JOSHUA "Grand Master" CLOTTEY
Age: 32 (10-6-77)
Residence: Bronx, New York
Birthplace: Accra, Ghana
Record: 35-3, 1 NC, 21 KOs
Height: 5'9"
Reach: 70"
Manager: Vincent Scolpino
Trainer: Kwame Asante
JOSHUA "Grand Master" CLOTTEY (35-3, 1 NC, 21 KOs)...
- Former welterweight world champion...
- Former two-time welterweight world title challenger...
- Ranked WBO #1, WBA #4 at 147 pounds...
- Former African welterweight champion...
- Former Ghanian jr. welterweight champion...
At the age of 32, Joshua is a 14-year
pro. A former IBF welterweight world champion, he won the title in August, 2008.
He vacated the title to challenge
WBO welterweight world champion Miguel Cotto in June, 2009, instead of
making the IBF's mandatory defense. Joshua lost a 12 round split decision.
After the fight, Joshua said, "I
was robbed, and I want a rematch. They robbed me. He was running, and I was
chasing him. I threw the hardest punches. People were saying I would lose a
decision if it went to a decision, and I did."
Joshua won the vacant IBF welterweight
world titlewith a tenth-round technical decision win against Zab Judah
in his previous fight in August, 2008.
After the fight, Dan Rafael
wrote on ESPN.com [excerpts]: Clottey turned in an excellent performance as he
busted up and wore down the quicker Judah.
In the ninth round, Clottey
appeared to land a nasty left uppercut that ripped open a long gash over Judah's right eye. Although referee Robert Byrd ruled the cut was from a head butt,
the only thing visible on HBO's numerous replays was that left hand cutting Judah. Nonetheless, Clottey, a native of Ghana living in the Bronx, settled for a technical
decision instead of a TKO because the ringside doctor ruled that Judah could no longer continue after the supposed accidental butt.
However, Clottey probably doesn't
care one iota whether his victory came on a technical decision or a knockout.
The bottom line is that he finally won the title belt that he has coveted for
so long. He had a shot at another version of the title in December 2006 when he
faced Margarito. Clottey dominated the early rounds but said injuries to both
hands slowed him down, allowing Margarito to rally and win a unanimous
decision.
Although Clottey started a little
slowly...he picked up his activity level in the middle rounds of the highly
entertaining scrap.
Clottey is so darn strong and has
such a tremendous chin - like Margarito - that he never stopped coming forward
even when Judah was landing great shots, especially body blows. Clottey was
doing his damage despite injuring his left biceps in the fourth round.
Thankfully, the injury was not as severe as initially thought...it was just a
pull, rather than a tear, and after a few weeks of rest, Clottey would be ready
to start training again. [End Rafael item]
In December, 2006, Joshua lost a
12 round decision loss in a world title challenge against WBO welterweight
champion Antonio Margarito - he started the fight very strongly, but
injured his left hand badly in the fourth round and his right hand soon after
that, and was not as effective in the second half of the fight.
In an earlier interview, Joshua
said, "Everything is correct with my hand now. It was a stress fracture. I
think it was from combination of punches. I think I was throwing a big shot at
Margarito, I hit his face and I go to the body, and I come to the head. The
first punch went to the head straight, and I started feeling the hand - "No,
no, no, the hand is paining me.' So from there, I couldn't use the hand. I hurt
the right hand, too, so it was my nightmare - it was my bad day. If it was not
for that, I was going to beat him.
"I went to Ghana after the Margarito fight because of the hand. I was there for six weeks or two months. I
didn't use the hand for like, two months. We got some Africa medicine that we rubbed
on the hand. The hand is going to be allright. So, I went there and rest the
hand for like, two months and rubbed the medicine on it and everything is fine
now."
Before the loss to Margarito,
Joshua was undefeated in his previous 11 fights - 10-0, 1 NC - dating back to
his first loss in November, 1999, against Carlos Baldomir.
A native of Accra, Ghana, Joshua moved to New York in late 2003. He is the younger brother, by three years, of jr.
welterweight veteran Emmanuel "Sleek" Clottey.
Joshua's first 11 fights were in Africa. He signed a contract in 1996 with English promoter Panos Eliades, who also
promoted heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis at the time, and Joshua
fought in England six times from '96 to '99.
His first loss was by a
questionable disqualification in London in November, 1999, against Argentinian Carlos
Baldomir, who went on to win the WBC welterweight world title - Joshua was
leading on the scorecards when he was DQ'd. He said, "Let me tell you
something. The one that I lost, I was disqualified. They robbed me. I was
winning all the scorecards. I take that fight as a big robbery."
Earlier in his career, Joshua's birthdate
was listed as October 6, 1976, but Joshua said that he was actually born a year
later. He said, "When I was amateur in Ghana, my age was not good to go to the
Commonwealth Games in 1994. So, they put one more year on my age. My real age
is 1977, but they make it 1976 in the passbook."
Key Fights - 2009 - WBO W WORLD TITLE CHALLENGE - in his
last fight on 6-13-09 in New York, NY, he lost a 12 round split decision
against defending champion Miguel Cotto (33-1): the bout headlined at
Madison Square Garden on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade; it was a good,
close fight and the momentum shifted back and forth; Cotto scored a knockdown
with a jab that dropped Joshua to the seat of his trunks late in the 1st
round, but Cotto was cut over his left eye by a clash of heads in the 3rd;
Cotto rallied in the 6th round and after six rounds, Cotto led by
scores of 58-55 on all three scorecards; but Joshua rallied in the middle
rounds - he swept the 7th and 8th on all three
scorecards, then won the 9th round on two scorecards; but Cotto
finished the fight strongly - he stepped up his pace, generally outworked
Joshua, and won the 10th on two scorecards, swept the 11th
round, and won the 12th on two scorecards; scored 115-112, 116-111
Cotto, 114-113 Clottey...
2008 - WON VACANT IBF W WORLD TITLE - on 8-2-08 in Las
Vegas, NV, he won a technical decision against lefthanded former undisputed
welterweight and two-time jr. welterweight world champion Zab Judah
(36-5): the bout headlined at the Palms, and it was a good, close fight; Judah
boxed and moved effectively and kept a busy pace, but Joshua constantly pressed
forward and steadily wore him down; the momentum shifted back and forth - Judah
swept the 1st round on all three scorecards, Joshua swept the 2nd,
then Judah swept the 3rd; Joshua bloodied Judah's nose and mouth as
he swept the 4th round, then swept the 5th, as well, but Judah
outworked Joshua and swept the 6th round; Joshua rocked Judah with a
number or hard right hands and swept the 7th round, Judah rallied
late in the 8th round with an unanswered series of punches and won
the round on two scorecards; Joshua came back strongly in the 9th
round - he outworked Judah and landed the harder punches, and Judah was cut
badly over his right eye by a left uppercut; the referee stopped the fight on
the cut at 1:12 of the round - he ruled that it was caused by an accidental
clash of heads, and went to the scorecards (note: video replays clearly showed
that the cut was caused by a left uppercut); Joshua led by scores of 97-84,
86-85, 86-85..; after the fight, Joshua said, "He really hit with a lot of
uppercuts, but I never felt anything. He never hurt me, trust me. In my boxing
life, nobody has hurt me. The cut was caused by a punch and not a head butt.
There was no head butt. I'm sure of that."...
On 4-3-08 in Brooklyn, NY, he TKO'd Jose Luis Cruz
(36-3-2): Joshua dominated the fight - he consistently outworked Cruz and
landed the harder punches; Cruz was cut on his hairline by a clash of heads in
the 2nd round; Joshua rocked him with a series of punches in the 5th
round, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:48; after five rounds, Joshua led
by shutout scores of 40-35, 40-36, 40-36...
2007 - IBF W ELIMINATOR - on 12-20-07 in Las Vegas, NV, he
won a 12 round unanimoius decision against previously undefeated lefthander Shamone
Alvarez (19-0): Alvarez gave a good effort and kept a busy pace, but Joshua
dominated most of the fight; he pressed forward at times and counterpunched at
others, and consistently landed the harder punches; scored 118-110, 116-112,
115-113; after the fight, Joshua said, "I wanted to stay patient. It's 12
rounds. I just needed to take my time and win."...
On 8-9-07 in Las Vegas he won a 10 round unanimous decision
against former two-time world title challenger Felix Flores (22-5):
Joshua started fast and built an early lead; Flores gave a good effort: he
pressed forward, kept a busy pace, and rallied in the middle rounds; Joshua
finishsed the fight strongly: he consistently landed the sharper punches,
dominated the late rounds, and won by scores of 100-90, 99-91, 97-93; after the
fight, Joshua said, "They said this was a tune-up, but this was not. He came to
fight. I'm ready for a� big fight now. I can be better than I was tonight. I
was happy with the win. I would have liked a knockout, but Flores proved to be
a very tough opponent."...
On 4-7-07 in Springfield, MO, he won a 10 round unanimous
decision against former IBF and WBO jr. lightweight and WBC and WBO lightweight
world champion Diego Corrales (40-4): it was Corrales' first fight at
welterweight, and Joshua dominated the fight; he consistently outworked
Corrales in the early rounds and landed the harder punches; Corrales rallied in
the 6th and 7th rounds, but Joshua came back strongly and
rocked Corrales late in the 8th; Joshua staggered Corrales with a
left hook midway through the 9th, staggered him again with a series
of punches, then scored a knockdown with a left hook-right hand combination
that also cut Corrales over his right eye; Corrales was also warned for
spitting out his mouthpiece after the knockdown in order to gain more time to
recover; Joshua scored another knockdown with a right hand that put Corrales on
the seat of his trunks midway through the 10th, and Corrales was
penalized one point for spitting out his mouthpiece after the knockdown;
Corrales got up and fought hard for the rest of the round, but Joshua won by
scores of 100-87, 98-89, 97-90..
2006 - WBO W WORLD TITLE CHALLENGE - on 12-2-06 in Atlantic
City, NJ, he lost a 12 round unanimous decision against defending champion Antonio
Margarito (33-4): the fight was co-featured with the Miguel Cotto-Carlos
Quintana main event at Boardwalk Hall, which drew an announced crowd of 7,412;
Joshua started fast and built a lead - he consistently outworked Margarito in
the early rounds and after four rounds, led by scores of 39-37, 39-37, Clottey,
38-38; Margarito was also swollen under his left eye, but Joshua injured his
left hand in the 4th round, and was not effective after that;
Margarito stepped up his pace, constantly pressured Joshua and swept rounds
five through 11 on all three scorecards, with one judge scoring the 9th
round 10-8 in Margarito's favor; Joshua came back to win the 12th
round on two scorecards, but Margarito won by scores of 116-112, 116-112,
118-109; after the fight, Joshua said, "I hurt my hand in training about two
weeks ago, but I wanted to take the fight because I am a warrior. I felt it
hurting with my jab. I have a very strong jab. I didn't want to quit, that is
not my style. But once I broke my hand, I could not fight anymore."...
IBF W ELIMINATION BOUT - on 7-29-06 in Santa Ynez, CA, he
won a 12 round majority decision against previously undefeated prospect Richard
Gutierrez (21-0): it was a fast-paced, gruelling fight, and both gave
tremendous efforts; Joshua started fast and appeared to have the edge in the
first three rounds, and both steadily wore down the other with body punches;
Gutierrez was penalized one point in the 4th round for low blows,
and Joshua was penalized one point in the 5th for the same foul;
Gutierrez was also cut over his left eye by a clash of heads later in the
round; the late rounds were close - Gutierrez stepped up his pace, but Joshua
landed the harder punches; scored 116-111, 115-111 Clottey, 113-113...
2005 - WON WBC CONTINENTAL AMERICAS SW TITLE - on 12-3-05 in
Las Vegas, NV, he won a 10 round unanimous decision against Marcos Primera
(19-11-2): the bout was on the undercard of the Jermain Taylor-Bernard Hopkins
rematch main event at Mandalay Bay, and Joshua dominated the fight; he
consistently outworked Primera and landed the harder punches, and won by scores
of 100-90, 100-90, 100-89...
On 10-21-05 in Verona, NY, he won a 10 round unanimous
decision against Marlon Thomas (35-5-1): the bout headlined at the
Turning Stone Casino, and Joshua dominated the fight; he pressed forward and
landed the sharper punches, and Thomas was penalized one point for holding in
the 10th round; scored 99-90, 99-90, 98-91...
On 2-18-05 in Atlantic City, NJ, he had a no contest against
NABF interim welterweight champion Stephen Martinez (46-5-1): Martinez was cut over his left eye by a clash of heads in the 2nd round, and the
referee stopped the fight...
2004 - WON VACANT NABC W TITLE - on 7-24-04 in Laughlin, NV, he knocked out Christopher Henry (18-8): Joshua gave a sensational
performance and overpowered Henry; he scored one knockdown in the 3rd
round, two in the 4th, and two more in the 5th, and Henry
was counted out on his knees at 1:16...
On 6-4-04 in Poughkeepsie, NY, he won a 10 round unanimous
decision against Lloyd Joseph (12-4-3): Joshua dominated the fight; he
scored one knockdown in the 2nd round, and Joseph was penalized one
point for punching to the back of the head in the 6th; Joshua scored
another knockdown in the 8th, but was penalized one point later in
the round for holding and punching; scored 99-87, 98-88, 97-89...
2003 - on 11-21-03 in New York, NY, he TKO'd Jeffrey Hill
(23-4): Joshua pressed forward, outworked Hill, and dominated the fight; he
scored a knockdown with a right uppercut in the 6th round - Hill got
up just before the bell, but his corner stopped the fight after the round...
2002 - on 12-6-02 in Accra, GH, he won a 10 round decision
against Ayitey Powers...
2001 - on 11-3-0-1 in Accra he knocked out Siki Benge
in the 3rd round...
On 9-9-01 in Accra he knocked out Mebara Desire in
the 3rd round...
WON AFRICAN W TITLE - on 4-26-01 in Accra he won a 12 round
decision against Ike Obi...
1999 - WBC INTERNATIONAL W TITLE CHALLENGE - on 11-29-99 in
Wembley, ENG, he lost by disqualification against defending champion Carlos
Baldomir (28-8): Baldomir, of Argentina, was ranked No. 9 by the WBC, and
the fight was on the undercard of WBC lightweight world title fight between
champion Stevie Johnston and local favorite Billy Schwer; it was a step up in
class of opposition for Joshua, and he gave a strong effort and dominated most
of the fight - he pressed forward, consistently outworked Baldomir, and landed
the harder punches; Baldomir was effective at times, but repeatedly clinched
and wrestled; Joshua was penalized two points in the 10th round for
an intentional headbutt that cut Baldomir over his left eye; the referee warned
Joshua again for leading with his head in the 11th round, but Joshua
pressed in with his head down once more, and was disqualified at 2:30 for
"continual use of the head;" after 10 rounds, and the two-point deduction,
Joshua led by scores of 96-92, 95-93, 95-93; [note: Fight Fax lists it as in
the twelfth round, but Boxing News' ringside report says it was the eleventh,
which is supported by the scores at the time of the stoppage.] Boxing News
reported from ringside, "It was a surprise when the third man waved the fight
off. True, the African had led with his head, but he was guilty mostly of
carelessness than malice. If anything, a disqualification would have been more
justified for the low blows he threw throughout this 12-rounder."; Baldomir
went on to win the WBC welterweight world title...
On 10-19-99 in Bethnal Green, ENG, he TKO'd Viktor
Baranov: Joshua pressed forward and steadily wore down Baranov; he cut
Baranov over the left eye and under the right eye in the 4th; Joshua
cut Baranov on the forehead in the 6th round, the scored a knockdown
- Baranov got, but the referee stopped the fight at 0:44...
On 5-1-99 in Accra he knocked out Ali Mohamed in the
1st round...
He debuted at the age of 17 on 3-31-95...
AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Joshua said, "I was born in Accra. I've got three brothers and two sisters. I'm the junior brother of Emmanuel
Clottey. My father worked on the highway. He make road, he worked in
construction. He was a soccer player. He pushed us all into boxing. We started
in Bukom. It's the place in Accra where the fighters train. Azumah Nelson,
Ike Quartey, they all started in Bukom.
"I started boxing when I was six
years old. I was a soccer player, but they were fighting in my area. There was
this guy beating everybody out there. I say, 'Why is this guy beating everybody
like this? I can fight him.' And the coach asked me, 'You never fight before.
Why do you want to fight this guy?' I said, 'I just feel like fighting him.'
And I fight the guy, and the guy kicked my stomach and I vomit. When I vomit, I
say, 'Oh, no, no, no, no. I don't like this, it's too hard to beat this guy.' I
start training hard because of this guy, and I beat him. I beat him, and he
stopped boxing and I come in as a boxer. I stopped the soccer playing.
"I had 49 amateur fights, with four
losses. I reached the quarter-finals in the Commonwealth Games.
"I'm single, but I have one
daughter. She was nine years in June. She lives in Ghana. You know, I'm a
Muslim, so I gave her Muslim name, Zeenat Clottey."...
Joshua is a member of Ghana's "Ga" tribe, which includes Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, Ben "Wonder" Tackie,
and many of Ghana's other top boxers...
Boxing News editor Claude Abrams
visited Accra several years ago and reported: "Imagine an uneven, open concrete
yard about 20 feet square, the floor crumbling in parts and enclosed on three
sides, one by the outer wall of a house, the other two by a patched-together
fence made of wood and corrugated iron sheets.
"When bare, there's scant evidence
that this is or has been the playground to generations of fighting men. There's
no roof to keep out the rain or hold back the sun, but how it comes alive when
the warriors arrive. The floor becomes cluttered as boxers clamor for room,
elbowing each other to throw their blows while children clamber onto the frail
walls and perch wide-eyed, like pigeons on a rooftop. There are benches neatly
arranged at the entrance, which are quickly filled to capacity. The village has
arrived!
"This is Bukom, probably no greater
than the area of three football pitches, situated a short drive from the
Ghanian capital Accra, where the average life expectancy is around 50, the
streets do not have names and the red and dusty roads are so uneven that car
passengers would be advised to wear crash hats.
"Scores of young boys and girls in
bare feet scramble and fill the dried, earthy streets. They, too, know how to
shadow box, how to hold their hands high and to throw punches.
"Ike Quartey was once one of
these smiling youngsters - skinny and half-clothed - before he became "The
Bazooka"... [He was born] in a rickety structure of little consequence or value
which hovers like a tree-house above a pathway on the way to the gym, but now
it's a landmark, a must for those perusing the "where to go and visit" guide of
Bukom.
"This is a village so immersed in
boxing that at any given time during the day there will be a fighter in
training and the square will, for most of the year, be occupied by a ring.
"Ghanian fighters...essentially
fight in the same patient, methodical manner, knowing when and how to strike.
Emotionally, when competing, they appear cold, their eyes focused, their
concentration unwavering, though their characters can be warm and almost
gentle.
"It is a paradox of almost
schizophrenic proportions, though Ghanians are, by nature, proud and polite and
perform their tasks neatly, down to the woman in the street who will walk with
perfect precision balancing a car battery on her head.
"Here lies an untapped fountain of
boys and men who have declared a willingness to fight for survival..." [End
Abrams item]
STRENGTHS: Has an aggressive style, good skills and
movement...has good punching power...is big and strong at 147 pounds...at his
best, he pressures his opponents and wears them down...tough and
determined...is experienced against top opposition...
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