Clottey Breaks Silence: Talks Pacquiao, Cotto, Margarito

By Ryan Burton

 

Former welterweight champion Joshua Clottey had disappeared from the media spotlight after losing a lopsided decision to Manny Pacquiao on March 13th in the inaugural boxing match at the new Cowboys stadium in Dallas, Texas.  BoxingScene.com spoke to Joshua Clottey about what went wrong in that fight and also spoke to Ghanan on his planned ring return and more in this exclusive interview.

 

BoxingScene.com:  It has been a long time Joshua.  What is new with you?

 

Joshua Clottey:  Nothing much really.  I don't have any fights planned at the moment.  I think I will be getting back in the ring in September.  That is my plan.  I want to return back to the ring in September.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Lets look back at the Pacquiao fight.  What went wrong in that fight?

 

Joshua Clottey:  Ryan it was just one of those things you know.  I don't know how to explain.  The only thing I remember is that as soon as I got in the dressing room my mind and my focus and everything got shut down.  I started feeling like I didn't want to fight or something.  I was like come on lets fight trying to get myself to fight.  I really don't understand what happened to me in that fight.  I just think it was one of those things.

 

BoxingScene.com:  When you let your hands go you had success hitting Pacquiao.  You landed a lot of uppercuts but you just didn't pull the trigger enough.  Why was that?

 

Joshua Clottey:  Yeah you know like I said when I got to the dressing room I started feeling bad like I didn't want to go in the ring and fight.  I don't know what happened.  I trained hard for the fight.  I knew Pacquiao was training hard.  I knew he was going to a lot of shots and I knew I could hurt him when I threw my power shots.  I don't know what happened.  I just remember I didn't win and it was a very very bad day for me.

 

BoxingScene.com:  You have been in the ring with a lot of good fighters besides Pacquiao.  Fighters such as Cotto, Margarito and Zab Judah.  How do you rate Pacquiao's power versus the power of the other three I mentioned?

 

Joshua Clottey:  Every time I would punch he would hit me.  He always seemed to know when I was going to hit and that makes it a lot harder.  It is not about the punches that he shows.  He knows I am going to throw so he hits me over the top.  He knows I am going to go backwards.  He knew what I was going to do.  That doesn't make the punches harder.  I didn't feel like his punches really hurt me.  I felt okay after.  I didn't feel like I was going down.  He just throws a lot of punches and from all over so he really gets you a lot.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Who do you want to fight next?  Would like rematches versus Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito?

 

Joshua Clottey:  I think those are good ideas.  A rematch with Margarito is a very interesting fight.  They are fighting at 154 and I am ready to move up to 154.  Miguel Cotto is a champion.  I don't want to fight him because he is the champion.  I want to fight him because I thought I won the first fight but they gave it to him.  So we need to settle the score.  We to fight a rematch.  He is the champion and I think he owes me a rematch.  He has to give me a rematch.  I want it at 54.  I want to move up.  I also want the fight with Margarito.  I want to fight the best fighters out there.

 

BoxingScene.com:  If Margarito doesn't get his license back would you be willing to fight him in Mexico?

 

Joshua Clottey:  Yeah I am ready to go to Mexico to fight Margarito.  I thought that in the first fight I was winning the round and that anything that he did I did more to win but they gave him the decision.  We have to fight to settle the score.  I want to fight Margarito so badly.  I will fight him at 154.  154 is my natural weight.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Switching topics how did you feel watching your native Ghana beat the U.S. in the World Cup?

 

Joshua Clottey:  It was very fantastic.  It looks like America isn't as good as us in Soccer because this is the second time in a row we knocked them out in the World Cup.  Last time we beat them and we knocked them out too.  That shows that we are really improving with our soccer.  I am very proud of them.  I am so happy about that.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Before the match did you think they would beat the United States?

 

Joshua Clottey:  I love the United States because I am here in the country and I have done so much here and the country has done a lot for me and my family but with soccer it is different.  You want your country to win the World Cup.  So I root for them.

 

BoxingScene.com:  You mentioned you want to fight in September.  Have you talked to your manager or Top Rank about making that happen?

 

Joshua Clottey:  You know Ryan that is my plan for now.  Ryan, there are certain things you do as a boxer to bring respect to yourself and certain things we go through to get in that ring.  I am telling you so many things we have to do right to get in that ring and be ready.  I could tell you so many things after this interview that you wouldn't believe happened to me.  Things I can't say on this interview.  I know I have to move on with my life.  I talked to my manager and I told him I want to get back in the ring in September or October.  I want to get back in the ring to erase the things that have happened to me.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Do you want to jump right back into a big fight with Cotto or Margarito or do you want a tune up fight first?

 

Joshua Clottey:  I would love to have a tune up fight but I am the type of guy who loves a challenge.  I love big fights.  Not because of the money.  I don't chase money.  I want the fights because I love the big fights.  I am a natural 154 pound fighter.  I fought there before I fought at 147.  Cotto and Margarito are there.  They are all at 154 so it would be good for us to have a rematch.  Top Rank has always been good to me.  They have done so much for me.  Any fight they have for me I am ready to take it.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Do you have a message for the fans?

 

Joshua Clottey:  I just want to tell my fans I am really really sorry with what happened in my last fight.  I know they are disappointed.  I really want them to forgive me and keep supporting me.  There are so many reasons the fight happened the way it did.  I really want to tell them that I will come back big.