By Sean McDaniel: Unbeaten WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (23-0, 11 KO’s), perhaps sensing a wounded animal ready for the kill in former WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (28-2, 20 KO’s), now badly wants a fight against Froch in 2012. Froch was easily beat by WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward last weekend and Cleverly obviously would like to be the next guy to beat Froch.

Cleverly told Sky Sports News “It would be a great fight for both of us and for the British public. It’s inevitable that it would be an exciting fight because I know Carl likes to stand his ground and let his shots go…It would be a classic.

This would be an interesting fight for the British public to see, and as bad as Froch looked against Ward, you couldn’t rule out a win for Cleverly. He like likes to throw a lot of punches and could outwork Froch. The one thing going against a Cleverly victory is his lack of defensive skills. He’s very easy to hit and he wouldn’t be able to dodge Froch’s shots the way that Ward did last Saturday.

Cleverly went life and death with Froch sparring partner Tony Bellew last October and that wouldn’t be a good indication of Cleverly having much success against Froch.

Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn ruled out a fight against Cleverly, saying that he’s not the fight that they’re looking for right now. Hearn plans on matching Froch up against IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute twice in 2012 with one fight taking place in Bute’s adopted city of Canada and the other in Froch’s home in the UK. Those are obviously much bigger fights than a Froch-Cleverly bout.

Cleverly is rumored to be facing #9 ranked World Boxing Organization contender Andrzej Fonfara (20-2, 11 KO’s) on February 25th at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales, Fonfara can’t punch and isn’t much of a threat for Cleverly. It’s unclear how the WBO will allow this fight to take place, as Cleverly fought #13 ranked contender Bellew for his first title defense in his last fight in October and now is facing another lower ranked contender. It’s time for Cleverly has to defend against his mandatory challenger sooner or later and picking off lower contenders over and over again is a little off putting.