Clottey Knocks Calvin Out

Clottey and Green fight

Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) Welterweight champion Joshua Clottey announced his comeback with a superlative performance over his opponent Calvin Green, stopping the latter in round two of their eight-round junior middleweight bout, at the Reliant Arena, Houston, USA last Saturday.

It was Clottey's best performance in three years and he attributed the victory to the advice from his corner men and fans.

'Calvin insulted me during the weigh-in program. My trainer, Godwin Nii Quaye Dzani (Hallowey) heard him and he charged me to discipline him in the ring,' Clottey, 34, said on Asempa FM yesterday.

'I gave him a left hook and that sent him down. I didn't want to lose three fights in a row so I stepped up my training and was focused from start till he couldn't return.

'The match maker declared after the fight that it was my best performance in three years. Criticisms from fans that I don't throw punches also urged me on to win the fight,' Clottey (35-4,20Kos) added.

Now fighting in a new weight class of 154, he was tight-lipped about his purse noting, 'Money was not the real issue in this fight, I had wanted to prove a point, and this will likely pit me against Miguel Cotto,  Antonio Margarito, Saul Alvarez, Pawel Wolak, James Kirkland and Chavez Jr.'

He pleaded with his fans to exercise patience with him when the going gets tough.

'Boxing is not like soccer where you can give a pass when one is tired. It is a difficult sport, so the fans should be patient with us,' he stated.

Meanwhile, Clottey has wished compatriot Joseph King Kong Agbeko well, ahead of his rematch against Abner Marez in the United States on December 3.

He is expected to return home in a fortnight to attend to his sick father.

 By Kofi Owusu Aduonum