http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sports...thing-crossed-for-hopkins-win-91466-30805428/ And again atsch Hopkins better not lose for Cleverly's sake
Though in fairness this is exactly what he'd do even if Hopkins did beat Dawson. A Hopkins loss means he'll just have to choose another guy in the top 5 who he'll be perpetually taking on in a big fight "at some point in the future."
This will be a Hopkins that just beat Dawson and proved to be the best in the division. Yes, one day the inevitable will happen and Hopkins will get old but to say Cleverly is ducking by fighting the best in his division is absurd. And saying he has nothing to lose is wrong; 1. Remaining undefeated is a massive selling point for any fighter, 2. he will be losing to an older version of someone who got beaten by the fellow countryman he is often compared to, 3. He will have lost to a man near his 50's. And if he wins it will be seen as age finally catching up with Hopkins.
I wish he'd just **** off regardless of the Hopkins fight. I appreciate British world champions are entitled to "money" defences but you need to temper that with competitive,legacy building match ups. The way Buncey defends this disgraceful paper reign on Boxnation is quite sad to watch.
I got nothing against Clevs really. . . But I agree, he needs to step it up already. . . Easiest route to a title, yeah ok, it happens. . One "gimme" defense? Yeah, sure. . . Two? ehhh, I guess. . . After that you either need to be unifying, or making, as you labeled it, a "legacy building, competitive" defense/matchup. I really do think that this fight (Hopkins/Cleverly) will take place late this summer/early fall if Hopkins wins, or loses. . . Hopefully Hopkins will give him a little lesson.
I know it's not exactly a "blue chip" division but Cleverly has been a joke.He got very lucky when Bellew made their fight so entertaining,but the reality is that Bellew is a nobody in the grand scheme of things.Cleverly makes Chris John look like Carl Froch. And again,Boxnation are cringeworthy when it comes to Cleverly.
A-yessir! 175 is gradually becoming a solid division. . . Pascal, Cloud, Dawson (LOL, who I never see him fighting), Sillahk, Shumenov, Campillo. . . And now Kessler is there as well. Then you got Chilemba. . And even guys like Zsolt Erdei and Diaconu would be A LOT more acceptable.