Former welterweight champion Joshua Clottey has been incognito ever since his uninspiring effort against Manny Pacquiao in March 2010.
Rumors of his prolonged hiatus from the squared-circle ranged from being content with his hefty purse from the ?Pacman? bout to not having the desire to train any longer.
For the first time since his loss to Pacquiao, Clottey spoke at length, breaking his silence of over 16 months, stating ?I just wasn?t ready to answer questions before.?
Clottey, who was schedule to return in March versus Calvin Green before pulling out with a wrist injury, maintains he simply was taking some time off, waiting for the right fight to come along.
?I can fight at any time,? Clottey exclaimed. ?My lawyer has been talking to Top Rank about me getting back in the ring, because you see I?m sick and tired of people calling me asking me, ?When are you going to fight, when are you not going to fight?? My fans worry about me, when I?m going to return to the ring? and I?m going to return to the ring.?
Top Rank Vice President of Operations Carl Moretti sees a November or December return for Clottey, where Top Rank will assess the fighter and make plans for his future.
?First he needs to get back in the ring, which will happen between now and the end of the year,? said Moretti. ?Then we?ll just evaluate from there what?s going to be available. He?s got an uphill battle right now.?
Clottey is ready for the challenge though, insisting that money isn?t an issue.
?I?m ready to return to the ring, now it?s up to the promoters because I?m waiting for them to give me a decent fight. I think [manager Vinny Scolpino] has to let me just do my thing. I?m not saying that I need all the money, but it needs to be fair. It?s not good that he?s going to call me and offer me low money, I?m not ready for that.?
The Bronx, N.Y. resident will be moving up to junior middleweight when his layoff finally comes to an end. He hopes to return to the ring in a tune-up bout before the end of the year, before possibly challenging the winner of the rematch between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, two fighters with whom he?s quite familiar.
?When I was at 147, I struggled a lot to make the weight,? said Clottey, a big welterweight who once unofficially weighed in at 170 on fight night. ?So sometimes the weight killed me before I got to the ring. Because of the warrior I am, I always do my best. This time, I?m moving up to 154 and it?s going to be a new story.
?If you look at me, I?m big from head to toe. My legs are so big. Even at 154, I still have to make weight, but I?m going to struggle myself like at 147.?
The one fight Clottey (35-4, 20 KOs) wants is a rematch of his controversial June ?09 clash with Cotto, a split decision loss which many observers felt should?ve went the other way.
?One tune-up fight, two tune-up fights for me, I will be there and fight the best,? Clottey said. ?I want a fight with Miguel Cotto because we have unfinished business. We need to fight again because our first fight they robbed me. I won the fight, they robbed me, so I need to get my revenge.?
