- Clinton Woods
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Clinton Woods 
Statistics Real name Clinton Woods Nickname(s) Super Clinton, Clint Rated at Light-Heavyweight Height 6 ft. 2 in. (187 cm.) Nationality 
BritishBorn 1 May 1972
Sheffield, EnglandStance Orthodox Boxing record Total fights 48 Wins 42 Wins by KO 24 Losses 5 Draws 1 Clinton Woods (born 1 May 1972), is a boxer from Sheffield, England. Growing up in tough surroundings, he was involved in a life of drugs and crime before taking up boxing as an escape.[1] He trains on the Gleadless Valley estate and is managed by Dennis Hobson. He is a former IBF light heavyweight world champion. He has also fought for the WBC light heavyweight title and has held the British, Commonwealth and European titles.
Contents
Early professional career
Woods started his pro career with a points win over Dave Proctor in his home town of Sheffield. After compiling a record of 13-0 he stepped in with Craig Joseph and beat him over 10 rounds to win the Central Area super middleweight title. After a series of victories Woods, with a record of 18-0, fought for the vacant Commonwealth belt against Mark Baker, who had a record of 20-1. Woods won the fight and claimed the belt with a 12 round points decision.[2]
Defeat and refocus
In his next fight the unbeaten Woods found himself opposite former British champion David Starie. The fight ended in a first defeat for Woods.
Woods bounced back from the Starie defeat by moving up a weight division to light heavyweight and winning his next two fights before landing a shot at fellow Yorkshireman and current holder of the British, Commonwealth and European light-heavyweight titles Crawford Ashley. Woods knocked out Ashley in the eighth round and captured the three belts.
He ended up defending his Commonwealth and European titles twice each and adding the WBC International light-heavyweight title to his résumé. The latter victory being for a WBC strap set himself up for an eliminator for the full WBC light heavyweight title. The fight took place in Sheffield, in September 2001. Woods beat the experienced Italian-Ugandan Yawe Davis in a unanimous decision to land himself a shot at a world title.
World title fights
Clinton travelled to the United States for his big chance in September 2002. He stepped into the ring at the Rose Garden in Oregon and stood opposite the current champion, Roy Jones Jnr. The titles of the World Boxing Council, the IBF, WBA and IBO were on the line. Woods lost after being stopped in the sixth round and later said that he wasn't really ready for a fight of that magnitude.[3]
Woods rebuilt from the defeat by Jones with three straight wins and then found himself in the ring with Glen Johnson. His second world title attempt was for the IBF version and took place in November 2003 at Sheffield's Hillsborough Leisure Centre and the fight ended in a draw. Three months later in February 2004 the two met once again in Sheffield this time at the Ponds Forge Centre, the result this time going Johnson's way after 12 rounds.[4]
IBF World champion
Woods found himself in an IBF title eliminator in his next fight. Eight months after his defeat to Johnson, Woods took on the Australian Jason DeLisle at the Octagon Centre in Sheffield. He won the fight despite being put down in the first round and set himself up for world title fight number 4. The title was vacant again and this time Woods found himself in the ring with undefeated American Rico Hoye. The fight took place in Rotherham and ended with Woods winning when the referee stopped the fight in the 5th round.
Following the Hoye win, Woods defeated mandatory challenge Julio Cesar Gonzalez in his next fight and then took on Jason Delisle once more in a voluntary defence. His next bout was to be against Glen Johnson again. Now 34 years old, Woods faced Johnson for the third time in September 2006. In the ninth round Woods sustained heavy punishment to the head at the hands of the Jamaican, but the Sheffield boxer fought back to win the subsequent rounds. The American judge, Richard Bays scored the fight 115-112 in favour of Woods, Mickey Vann scored the contest 115-113 in favour of Johnson and Roberto Ramirez 116-112 scored in favour of Woods. It was a split decision but Woods had defeated the man who had beaten him in 2004.[5]
Defeat and comeback
Woods defended his title once more against mandatory challenger Julio Cesar Gonzalez before, in April 2008, heading back out to the USA to meet American Antonio Tarver. Woods gave a lacklustre display as Tarver out boxed the Sheffield man on the way to a comfortable points victory. Following the defeat, a dejected Woods hinted that he may quit the sport.[6] A change of trainer followed the defeat with Woods replacing Richard Poxon for Glyn Rhodes.[7] The change seemed to have reaped dividends when on 14 February 2009 Woods travelled to the Channel Island of Jersey to defeat Kosovan fighter Elvir Muriqi in an eliminating fight for his old IBF World title.[8] On 29 August 2009 Woods once more fought on the World stage when he again travelled to Florida to contest a world title. Woods went on to drop a 12 round decision to local man Tavoris Cloud, a man who had won all of his previous 19 contests. When asked about retirement after the defeat, Woods said "To be honest, the thought of that upsets me more than losing the world title, retiring from the sport I love".[9] Woods announced his retirement from boxing on 8 September 2009.[10][11]
References
- ^ The Sun | Woods: My Mum saved my life
- ^ Boxrec | Clinton Woods professional record
- ^ BBC Sport | Q&A with Clinton Woods
- ^ Britishboxing.nt | Woods record
- ^ BBC Sport | Woods hits back to stun Johnson
- ^ BBC Sport | Woods may quit after Tarver loss
- ^ BBC Sport | Rejuvenated Woods changes trainer
- ^ BBC Sport | Woods beats Muriqi in eliminator
- ^ BBC Sport | Cloud win foils Woods title hopes
- ^ BoxingNews365 > Clinton Woods Retires
- ^ Sheffield Star | It's all over as Clinton quits boxing
External links
Preceded by
Glen Johnson
StrippedIBF Light Heavyweight Champion
March 4, 2005 – April 12, 2008Succeeded by
Antonio TarverCategories:- 1972 births
- English boxers
- International Boxing Federation Champions
- Light-heavyweight boxers
- Living people
- People from Sheffield
- Sport in Sheffield
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