Ghanaian Joshua Clottey Saturday beat American Zab Judah to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight title in Las Vegas,
US. The fight was stopped in the ninth round after Judah said he could not see due to a cut above his right eye, according to radio stations, which monitored the fight. The reports said referee Robert Byrd had ruled the cut was caused by an accidental clash of heads and so the fight went to the scorecards. All three judges scored the fight in favour of the African fighter — two judges making it 86-85 and the other 87-84. Clottey said he was “very hopeful” of meeting World Boxing Association (WBA) champion Antonio Margarito, who knocked out Miguel Cotto last week. In 2006, Clottey lost a close decision to Margarito in a fight he was winning until he broke a knuckle in his right hand in the fifth round. Clottey’s record is now 35-2, including 20 knockouts (KOs) while Judah is 36-6, 25 of which are by KOs.
