds of the bout back in Dec. 2006 – would fit the bill. There would be no title up for grabs for Clottey, but the fight would surely be as high profile as can be – being as it would be the return bout of 2009’s most talked about fighter. And if Clottey were to win…..

Joshua Clottey definitely deserves another big fight, but with Cotto almost certain to square off with Manny Pacquiao in the fall, Clottey will have to look somewhere else than at the Puerto Rican for such a chance.

It’s not exactly fair, but in boxing it often never is, and Clottey may even have to suffer an enforced layoff, as he did after beating Judah. Hopefully not though. Clottey is fun to watch, he tries hard, he is nobody’s pushover and he is always in tiptop shape. I for one look forward to seeing him back in the ring – preferably against the top name Arum has promised him – soon.