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GL: Welcome home from Africa, Joshua. What's the latest and greatest? Tell us about it. "I went to Africa, and my manager called me telling me about Kermit Cintron doesn't want to fight me now, he wants to fight with somebody. I get here, and I find out he's going to fight Antonio Margarito. Margarito is a former WBO champion, I don't know where's he's ranked by the IBF, but I'm #1, I fought for #1. They don't even give me step aside money, they treat me like that because I'm from Africa."
GL: Basically, you feel like you've been disrespected by not getting the mandatory against Cintron.
Joshua Clottey: Yes, I respect everybody always, when it comes to business. The IBF is not being fair. They disrespected me, they don't respect me and who I am with a move like this. I've been fighting for a long time, I have to get my shot with Kermit Cintron. How can they give that shot to Margarito? There was no talk of that, they never even gave me step aside money.
GL: I talked to Bob Arum about having Kermit Cintron and Miguel Cotto unify the titles, and he said he couldn't do that because he also represents you, and you're the mandatory, so Kermit Cintron has to make the mandatory against you. Then a week later, he allowed Cintron to fight Margarito. Did anything happen between you and Bob Arum from one week to the other, because it didn't really seem like he cared much about getting your mandatory enforced after I spoke with him the first time?
JC: One thing about me and Bob Arum is I respect him so much, from when I was a kid in Africa. I knew about Bob Arum, and who he was. I'm very happy with Bob Arum, but it feels like there's something wrong somewhere. I didn't talk to Bob Arum yet. I spoke to him before I had my last fight. He asked me to win the fight. He has to give me some options, he has to make sure he's still looking into Cintron. They don't want to fight me, so they get Margarito.
GL: Deos a fight with Cintron and Margarito derserve an exception from the IBF?
JC: No, the IBF is not being fair with me. In the IBF, people from Africa are going to do things for me. They're going to make sure I get my shot, but these guys, from wherever they are from, don't even care. I paid $1000 for a sanctioning fee, so why can't I get my shot? They didn't talk about it with me, or even give me step aside money, this is not fair. It's all about politics and not about fair things.
The IBF wouldn't give Roy Jones Jr an exception to fight John Ruiz because it was for the heavyweight title from the WBA. Cintron is no Roy Jones Jr and Margarito is a FORMER WBO champion, so I don't know what ground they're granting this exception on.
GL: Have you spoken to Bob Arum?
JC: No, I haven't spoken to Bob Arum, because I don't want to talk to a promoter. When I was with DiBella, I spoke to DiBella and that didn't work out well for me.
GL: Has your manager talked to Bob Arum about this?
JC: No, I didn't talk to Bob Arum. I'm very sure on Monday I'll call the office and talk to him myself.
GL: So you have no idea of when you're fighting next?
JC: I don't even know, and I don't want to know, because this is not fair.
GL: Would you be ready to fight Cintron on April 12th?
JC: I'm very ready to fight Cintron next month. I was in Africa running every day. Here, the weather is cold, in Africa the weather is normal. I'm ready to fight with Cintron, Cintron is *****. I don't even know why his name is Killer.
GL: Basically, you feel like you've been disrespected by not getting the mandatory against Cintron.
Joshua Clottey: Yes, I respect everybody always, when it comes to business. The IBF is not being fair. They disrespected me, they don't respect me and who I am with a move like this. I've been fighting for a long time, I have to get my shot with Kermit Cintron. How can they give that shot to Margarito? There was no talk of that, they never even gave me step aside money.
GL: I talked to Bob Arum about having Kermit Cintron and Miguel Cotto unify the titles, and he said he couldn't do that because he also represents you, and you're the mandatory, so Kermit Cintron has to make the mandatory against you. Then a week later, he allowed Cintron to fight Margarito. Did anything happen between you and Bob Arum from one week to the other, because it didn't really seem like he cared much about getting your mandatory enforced after I spoke with him the first time?
JC: One thing about me and Bob Arum is I respect him so much, from when I was a kid in Africa. I knew about Bob Arum, and who he was. I'm very happy with Bob Arum, but it feels like there's something wrong somewhere. I didn't talk to Bob Arum yet. I spoke to him before I had my last fight. He asked me to win the fight. He has to give me some options, he has to make sure he's still looking into Cintron. They don't want to fight me, so they get Margarito.
GL: Deos a fight with Cintron and Margarito derserve an exception from the IBF?
JC: No, the IBF is not being fair with me. In the IBF, people from Africa are going to do things for me. They're going to make sure I get my shot, but these guys, from wherever they are from, don't even care. I paid $1000 for a sanctioning fee, so why can't I get my shot? They didn't talk about it with me, or even give me step aside money, this is not fair. It's all about politics and not about fair things.
The IBF wouldn't give Roy Jones Jr an exception to fight John Ruiz because it was for the heavyweight title from the WBA. Cintron is no Roy Jones Jr and Margarito is a FORMER WBO champion, so I don't know what ground they're granting this exception on.
GL: Have you spoken to Bob Arum?
JC: No, I haven't spoken to Bob Arum, because I don't want to talk to a promoter. When I was with DiBella, I spoke to DiBella and that didn't work out well for me.
GL: Has your manager talked to Bob Arum about this?
JC: No, I didn't talk to Bob Arum. I'm very sure on Monday I'll call the office and talk to him myself.
GL: So you have no idea of when you're fighting next?
JC: I don't even know, and I don't want to know, because this is not fair.
GL: Would you be ready to fight Cintron on April 12th?
JC: I'm very ready to fight Cintron next month. I was in Africa running every day. Here, the weather is cold, in Africa the weather is normal. I'm ready to fight with Cintron, Cintron is *****. I don't even know why his name is Killer.
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