Pat Clinton

Pat Clinton first represented Scotland as a 17 year old in 1981. In 1983 he was a finalist in the ABA championships but then later in the year he would win the flyweight division of the Commonwealth Boxing Federation championships. Chosen for the Los Angeles Games after retaining his ABA title, Clinton was knocked out in the last 16 by the eventual silver medallist Redžep Redžepovski. After winning a third national amateur championships in 1985 he elected to turn professional. Clinton won his first thirteen fights and claimed the Scottish and British flyweight titles in the process, but was then defeated in a bout for the European title by Eyüp Can. A second attempt at the European title was more successful as he surprisingly outpointed Italy’s Salvatore Fanni in the latter’s hometown of Cagliari. Clinton became WBO world flyweight champion in 1992 but, after making one defence, lost the crown to the diminutive South African “Baby Jake” Matlala. He retired after a disastrous 1994 comeback ended in a first round knockout defeat. Clinton suffered a number of perforated eardrums during his career and suffered from hearing loss that required use of a hearing aid. He returned to his pre-boxing trade as a joiner before going on to work as a salesman for British Gas.