Joshua Clottey: I Am Sorry

10:56 PM // 0 comments // Ian Purugganan // Category: Pacquiao //

Former Manny Pacquiao foe Joshua Clottey has apologized to boxing fans for his sorry performance against the Filipino boxing superstar last March.

In an interview with Boxing Scene.com, Clottey admitted that in the March 13 fight, which he lost via a lopsided decision, the Filipino seemed to read his movements well and always beat him to the punch.

“Every time I would punch, he would hit me. He always seemed to know when I was going to hit and that makes it a lot harder… He knew what I was going to do,” said the Ghanaian boxer.

Clottey was considered one of the elite welterweights prior to the Pacquiao match.

Boxing aficionados scorned Clottey’s performance during “The Event” match against Pacquiao at the Cowboys stadium in Texas where the Ghanaian resorted to “turtle defense,” almost refusing to trade punches with the Filipino boxer.

Pacquiao, in contrast, threw more than 1,000 punches, earning the judges’ decision. He thus retained the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.

Although he admitted the “Fighter of the Decade” outpunched him, Clottey claimed he wasn’t hurt by Pacquiao’s relentless attack.

“I didn't feel like his punches really hurt me. I felt okay after. I didn't feel like I was going down. He just throws a lot of punches and from all over so he really gets you a lot,” said Clottey.

“I just want to tell my fans I am really really sorry with what happened in my last fight. I know they are disappointed… I really don't understand what happened to me in that fight. I just think it was one of those things,” he said.

This was the first time Clottey spoke about the fight after disappearing from the media spotlight following "The Event."

[Boxing News Source: ABS-CBN]