Antonio Margarito Vs Joshua Clottey
MARGARITO V CLOTTEY BOXING COUNTDOWN…
Margarito Wins via UD
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Poster from antoniomargarito.com
Antonio MargaritoRecord: 33 Wins 4 Losses |
Joshua ClotteyRecord: 29 Wins 1 Loss |
Margarito-Clottey Promotion: Top Rank in association with Northeast Promotions
Tickets: Ticketmasters
Venue: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.
TV: Showtime Boxing
Margarito Clottey
 Click for larger image © Tom Casino Showtime Boxing |
In the first of the two co-featured main events on SHOWTIME, Margarito, the exciting, hard-hitting, World Boxing Organization (WBO) 147-pound champion will defend his crown against WBO No. 5 contender Joshua Clottey.
The second championship bout of the night will pit undefeated Cotto (27-0, 22 KOs) against fellow undefeated |
Puerto Rican, southpaw Carlos Quintana (23-0, 18 KOs), for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title.
Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc., in association with Northeast Promotions and Caesars Atlantic City, will promote the bill.
ANTONIO MARGARITO (33-4, 1 NC, 24 KOs)
“I hear many people say that I am the best welterweight in the world, but I also get angry that Floyd Mayweather says he’s the best pound for pound and he refuses to fight me. Everyone says that he is scared. He says it’s because I haven’t fought the best fighters.â€
“It has been a long time since I have lost at 147 pounds. (Kermit) Cintron said he was going to knock me out, but I have always been confident that I can be victorious in the big fights.â€
“The big fighters don’t want to fight me. They don’t want to unify the titles. It is frustrating. Oscar De La Hoya knows who I am. We have sparred.â€
“I want to fight Mayweather and (Carlos) Baldomir to prove myself to those that think I haven’t been tested.â€
“I know how to box, but I like going toe to toe. I like to charge and exchange punches.â€
JOSHUA CLOTTEY (30-1, 1 NC, 20 KOs)
“I think that I am the best pound-for-pound fighter in this division, and he (Margarito) thinks he is the best. We will see who the best is in the ring.â€
“Margarito is a good champion, a good fighter. He fights the way I fight. He comes to fight. I don’t know how to run.â€
“When I was with Lou DiBella, a lot of fighters didn’t want to fight me. I was happy to take this fight. I am excited for it. I want to be champion for my country.â€
“I am a toe-to-toe fighter. I don’t want to back away from anyone. This is going to be a war.â€
Antonio Margarito Quotes
| “Everything is great. I am very pleased and quite relieved. Today was a big day for me and I passed all the tests. I ran 45 minutes in the morning, and I just had a really good, hard workout. It was my first serious run and my first true workout since I twisted my right ankle last Tuesday.
“During sparring, I was definitely thinking about the ankle so I did not go quite 100 percent. But I went plenty hard enough to test it and know now it is going to be fine. |
 Click for larger image © Chris Farina Top Rank |
It is still a little tender so we taped it for support. Thank goodness, it held up great. It is hard to describe how happy I am.
“I am looking forward to defending my title on SHOWTIME. Clottey is tough and comes right at you. I am giving him the opportunity of a lifetime so you know it is going to be a great fight – for as long as it lasts. My weight is perfect. I will be more than 100 percent ready to go on Dec. 2.
“When I twisted the ankle, my first reaction was, “oh, NO! My fight is gone.’ But I stayed off it for three straight days. It was pretty swollen that first day, but after icing it for three days the swelling went way down. Now, you can hardly tell that I had hurt it all.
“Even when I was staying off my foot, I was doing upper body exercises to stay loose. So, really, my conditioning is close to where it should be. The days off did not hurt me.
“I plan to spar eight rounds tomorrow (Tuesday), 10 rounds on Wednesday and then 12 rounds on Thursday.
“There is no way I will look past Clottey. It is frustrating when you cannot get the kinds of fights you want. But I am done worrying about it. The fights will come.
“Right now, my total focus and concentration is on Clottey and putting on a great show on Dec. 2.’’
Antonio Margarito Interview
By Daxx Kahn
“If I Fought Floyd At 154, It Would Just Be Better For Me!”
| Antonio Margarito defends his WBO Welterweight title tonight against Joshua Clottey at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City but as a guy who has called out every other champion within reach, the tall 28 year old would prefer to be fighting for a title other than his own . Some have called Margarito the most feared fighter, pound for pound, in all of boxing. Others say he is overrated and it is only a matter of time before he is exposed. |
 Click for larger image © Tom Casino Showtime Boxing |
It doesn’t matter which category you fall into when you make your opinion, the fact is that no one is lining up to step in the ring with him.
Is Antonio Margarito as feared and dangerous as people say? Well, that’s not my call but I do know that even if he is overrated, who has openly stated so and chased him down to prove it? Antonio has called out Mayweather time and again but the “Pretty Boy” has opted for a different route. It might be the money he will make fighting De La Hoya that made him jump to 154, yet you still have to wonder if that is the only reason?
If I was able to answer that question, I would be picking winning lotto numbers instead of working for a living, but I do know this much; Margarito wants all the titles. He states that with every chance he gets to do so. He doesn’t care who holds the belts, he just wants them and until the time comes that someone is willing to put their a belt up against his, he will continue to dominate his opponents that are willing to sign. Here is what he had to say about all that and more, exclusively to SaddoBoxing.
SaddoBoxing: How are you Antonio? Saturday is coming soon; are you ready? I have to ask, why Clottey?
Antonio Margarito: “I am ready to step in the ring right now. I am ready to fight! Clottey is the only guy we could get to sign to fight me, so I had no choice for the moment.”
SB: Really? Is it becoming that hard to find opponents?
AM: “My promoter at Top Rank is working on other things, but right now we have to take who is willing.”
SB: Well, the good news is that Miguel Cotto, who is also fighting on your card in Atlantic City, has just moved up from 140. As he is a guy known for his power and willingness, if he wins his fight against Carlos Quintana, what are the possibilities of a fight between you two?
AM: “I know I want the winner of that fight. I am after all of the other champions right now, I don’t care who it is. Miguel has a lot of power and heart, it would be a good fight if he takes the belt and is willing to fight me.”
SB: If fights at 147 are becoming harder to get, how about moving up to 154?
AM: “Right now I am concentrating on 147 pounds and winning all the belts there. Arum will get those fights for me I trust him to do that.”
SB: Floyd Mayweather has moved to 154. He is a guy that you have stated you want to fight and have said this numerous times: will you go to 154 and fight him?
AM: “I don’t know why he went to 154? It was his decision and I respect him for that. I think he is making a mistake, though. He is not big enough to stay at that weight. If he beats De La Hoya and has a title, I would go there to fight him as long as it is worth doing so. I don’t think he will beat De La Hoya. He is just not big enough to be effective at that weight for any amount of time.”
SB: So you would rather fight him at 147?
AM: “I don’t care if it is 147 or 154. 154 is only better for me. I am the bigger man and the weight would be to my advantage, not his. He could not beat me at 154, there is no way it would happen.”
SB: Other than Floyd Mayweather, who do you want right now?
AM: I don’t care who, I just want another champion. My goal is to get all the titles. I want to be the only champion at 147.”
SB: Some people say you are the most feared fighter at any weight right now. What will you do if the fights start getting harder to sign? If the champions won’t sign to fight you, then what?
AM: “Then I guess I will have to look elsewhere besides 147. 154 has some good fights out there. If I go there, I just want the champions.”
SB: Some say that you are overrated; anything to say to them?
AM: “I fight in the ring. That is my job. To go in, fight and win. That is what I do and that is why I am champion. Until someone proves otherwise,, I am the best man at this weight. If you think you can beat me then sign to fight me.”
SB: What do you have to say to your supporters out there?
AM: “I just want them to know every time I step in the ring, I bring my heart in with me. I give it my all every time. I will continue to fight and to give it everything I have every time. I don’t doubt anyone, I just know what I can do. I will continue to remain champion.”
SB: Champ, I know you have to go but before you do, let me say good luck. As always, on behalf of SaddoBoxing and myself, thank you for your time.
AM: “Thank you .”
Joshua Clottey Interview
By Jim Everett
 Click for larger image © Tom Casino Showtime Boxing |
Saddoboxing had the opportunity to have an exclusive phone interview with Joshua Clottey 29-1 (18) who will face Antonio Margarito 33-4 (24) in his first major championship bout for the WBO Welterweight title this weekend at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ. Clottey seemed relaxed during the interview and not at all nervous about his co-main event feature to be broadcast on Showtime before the Miguel Cotto v Carlos Quintana fight. |
Clottey’s one loss of his career was by disqualification against Carlos Baldomir (yes, the same modern day Cinderella Man that defeated Zab Judah, Arturo Gatti and faced Floyd Mayweather this year) back in 1999 when the referee stopped the bout in the eleventh round for repeatedly leading with his head. During the stoppage Clottey was ahead on all score cards and would have clearly won the fight. He has moved past that disqualification and is determined to keep his career on track and become the WBO Welterweight Champion on Saturday night.
SaddoBoxing: Joshua, how are you? Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. Do you feel you are ready for this weekend?
Joshua Clottey: I’m fine. No problem. Yeah, yeah I’m ready.
SB: What type of things have you been doing in training camp to prepare?
JC: I have been in training camp for a long time and I have done so many things that I have never done before. So, I think this fight is going to be decided by and I’m gonna win.
SB: Have you been doing anything specific to train for Margarito?
JC: Well I’m coming in there to do battle. Right now I don’t know what he is coming to do in the ring. It’s gonna be war so if it’s gonna be war I’ll be able to fight that style fight. But if he’s gonna change than I will have to change my style too.
SB: I believe Margarito is your first Welterweight bout against a top 20 ranked fighter. What are you expecting from the significant step up in competition?
JC: Yeah you know I am expecting a lot because he is the champion. If you are the champion you always fight hard. I respect him but I am going to beat him.
SB: Why did you and your camp decide to take the Margarito fight instead of perhaps gradually increasing the competition fighting a top 20 then maybe a top 10 ranked fighter?
JC: We wanted to fight for a championship.
SB: If you don’t mind I would like to let your fans know what thoughts a fighter thinks about going into their first major championship bout. What have your thoughts been as the championship fight approaches?
JC: This is my first championship fight. If you are my mother, my brother, my father or my friend you are definitely going to tell me that this is the first opportunity for you so don’t miss it. I don’t want to miss it. I want to do everything to win it because it’s my first opportunity. It’s good for me if I win it because it’s good for my nation, Ghana.
SB: Do you consider both possibilities of winning and loosing and how that will affect your career?
JC: No, no, I respect the tradition of American (boxing) people. What they do, they are always going to support you even if you lose. But trust me this fight I am going to fight on Saturday is going to be something, trust me I will fight everything that I know and I will win, that is a promise.
SB: Speaking of you career you seem to have been a very busy fighter early on and then took some time off after your DQ loss to Carlos Baldomir. Why did you take off so much time before facing your next opponent?
JC: It’s like no matter who you are, whoever you are, you don’t know what can happen in your career. My first concern was to think about what happened and take some time off.
SB: You were ahead on all the scorecards before the DQ during the Baldomir fight, do you ever think of what he has accomplished in the past year and that you were able to beat him on points up until the DQ?
JC: I thought about it all the time because you know I was winning and I don’t think that the referee supposed to do that. He never warned me and he disqualified me while I was ahead on the scorecards. I think about it and that is why I stayed in Ghana for a long time before fighting in England again. Now it’s in the past and everything is going to be alright.
SB: I am not an advocate of ever looking past your next opponent but are there other fights you would look forward to beyond Margarito?
JC: I am not looking past Margarito. I am going to beat him. I am not looking past him and I am not calling on anybody to fight if I beat Margarito, if I beat him that’s it.
SB: What can we expect to see when you face Margarito?
JC: They know Margarito is a tough fighter. Everybody knows. He is not that extraordinary he is just a tough fighter, a guy who has a heart to fight. No matter who you are if you haven’t got the heart you are not going to go too far. He had the heart to become champion and I respect that. It is not going to be an easy fight, as well as me it is like determination. I am going to do everything it takes for me to win.
SB: Would you like to offer any predictions on how you will win the fight?
JC: No I am not going to predict. You know everybody has got problems in boxing, some people that don’t got a jaw, some people don’t have a body, if you go to their body they can’t do anything so if I fight him and I found out his weakness in the ring I am going to use that and knock him out, but if that is not gonna happen I will win on decision.
SB: It has been a pleasure speaking with you and I wish you the best of luck on Saturday and in your career.
JC: Thank you very much.
Antonio Margarito Fight Result
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On the Cotto – Quintana undercard in Atlantic City, WBO Welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito was on the way to getting sorely outboxed before a fourth round hand injury curtailed the efforts of challenger Joshua Clottey, who finished the twelve round distance
to lose by wide margins.
Before the injury, the stocky Bronx based Ghanaian showed Margarito’s defense to be bordering on non-existent and was having little difficulty in delivering a boxing lesson to the taller champion.
But after suffering a suspected broken left hand, Clottey, 29-2 (18), younger brother of light welterweight Emanuel Clottey, simply managed to see the fight through, losing on the scorecards 122-116 (twice) and 118-109 to Margarito, 34-4 (24).
Antonio Margarito Vs Joshua Clottey Boxing Undercard
correct at time of printing
Miguel Angel Cotto vs Carlos Quintana (Co Main Event)
Yuri Foreman vs Miguel Hernandez
Henry Crawford vs Clarence Taylor
Wayne Johnsen vs Joe Christy
Chuck Mussachio vs Tony Pope
Eric Hunter vs Oscar Martinez
Jesus Rojas vs TBA
Clottey Margarito Boxing News
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