Bernard Hopkins vs Nathan Cleverly

Hopkins schools Clev. He has no footwork or power to trouble him at all. Period.

 

I would love Bernard to destroy Clev,but Clev would outscore him IMO,and if the fight doesn't happen,you'll know Bernard think the same.

It's a bad style for him.High output and good conditioning is exactly what he doesn't need at this stage.

But I want to be wrong.

 

Wazza reckons this fight will happen in summer ... thought he had another mandatory after krasniqi against Braehmer?

 

I'm pretty sure that high output and conditioning/youthfulness were Cloud's main attributes and he got nowhere Hopkins. It's all very well saying "just throw loads of shots" but if you try and do that and every time you do you miss and then get countered by a powerful sharp right hand, as we saw in the Cloud fight, then that work rate tends to drop off.

Cleverly isn't educated enough in the art of boxing to throw the right shots that will land, even Calzaghe hardly landed a glove on him for 12 rounds! Hopkins is the master at drawing people on to his shots and although he doesn't throw many the ones that he does generally land and generally speaking he makes count! I wouldn't have an awful lot of faith in Vince Cleverly to come up with a master plan to beat him personally. I can just hear the pre fight tactic talk now....

"Just bladdy steam into him boyo and let ya hands gooo"

Then when that doesn't work....

"Just bladdy hit him will you Nathan stop punching thin air"

 

If Tony Bellew can give Cleverly with a nightmare with his pure boxing skills then Hopkins would ruin him. Cleverly has the speed and work-rate but that means nothing if don't know how to use it. I doubt very much he could ever stop Hopkins and B-Hop is smart enough to work out how to negate Nathan's offence.

Hopkins would win the fight hands down in a neutral venue. If he ever cames to Wales then he'd likely get robbed.

 

Too sage, too lubricious, too American.

 

Unifications take precedence over mandatories. Frank promises a lot of things though and they don't happen. If I had to bet my last pound on whether this fight happens or not I'd bet on it not happening, Cleverly just doesn't bring enough to the table to interest Hopkins IMO.

 

I think I heard a quote from Richardson his trainer saying that he should "only fight champions" for his final fights so I think that's a pretty clear indication that Murat fight won't happen and he'll either vacate or unify. The Shumenov fight might be more popular for him as he is no more or less proven than Cleverly and he fights out of Vegas. He also seems pretty reluctant to face anyone that might beat him though like Cleverly so wouldn't be surprised if it didn't happen either really.

Who else does that leave Hopkins though? Ward at LHW? The winner of Froch/Kessler at LHW? Those fights are almost less likely than Clev/Shemenov.

 

A Question for the people picking Hopkins to win. Would you actually give Cleverly credit if he won or would it simply be he beat a shot old man?

 

I'd give Cleverly a fair amount of credit for a win over Hopkins as he's shown he's still at world level in his last performance against Cloud.

 

If Hopkins turns up like Glencoffe Johnson did against George groves, then Clev won't get any credit from me. If he came in fired up and gave Clev a good fight, then I would give credit to Nathan.

Thing is, Clev would't fight the Hopkins that beat Cloud. BHop isn't ripe enough for picking just yet...

 

Yes he is , Hopkins is probably after a unified 175lbs title to walk off into the sunset with and Nath has one of the trinkets , Cloud is **** and always was , ( getting beat up by a 48 year old is proves this ) Cleverly would fancy it IMO , trouble is I would only give him props for unifying two belts as I think looking past the sack shiners Hopkins is done .

 

I can't see how anyone can come to the conclusion that Cleverly would win this fight. There is literally nothing that he possesses which could trouble as tactically astute fighter as Hopkins. People picking Hopkins based solely on high workrate and youthfulness is the most annoying, simplistic argument on ESB at the moment.

Likewise with Froch if a thread was to be made on a fight between him or Hopkins. Or Bellew. I want all of these British fighters to do well and make the most of their careers but fighting Hopkins would be hinderance rather than a help to their lrgaciea.

 

Work rate could win this fight for Nath we all saw an ageing Joe Calzaghe beat him mainly by out gassing him and Cleverly is a whole heap fitter now than Calzaghe was then ( not to mention the five years of decline in Hopkins own fitness levels ) and how anyone cannot see how a fight with one of the current top five well known fighters on the planet couldnt enhance a young fragmented title holders repution win , lose or draw is beyond me also , basically Cleve is ****ed if he fights Hopkins and he's ****ed if he don't so if I were him I would have a go at unifying half of the titles and earning a career high pay whilst attempting it .

 

id give Cleverly credit because Hopkins looked good in his last fight, if it happens this year then he deserves credit but if Hopkins is inactive then they fight next year then not so much, i dont think Cleverly is good at all so it would be a big win for him regardless