Joshua Clottey

Joshua Clottey was one of the most durable and respected welterweights of his era, a Ghanaian world champion famous for a granite chin that no opponent ever cracked, and for sharing the ring with some of the biggest names in the sport.

Early life

He was born on 6 October 1977 in Accra. As a boy his first love was football, the game his father played, before he turned to boxing and found his calling. His career would take him from Ghana to the United Kingdom and then to the United States.

Rise and world title

Nicknamed Grand Master, Clottey won his first twenty professional fights, fourteen by knockout, building toward a world title. In 2008 he defeated Zab Judah to claim the IBF welterweight championship, the peak of his career.

The big fights

He met the elite of his division. In 2009 he pushed Miguel Cotto close at Madison Square Garden, and in 2010 he faced Manny Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight title in front of a huge crowd at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. Though he lost both on the scorecards, he was never stopped in any of his five career defeats, a testament to his legendary toughness.

Legacy

He retired with 41 wins from 47 fights. Joshua Clottey is remembered as one of Ghana's finest modern boxers, a fighter whose durability and skill earned the respect of the very best in the world.

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The Legends of Ghanaian Boxing