Although the Light Heavyweight division has lacked exciting fights in recent years one man seems to have come under a lot more criticism than perhaps he should have.
Welshman Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12), the current WBO Light Heavyweight champion, seems to have been under-attack from every direction. British fans have tired of Frank Warren talking a good game about Cleverly whilst completely failing to deliver, international fans have grown bored of Warren talking about Cleverly fighting top international fighters and even top fighters seem to have gotten sick of their names just being linked to Cleverly.
Thankfully fans, who have been calling for Cleverly to fight a real challenger, have finally gotten their own way as he takes on unbeaten Russian puncher Sergey Kovalev (21-0-1, 19). A challenger who seems to be wake of destruction behind him fight after fight after fight.
Although Cleverly has never looked in any danger of being stopped in his 26 contests so far his chin is still a bit of a question to me. Many around the sport will tell you he's been thoroughly chin checked though in all honesty the biggest puncher he has faced to date has been Tony Bellew, a fighter who's power is genuinely unproven, especially at the world level.
The only world level facets Cleverly has proven to have is a world level work rate. The guy, when he's in a rhythm simply doesn't stop throwing. In all honesty his engine is probably the best seen in and around the Light Heavyweight division since former training mate Joe Calzaghe, though unlike Calzaghe he's not got the proven skills to combine with his engine. That's not to say Cleverly is unskilled, just not as highly skilled as Calzaghe.
Having been a world champion for over 2 years Cleverly's opponents have been poor, there is no way of defending that, though the division of course hasn't been awash with talent, like, for example the current Flyweight division, it hasn't been as bad as Cleverly has been making it look. Unfortunately he's missed on defining wins over the likes of Gabriel Campillo to instead fight the likes of, uh, Shawn Hawk.
On man who did score a defining, and highly impressive victory over Campillo was Kovalev who earlier this year dismantled the talented Spanish fighter in 3, one sided rounds in a performance that really put him on the boxing map.
With the HBO hype machine well behind Kovalev his raise through the ranks has been quick. Just 2 years ago he was a relative unknown fighting Grover Young, now however he's one of the most highly rated Light Heavyweights on the planet. In fact, some people already rank Kovalev as a better fighter than Cleverly despite Cleverly's status as a world champion.
The rise from prospect to highly ranked contender took Kovalev just 18 rounds as he defeated Roman Simakov, Darnell Boone, Lionell Thompson, Campillo and most recently Cornelius White, all 5 victories coming by T/KO.
Kovalev, like both Lucas Matthysse and Gennady Golovkin has not fight changing power but fighter changing power. The power in the fists of Kovalev isn't just concussive, but is confidence destroying. He lands and a fighter who thought he could win when the first bell went suddenly realises they are in with no chance. A typically skilled boxer feels their legs turn to jelly, a brawler becomes a runner and a hunter becomes the hunter.
With Cleverly often showing a propensity to brawl he's in for trouble. He lacks the power needed to keep a world class fighter honest and Kovalev is a world class fighter with elite class power. The supposedly tough chin of Cleverly isn't just going to be checked here, but is likely going to be destroyed. The first few rounds might not see it happen but sooner or later Cleverly is going to be in a world of trouble that he simply cannot escape from.
Prediction-Kovalev TKO7
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