By Terence Dooley
Clinton Woods has been retired for a few months now. The popular Sheffield boxer decided to hang up his mitts after suffering a torrid time at the fists of Tavoris Cloud, who defeated Clinton for the vacant IBF light-heavyweight title in August. Clinton retired with a 42-5-1 (24) slate in the aftermath of that defeat.
Woods held the IBF championship for almost four-years; he defeated Glen Johnson and Rico Hoye during that run. Clinton also tussled with Roy Jones and Antonio Tarver; the man who came into the boxing gym relatively late in life fought the best in the business during his time in the sport and always gave it one-hundred percent when doing so - the abject performance he put in when losing his IBF title to Tarver aside.
Woods, who also won British and European honours, told BoxingScene.com that he would not be go back on his decision to retire.
“I wouldn’t say that I miss the sport,” revealed Woods, “not at the moment anyway. Maybe in time I will. I’ll not come back though. If I were to carry on I’d have won the British title but I only want the world title. If I can’t beat the likes of Tavoris Cloud then I shouldn’t carry on.”
Woods dismissed talk of a return to the British level. “I know I’d beat the lads at the lower levels as I’ve won British and European titles before but why do that,” asked Woods. “If I did lose to a lad like Nathan Cleverly I wouldn’t be able to live with myself as I’ve been right to the top and only lost to the best.
“Winning that world title, and the Johnson fights, was the highlight of my career. People forget that I went into boxing without any pedigree. I went in with nowt and did well from the sport. I still train but I wouldn’t train fighters, not unless I found the next Clinton Woods. I’m happy to be sitting here and supporting the likes of Liam Cameron, who will become a really good pro.”
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