Ghana?s Joshua Clottey is scheduled to appear in the ring once again in his quest to throw a sit-up challenge to renowned boxers in the light middleweight division such as Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad, Fernando Vargas and Winky Wright.
Joshua Clottey, a.k.a. Satan is expected to redeem the image of boxing in Ghana when he comes up against an American, Sharmba Mitchell on June 11, 2005 at the MCI Center, Washington DC, USA. The fight will serve as an undercard to the much publicized Mike Tyson-Kevin McBride bout on the night, and already there are clear indications that the showdown will attract one of the heaviest crowd in recent times in the D,C, Metro.
Sharmba, who is rated 3rd in the lightweight division has had stints with Australian Kostya Tzyu whom he lost to on two occasions, with his last fight ending in a surprise round three TKO in favour of the deadly Australian and made mince meat of Ghana?s Ben Wonder Tackie in May,2003. His fight record stands at a total of 59 fights, with 55 wins and 30 knockouts, having lost 4 without a draw.
The 34-year old American, who is a southpaw has honoured almost all of his fights in his home country, USA with the exception of two other fights in England and France, and before an expected home support in his native Washington DC, Sharmba, also known as Little Big Man, has sworn to give Joshua Clottey a good run for his money, and has already predicted a knockout, saying the fight will not travel the distance.
Clottey, 28 , and currently the NABC welterweight champion, on the other hand is ranked 93rd in the light middleweight, and boasts of a total of 26 fights in his boxing career, with 18 knockouts and losing 1 without a draw. However, even though his last four fights took place in the USA, that did not deter him at all as he went ahead to record some impressive wins against all his opponents, who are all Americans.
Meanwhile, Joshua Clottey, who lives at Sheradon Avenue in Bronx with his elder brother Emmanuel, and Daniel Annan, a friend of theirs, has called on all Ghanaians living in and around New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Maryland, Baltimore, Virginia and Washington DC to rally behind him for a resounding victory, and urged those at home in Ghana to remember him in prayers.