By Scott Gilfoid: Steve Bunce is reporting that a fight between WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (25-0, 12 KO’s) and soon to be 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s) is in the works for March 9th next year at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. This will be the big fight that Cleverly has been talking about wanting for eons, but I don’t think he’s going to like the result.

Cleverly didn’t show that he’s in Hopkins’ league last night in defeating Shawn Hawk (23-3-1, 17 KO’s) by an 8th round TKO at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California, USA. If anything, the performance from Cleverly showed that he’s nowhere near Hopkins’ league even though Hopkins about to turn 48. That’s incredibly old for a fighter in the sport of boxing. However, Hopkins is so much better skilled than Cleverly that’s not even funny.

He’s not just better skilled. Hopkins is a better athlete and his fighting style is so far beyond the things that Cleverly is doing in the ring that Hopkins can beat Cleverly even at 60 capacity. It’s like having a 20-year-old Ferrari that’s still can blow away the newer but far less expensive modern cars. Hopkins is just so far beyond Cleverly that it doesn’t matter that Hopkins is nearing 50. He’ll whip Cleverly like no tomorrow and badly expose him.

Right now Hopkins is probably licking his chops after watching Cleverly fight Hawk tonight. Hopkins is probably already counting the Cleverly fight as a win on his resume and I can understand that. Cleverly doesn’t have anything to beat a talent like Hopkins with.

Hopkins hasn’t fought since losing by a 12 round majority decision to the best fighter in the light heavyweight division Chad Dawson last April. Hopkins fought well but Dawson was able to outbox him to get a narrow.

I wonder why Cleverly isn’t trying to call out Dawson? He’s got Hopkins’ World Boxing Council belt and he is considered to be the best fighter at 175. I wonder why he wants Hopkins and not Dawson? Is it that Cleverly is hoping Hopkins is old enough to beat at this point? Is that it?