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any one see the article on espn where he says he signed the contract on time but cotto was late so the ibf wanted him to fight the no.1 contender. he petitioned but they refused. should they have let him keep his belt?
The Miguel Cotto-Joshua Clottey bout June 13 (HBO) was intended to unify alphabet welterweight belts but won't. Although Cotto will defend his WBO version of the 147-pound title he won in February, Clottey was forced to relinquish the IBF version. Although Clottey signed his contract in time to meet the IBF's deadline to approve the unification bout, Cotto didn't meet it because he didn't sign his contract until this week. The handlers of South African mandatory challenger Isaac Hlatshwayo then pressured the IBF to force Clottey to either negotiate with them or vacate. Since the Cotto fight is way bigger than one with Hlatshwayo, Clottey sent a letter to the IBF giving up the title. "As you know, I asked for the opportunity to unify the titles with Miguel Cotto. I met all IBF deadlines; Cotto did not," Clottey wrote. He went on to write, "Despite the fact that Cotto missed his deadlines, I made mine and I ask you to reconsider and allow the unification bout to take place. I ask that I not be penalized for someone else's missed deadline. … If the IBF cannot see its way free to grant my request I must, with great sadness, relinquish my title. The financial benefits of engaging in a bout with Cotto and the prestige of defeating such a great fighter is that it is literally an offer I cannot refuse." The IBF refused to reconsider and vacated the title. Clottey beat Zab Judah in August to win the vacant belt, but never defended it.
The Miguel Cotto-Joshua Clottey bout June 13 (HBO) was intended to unify alphabet welterweight belts but won't. Although Cotto will defend his WBO version of the 147-pound title he won in February, Clottey was forced to relinquish the IBF version. Although Clottey signed his contract in time to meet the IBF's deadline to approve the unification bout, Cotto didn't meet it because he didn't sign his contract until this week. The handlers of South African mandatory challenger Isaac Hlatshwayo then pressured the IBF to force Clottey to either negotiate with them or vacate. Since the Cotto fight is way bigger than one with Hlatshwayo, Clottey sent a letter to the IBF giving up the title. "As you know, I asked for the opportunity to unify the titles with Miguel Cotto. I met all IBF deadlines; Cotto did not," Clottey wrote. He went on to write, "Despite the fact that Cotto missed his deadlines, I made mine and I ask you to reconsider and allow the unification bout to take place. I ask that I not be penalized for someone else's missed deadline. … If the IBF cannot see its way free to grant my request I must, with great sadness, relinquish my title. The financial benefits of engaging in a bout with Cotto and the prestige of defeating such a great fighter is that it is literally an offer I cannot refuse." The IBF refused to reconsider and vacated the title. Clottey beat Zab Judah in August to win the vacant belt, but never defended it.
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