From ESB front page: "Newly crowned EBU lightheavy champ Nathan Cleverly has former WBO lightheavy and WBC cruiser champ Zsolt Erdei as mandatory challenger. Deadline for agreement is May 13." Of course this may well not happen, as Erdei will likely try and pick up his old WBO title that is soon to be vacant. But if it does, who takes this?
That would be a hell of a step up for Cleverly...I wasn't aware Erdei could still make 175 though? If they have till May....that means the fight wouldn't come off until maybe August. I see Cleverly defending the Euro title in May or June, then vacating and going for a title in August or September, so I don't think this fight will come off. If it did, I'd be pulling for Cleverly and I think he'd take it.
Erdie should make 175lbs no problem. He won't fight Cleverley for the Euro belt, no money in it. But, Hopkins is WBO 1 and Cleverley 2. The WBO could put Erdei into 1, then another contender above Hopkins and Clev for the vacant title. The only solution for Erdei would be WBO or WBA or interim WBC. He would win WBA, but the fast track is replacing the guy who's going to jail. Now the big question. Will Erdei versus Clev for the vacant title (we know it's linear and Erdei has not lost) be a better earner for Clev than Erdei as champ and Clev on 25%? Who is going to be positioned into the WBO 175lbs title?
this is a massive challenge for Cleverly and one that he won't take anytime soon and he shouldn't. He is also ranked number 1 by the IBF. He needs to get his studies out of the way first, then secondly ditch his father as his trainer and get working on his defence. He shipped far too many punches in his last fight.
the interim WBC is still held by Dawson, and will remain so until a date is set for him to fight Pascal.
I doubt whether he would ditch Vince and the Bargoed gym anytime soon, but it's interesting to see what a trainer like Manny Steward could do for him. The guys big, strong, tall and has wide shoulders, he also won't be strained at the weight. Could Steward make him into a Hearns type puncher?
his power has most certainly improved, that is 6 stoppages on the spin now, and at the start of the week Cleverly stated that his power improved after he left the Calzaghe camp. He is meeting the weight easily at the minute, but as he gets older then he is going to fill out and a move to Cruiserweight could end up being forced upon him. He is one of my favourites at the minute, but I'm worried he is maybe being pushed too far too soon. He certainly isn't ready for Cloud at the minute. Perhaps a Khan move would be the making of him i.e. move to the US
If Erdei can fix his endurance issue, he is hard to beat until age really sets in. If his endurance problem, which last time was attributed to him having had the flu before the fight, remains as obvious as in that fight with Fragomeni, he is a KO waiting to happen.
Most people is gassing badly after significant jump in weight which proves nothing after they come back to their regular weight.
Since Erdei came to weigh-in for the Fragomeni fight at 178 lbs only when he could have come 20 lbs heavier, I can't imagine why he should have any problems with making 175 lbs again... I think he could even make 168 lbs without draining himself significantly... He's not that big guy even for LHW, I was VERY surprised he was able to weather the storm in the Fragomeni fight, the guy looked like he would eat Erdei for breakfast...
Nonsense. Erdei was 3lbs over the 175 limit. I watched the fight against Fragomeni, he tired after the 8th, and Fragomeni only needed one more round to earn a draw
He was almost 179 lb and his usual weight is 173 in average, since he is rather short guy even for the LHW 6lb over his career average weight may have significant impact on his conditioning.
he has fought at Crusier before and normally averages anything between 172-174 at LHW. either way his stamina is a problem, something that Cleverly doesn't have an issue with.
His stamina is known problem but the thing he was gassing fighting Fragomeni at the weight he never been before may have small impact on his potential fight with Cleverly. He beat Fragomeni and he should be even more comfortable in beating Cleverly even if he have no stamina issues.