Exclusive Boxing Interview: Clinton Woods

SaddoBoxing recently caught up with IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Clinton Woods, who took time out from his intense preparation for his career defining third fight with the irrepressible Glen Johnson at the Bolton Area on the 2nd September to talk to us. Topics discussed included his budding rivalry with Joe Calzaghe and the possibility of a rematch with Roy Jones.

Click for larger image © James Slater Saddo Boxing

SaddoBoxing: Thanks Clinton for taking the time to talk to SaddoBoxing. Let me start by asking how it feels to be an established world champion making a third defence of the title?

Clinton Woods: “I feel very confident. I’ve achieved everything I can achieve as a fighter. I feel the next thing will be is getting recognised as number one in the world. I came to boxing for a bit of fun and I’ve ended up with everything. It’s a fantastic achievement and I just feel on top of the world at the moment.”

SB: You’ve had a long, hard career. Do you feel a different fighter now to the one that stopped Crawford Ashley for the British, Commonwealth and European crown in 1999?

CW: “I’m a very late developer physically. It was fantastic beating Ashley because at the time, he was he best light heavyweight in Europe. I do feel I’ve come on a lot since then and I’m a stronger, fitter fighter, and a more knowledgeable fighter. I’m a lot better now than in 1999 and I’ll prove that on the 2nd of September.”

SB: Do you have a more scientific approach now to training and diet?

CW: “Not necessarily scientific. I do probably look after my diet a lot more, and that’s something you have to do as you get older as a fighter. I’ve also taken supplements the last 5 or 6 fights, which I never used to take. I got a person who gives me nutritional advice on what to take and what not to take, and I just feel at the top of my game now.”

SB: A lot of pundits would call your forthcoming third contest with Glen Johnson on 2 September a 50/50 fight. The perception being that you have improved whilst Johnson is in slight decline since losing his titles to Antonio Tarver. Are you confident you can beat Johnson this time?

CW: “They are saying Johnson has declined but he lost a very close decision to Tarver when Tarver was at his best. He’d beaten Tarver previously and stopped Roy Jones. Since he’s lost to Tarver, he’s beaten Richard Hall who’s a world class fighter and George Khalid Jones as well. Johnson is 37 years old and people look at that and think boxers are old at that age, but I don’t think so these days. This era or supplements and diet means boxers go on for a lot longer. Johnson in my mind is exactly the same fighter as the one I first fought and hasn’t faded at all.”

SB: Are you confident you will beat Glen Johnson this time?

CW: I am confident I’m going to win. I’m always confident, even when I’m not at my best I always feel I’m going to win. I feel I’ve sorted the few problems out I had when I fought Johnson the first two times and I’m at my best now and I’m in great shape. It will be one hell of a fight.”

SB: Who have you been sparing to get ready for Johnson’s style of fighting?

CW: “I’m sparring some local lads, a lot of super middleweights like Gareth Smith and Buster Keeton who’s a cruiserweight. I’ve got a week of hard sparring planned and then it’s the fight. Everything’s going to plan nicely.”

SB: Looking at the light heavy weight division, Bernard Hopkins has retired as champion and Antonio Tarver is licking his wounds from that defeat. Roy Jones is still around but is regarded by most as a shadow of his former self. Do you think you’re destined to become the number one light heavyweight in the division?

CW: ‘I believe Glencoffe is the number one light heavy to beat and I think when I beat Glencoffe, I should be recognised as number one in the world. However, I doubt very much the boxing press will see it my way and recognise me as number one. As for Tarver and Hopkins, I just think it was just a bad performance by Tarver, and Hopkins just did what he had to win.”

SB: There appears to be a nature rivalry between you and super middle weight champion Joe Calzaghe developing. Do you foresee this fight happening the next 12 months?

CW: “If the promoters can stop squabbling between themselves there’s no reason why it can’t happen. I know if you asked me and Calzaghe, we’d both say the same thing: ‘We’d love the fight to happen.’ But it’s not us who lay the money out and it’s not us who pay the wages. It’s really down to our promoters and if they can’t come to an understanding then it’s not going to happen.”

SB: Roy Jones has put himself back in the title race recently with a good win over Prince Ajamu. He is a fighter who inflicted your heaviest defeat, four years ago. Are you interested in having a rematch and showing everyone how much you have improved as a fighter?

CW: “I think that may be the next fight after Johnson. People try to knock Jones down but I don’t care what anybody says, his performance in his last fight was excellent. I’ve sparred Prince Ajamu when I was in the states a few years ago. He is a tough, tough fighter and Jones really schooled him. Jones looked somewhere near back to his best. He will never be as good as he was but he still is a very dangerous fighter to a lot of light heavyweights.”

SB: Are there any other rivals in the light heavyweight division which have impressed you of late?

CW: “I only really pay attention to who I’m fighting. Anybody who they put in front of me I’ll fight. I’ve never ducked anybody.”

SB: Would you ever consider a fight in the cruiserweight division or are you most comfortable as a light heavy weight?

CW: “When cruiserweights were 13 stone 8 (190 lb) I may have been tempted, but not since the limit went up. I do look good against cruiserweights in sparring, better than against the lighter fighters. But sparring cruiserweights and fighting them is a totally different thing. Those 10 ounce gloves make a big difference and really I don“t want to be getting hit by 15 stone (210 lb) fellas. To be honest, the cruiserweights today are just too big.”

SB: As a fighter now at your peak and having achieved so much, have you decided a time in the future when you want to retire?

CW: “I think I’ll retire when I know I can’t compete at the same level anymore. I’ve had goals all the way through my career and I’ve won all the titles I set out to win. If I was to lose to Glencoffe next, I may consider retirement. I certainly don’t want to compete below world championship level anymore. I guarantee you won’t see Clinton Woods being a journeyman. I feel I’ve got a plenty of great fights left in me and I am going to beat Johnson.”

SB: Thank you for taking this time to speak to SaddoBoxing. And best of luck for your title defence against Glen Johnson on the 2nd of September at the Bolton Area.