Claggett gears up for battle in Beantown
WBC Belt on the line As CAlgAry fighter fACes Irish AmeriCAn on St. PAtriCk’s DAy
Calgary’s Steve Claggett knows he’ll be fighting in front of a hostile crowd on Saturday night.
A main event against Danny O’Connor for the WBC Silver International junior welterweight title would be a tough assignment on the best of days.
Fighting O’Connor in his hometown of Boston on St. Patrick’s Day pretty much guarantees that Claggett will be showered with boos from the second he enters the ring at the House of Blues. He’s fighting an Irish American fighter in just about the most Irish American setting imaginable at an event where the Dropkick Murphys are playing a set before he steps into the ring.
It’s as Boston as you get. The Calgarian knows all of that, but doesn’t sound the least bit concerned about any of it.
“It’s not my first time being on this side,” Claggett said of his main event fight on Saturday’s Clash 3, which can be watched on the Super Channel in Canada.
“I’m not really concerned, to tell you the truth. I know they’re going to boo me and cheer for him and they’ll all be pretty rowdy because it’s St. Patrick’s Day, but as long as nobody, like, jumps me on the way to the ring, I should be good.
“You can say words and stuff, but they don’t really hurt my feelings. I cheer for my guys, too. That’s the name of the game. I think everyone will have respect for me when I show what I can do.”
Claggett’s been turning skeptics into believers for a couple of years now and has won high-profile boxing matches against Yves Ulysse Jr. and Emmanuel Robles in the last 19 months alone.
There are lots of boxers who build up impressive records by beating up on lesser opponents, but that’s certainly not the path Claggett has taken. He’s won North American Boxing Association titles and the Canadian welterweight championship, all while employing a relentless, high-pressure style.
O’Connor has the same sort of reputation, and Claggett certainly sounds like he’s making the trip to Boston knowing that neither guy is likely to leave the ring unscathed on Saturday night.
“We could have a war on our hands,” Claggett says. “I believe I’m the more technical fighter and I think my trainer has got me in a great spot and I’m looking forward to showing more aspects of my game.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to go out there and battle, and if he wants to stand in the middle of the ring, let’s do it. But I also have a couple of tricks up my sleeve.
“We’ll see what he brings, we’ll adapt on the fly and bring our game plan, and make him fight our fight.”
Claggett was only offered the fight with three weeks to prepare. O’Connor and the promotion is flying him out to Boston on Thursday, when he’ll be on the tail end of his weight cut.
It’s a bit of gamesmanship on the part of the hometown promoter, to be sure, but Claggett said that’s just what comes with the territory in professional boxing.
The only thing Claggett cares about is getting his hand raised at the end of the match and getting one step closer to the world title shot he’s been dreaming about since he was a kid.
He will, though, have one eye on the UFC’s card in London, England, where his close friend and fellow Calgarian Hakeem Dawodu will be making his debut in MMA’s most prominent promotion.
The way Claggett sees it, Saturday is a huge day for the fight community in Calgary.
“Hakeem and I are good friends and we’re at the exact same stages of our camps,” Claggett said.
“We’re going through the exact same stuff and we’re good friends, so it’s kind of nice to have your friend going through the same things at the same time.
“For the Calgary fight scene, this is a huge week. I think Hakeem and I are paving the way for our respective sports, and we’re coming home with two Ws this weekend.”
I’m still going to go out there and battle, and if he wants to stand in the middle of the ring, let’s do it. But I also have a couple of tricks up my sleeve.