Kovalev shouldn't fight Cleverly in the UK, he should wait for B-Hop to vacate title

I think the cost of sending a production crew over to the U.K. for Cleverly is not very clever on their behalf. HBO has a limited budget for overseas bouts and they would be better served having Cleverly fight Kovalev in the U.S.. Their overseas budget would be better spent on Klitschko/Povetkin. Unless they are simply planning on doing a simulcast(sp).

From a marketing standpoint this fight is probably more about showcasing Kovalev than anything. The initial cost of doing a U.K. based fight will be more than offset by locking down one of the sports most dynamic "NEWish" fighters on the scene.

Guys like Golovkin and Kovalev are the immediate future of the sport and HBO is grabbing them both.

 

HBO is doing this mainly to get Hopkins, now a Showtime fighter, to be stripped.

They want someone to fight for that title on HBO, someone they can build.

Hopkins probably will vacate the title and fight Stevenson in Canada on Showtime. Thats a much bigger fight, and its for the lineal title.

HBO wants Stevenson to fight Cloud, but no one really wants to see that.

 

Why shouldn't he go there? It won't go the distance, no worries.

As for Cleverly never being the same, that isn't such a distressing proposition for me. I don't particularly enjoy him as he is and wouldn't be too sorrowful if Kovalev ended his world level dabbling.

 

You are insane if you think there going to show Wlad Povetkin on HBO. No one wants to see that **** here in the USA. From what I've heard there done with Wlad after he fought Haye scared as hell and put fans asleep. HBO has lost enough money on Wlad. Povetkin is a step up for WLad but no one here knows who either of them are.

 

Damn Kovalev wins one good fight and now he can beat everyone?? Oh yeah he is a white Euro. I forgot a lot of people on this forum also is a member of castefootball

 

The fight probably won't happen, but if it does, its on hbo guaranteed.

 

1)I might be in the minority but I'd love to see Wlad/Povetkin on HBO.

2) You probably have a good point about noone knowing who in the hell Povetkin is in the states.

 

a better move would be to fight B-Hop for the IBF scrap, or should he vacate, for the IBF vacancy and then make a unification fight with Clev in the US

 

Kovalev should fight Cleverly. He's a ranked LHW with a title and nobody else is going to want to fight Kovalev... I'm actually stunned Cleverly does.

Once Kovalev gets a "title" and fights on HBO, he becomes a whole lot more marketable for guys to fight him while weighing the risk/reward.

I think Kovalev destroys Cleverly or Hopkins, just to throw that out there. I believe in this guy; he's a machine.

 

So, you're basically saying the fight can go either way? Cool, sounds competitive.

Cleverly is criticized for fighting a bunch of no hopers in Wales, then signs to fight a guy with nuclear fists and someone takes issue with it. ROFL, Clev earns my respect in a big way with this move.

Also I think you're selling Kovalev short, trying to suggest he's made from the same stock as Hope victim Proksa and a thoroughly forgettable Dzinziruk, from what I've seen he's superior in all departments and has a good shot at getting the win here.

 

Just outta curiosity what happens to Kovalev if he goes for Clev. I mean yeah, if Bhop declines he gets stripped, but what can the IBF do to Kovalev?

Take away his mando status?

On the one hand Bhops clearly the bigger fight and keeps him sweet with the IBF, and, I think quite winnable, but on the other it's not a good time for Kovalev to be pissing off HBO by turning down Clev (if that is what they're pushing for).

It definately feels like there's some politics going on here, but I can't quite get to the bottom of it.

Also I really struggle with the idea that F-W lets this get made. Cleverly has carved out a nice little niche with home fights against low to mid-level guys who can't bang. Suddenly he goes after one of the top bangers in the division, and who's as fast and hard a worker as he is? Don't make sense to me.

Clearly the execs can scent the $s on Kovalev, but I guess we'll just have to see how it plays out.

For Kovalev the ideal would probably be Clev in Wales then the mando which would then be a bigger fight, but the IBF have scuppered it by putting in a no interim clause. Why? Do they want Kovalev to drop his mando? I just don't quite get it. Any ideas?

edit. Also I wouldda though HBO would prefer Clev after Bhop, cos if Kovalev takes Bhop the Clev fight will suddenly become a whole lot bigger. Cleverly first might mean SHO getting the benefit of Kovs increased status (assuming he beats Clev of course).

Perhaps IBF have got wind that HBO are trying to make a multifight deal with Kov and are trying to tempt him outta it? - just don't wanna lose 'the next big thing' to the WBO and a series of mandatories beyond their control? IDK:?

 

Can't see any problems for Kova against Clev in the UK.
If Clev somehow makes it to the final bell (I can't even see that), he will be busted up in a manner that he wouldn't get the nod, even with Dave Parris as one of the judges.
It's not like it's the US or Germany, UK robberies are usually a bit more subtle.

 

FFS McJoe, always whinging & complaining about the terrible injustices that befall fighters of a certain colour.

Cleverly-Kovalev is a great fight & one that I'll be attending if its made, stop crying.