Joshua Clottey's chance of a lifetime

Filipino Sports Examiner | Dennis "dSource" Guillermo



In my opinion, Jushua Clottey should've beaten Miguel Cotto in his last fight- except that he didn't.

Not that he wasn't capable of doing so, it was more of his inability to muster enough heart and will for him to steal the victory in the 'money' rounds.

If he didn't then, he has to now. For his next opponent has plenty of both.

Manny Pacquiao is not considered the best fighter in the planet for laying down and fading when it matters most. It's actually quite the opposite.

In his last loss against Erik Morales way back in 2005, Pacquiao's best round of the fight was the 12th and final round when Morales obliged him by going toe-to-toe.

As it is with the greats- they don't crack under pressure. On March 13, Joshua Clottey will have an opportunity of a lifetime to find out whether he truly has what it takes.

So how did Joshua Clottey get the opportunity to fight the world's best if he practically "choked" in his last fight according to my previous statements?

Quite honestly by chance- plus the fact that he is an absolute monster.

When Floyd Mayweather Jr. made it impossible for a fight with Manny Pacquiao to happen, and when Pacquiao didn't want to hurdle another weight class by going up to 154 to fight Yuri Foreman, Clottey's tough reputation and favorable inclination with Top Rank allowed him to get the call.

Clottey's 2 real losses have come at the once-proven dirty hands of Antonio Margarito and that razor-thin split decision loss to Cotto. Clottey has never been knocked out in his career before, and with his huge frame and superior defense, it's hard to fathom seeing the rugged Ghanaian going down against a much smaller man in Pacquiao.

That will be the challenge for both him and Pacquiao though. Pacquiao has defied odds and logic and retired more boxing legends in the past decade than any other fighter. Clottey on the other hand aims to create a legend of his own by slaying the legend-killer.

By beating Pacquiao, Clottey can exorcise his demons and redeem himself for the times he fell short. On his part, he has vowed to 'shock the world' and go for a knockout. I hope Pacquiao is listening, because unlike the brittle hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Clottey's fists can definitely back up his 'talking'.


Source: Examiner.com