Nathan Cleverly on the world scene

I think Cleverleys ready for Braehmer (or is he locked up) but he should stick with the WBO for a bit imo.still no rush. He showed a good chin tonight but Murat isnt a puncher. Murat was made for cleverley, one dimensional, shell defence for cleverley to whip the uppercuts straight up the middle.
One thing I thought tonight was , his dad was a glorified cheerleader. Almost got the impression Clev is the trainer. I know he won by doing his own thing but Dean Powell was talking sense in the corner and Clev just ignored him. If hes going to move onto world level he needs to listen to people in his corner

 

It's difficult though in fairness, who do you put Clev in with to learn the trade for example? Anybody domestically, except for Bellew maybe, is going to get overwhelmed and stopped. What's he supposed to do, play with them to work on defence? Might as well spar.

There might be a few knocking about in Europe but its not such an easy task when you've got somebody a little special to find people that help bridge that gap between this class and world class and to work on things.

 

I would like to see Glen Johnson in with Cleverly within 3 fights, will be a stiff test I think, he could outwork him, but Johnson will be there for the full 12 and give him a stiff test.

 

Very good point on the corner work. At one point Powell was urging him to fight at distance and keep it long range, and in the next sentence his dad told him to finish it. Special fighter Clev with the right trainer he could really go to the top

 

I stated similar on the General.

I'd like to see him in with Johnson before he faced Braehmar. Johnson is a solid gatekeeper type fighter.

Cloud had problems with him in his last fight.

 

The "old" way was to match them against ever better Yanks inbetween Euro defences. That used to sort the men from the boys....

 

Yep, Johnsons a great call.:good

 

Yeah maybe Chris Henry or someone. I still think you do most of it in the gym. You learn the technique there at least and practice it. I don't think you can turn up in the ring and just expect to morph into a good defensive fighter by fighting and fighting and fighting. If anything they just make the same old mistakes.

I don't think you'd be very popular telling people that fighters are moving too fast these days

 

The Cleverly team should go after WBA belt holder Shumenov. Its a fight that could be made quite easily and Frank should not have too much trouble getting him to come to the UK. Shumenovs last defence was on FNF and it wasn't a big crowd.

 

very true!!!

I don't think they are moving too fast though, just that they arn;t having enough fights of the right sort on the way up.

Check out Barry McGuigans record for how it used to be done. He fought Caba and Laporte inbetween Euro defences and then challenged Pedrozafor the title.

Or Lloyd Honeyghans with Americans Stafford and Shufford while he defending the Brit/ Euro title.

 

Shumenov is beatable, although he won his last fight wide on the cards, his opponent wasn't exactly active, Cleverly would.

He does look quite thin for 175, especially when you look at the like of Jean Pascal, but if Cleverly would simply stick to his boxing and stay out of the pocket then anything is possible.

 

I agree, but Cleverly isn't in the WBA top 15 yet so it's pretty unlikely I'd have thought.

 

Shumenov is very beatable for Cleverly. I wouldn't put him in with Glen Johnson just yet, especially if its not for a belt.

 

who would you put him in with, if it wasn't for a belt?