What Flag Does Steve Claggett Carry? Nationality, Ethnicity, and Residence

The James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida is set to stage a much-anticipated fight between WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez and Canadian boxing phenom Steve Claggett. The intensity is immense with many waiting to see the two fighters lock horns on June 29th. Lopez is the betting favorite, but there is a good chance that the Canadian boxer might turn the tables as well. 

Despite having a 16-year-long boxing career, Claggett is not as popular as 26-year-old Lopez. But defeating Lopez would definitely make him well-known globally. Even though the American fighter has a solid record, Claggett has a plethora of ring experience, which might work against Lopez. While Claggett is from Canada, his ethnicity has been a topic of discussion in the boxing fraternity. Let’s find out about his background and nationality. 

Which nation does Claggett represent?

The boxer is a resident of Calgary, which lies in the metropolitan area of Alberta in Canada. However, he is half Chinese and half Irish. The 35-year-old boxer holds Chinese culture in great regard and even has a dream to fight in Macau one day. Before entering the ring for a fight, the Calgarian boxer often reads ‘The Art of War’ by Sun Tzu in his dressing room to mentally prepare himself. But why does he revere China so much? 

Many years ago, Claggett’s maternal grandfather left China with his family and migrated to Canada to provide a better life for his family. Claggett learned about Chinese culture while growing up. Even his moniker ‘The Dragon’, stems from his Chinese background. 

The story about his moniker goes back to the time when Claggett had just turned pro. He was in Los Angeles with some of his friends. One of them mentioned that he should have a nickname. During the conversation, his friends came to know about his Chinese connection. One friend immediately prompted ‘The Dragon’, and the name stuck.

Where was Steve Clagget born? How did he start boxing?

Born in Canada, Claggett was a rebellious child, which is actually why his mother enrolled him in boxing lessons. From his first training day, he had a deep affinity for the sport. He then had a successful amateur boxing career. He first tied his first pair of boxing gloves when he was just 13. Within a very short amount of time, his name was being recognized as a boxer in Calgary. He cemented his status as an excellent boxer during his amateur days. ‘The Dragon’ was crowned as the Champion of Alberta for 4 consecutive years. He was also the recipient of the Golden Glove three times. 

However, by the time he was 18, he was still a troublesome young man. Though his parents didn’t ask him to move out, he decided to move with friends. Milan Lubovac had also extended an offer for Claggett to join KO Boxing’ earlier that year, but Claggett turned it down.  

Just a year after that, he turned pro and defeated Brandon Carlick in his debut fight on September 12, 2008, in Edmonton. He currently trains at the Teofista Boxing Gym in Calgary. He also trained in Floyd Mayweather’s gym and had said that it was incredible to practice in the boxing legend’s gym. Currently, the boxer is basking in the glory of a 9-fight winning streak. But a fight against a top-notch boxer like Lopez will be the biggest bout of Claggett’s career. Only time will tell how this plays out.