Clottey still has ghosts to deal with

25 January 2010 - 02:00
By unknown

GHANA has given the world a few really good boxers such as Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey and Ben Tackie.

GHANA has given the world a few really good boxers such as Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey and Ben Tackie.

Now Joshua Clottey, 32, is working hard to be remembered like Nelson, a winner of three world championships.

Fighting has put Clottey in the hearts and minds of his countrymen. If he retired tomorrow, his career would be memorialised with those of Quartey and Tackie.

Clottey, 32, a former IBF welterweight champion who is now based in the Bronx, New York, is the man to fight Manny Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight championship.

Their fight will take place at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on March 13. Clottey is the second choice for Pacquiao, who was set to defend his title against Floyd Mayweather.

Clottey told Fightnews.Com that fighting the world's number one pound-for-pound fighter is something he's earned.

But what if he does beat Pacquiao, and becomes a household name overnight?

Will he still want to attempt to overturn a couple of losses, specifically to Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, and risk a newly created legacy?

"I would love to fight with Cotto, I would love to fight with Margarito," he said. "Because in both fights, something happened.

"Cotto was the controversy, Margarito, (it) was the (left) hand, so I need to fight them again." - Fightnews.Com