by Daniel Ciminera: This is the year in which Nathan Cleverly is to finish his degree. For me this means one thing. Look out anyone standing in his way. The boy from South Wales is already well on his way to the top and that is while not having the time to concentrate fully on his boxing career because of his math degree.
The past couple of years have been good to “Clev”. He’s fought on the undercards of massive Calzaghe bouts, remained undefeated, gained the British and Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight titles, and has also honed his skills and developed some real knockout power along the way too. All while boxing part-time! I’ve been imagining what the next two years and beyond may have in store for him.
Clev has one more fight to go before he goes full time in boxing and it’s another step up. He will face Antonio Brancalion on the 27th of January for the vacant EBU Light-Heavyweight Title in Italy, which is never an easy prospect. Brancalion is a seasoned fighter who, despite being pretty handy and having a decent chin, has never really broken into the top flight. He was however stopped in the first round last time out against Braehmer, and doesn’t win by knockout too often.
This then, is a chance for Clev to go fight away from home, against someone experienced which is always an education, without having the danger of a top flight puncher at this stage in his career and gets a chance to prove his power by knocking out a guy who has only been knocked out once before, and that is exactly what he will do. He is still learning all the time, but I believe he has the speed, power, and class to easily win the European title. And all before he graduates.
If I was Cleverly, next on the agenda after graduation would be an August/September bout against Chris Henry, an American boxer who turned pro in 2005, a few months before Clev, and he’s had a handful more fights too. Henry has a better knockout percentage than Clev with 19ko’s from 24 wins but, he has fought, arguably, a lower calibre of fighter and has been beaten twice. I don’t believe Henry has been knocked down yet in his career either, so it would be a good test for Cleverly’s power, and also his stamina as it’s likely he’d have to go the distance. I’d put my money on Clev winning though.
That would then set Cleverly up for an end of 2010/start of 2011 bout with undefeated American and IBF Light-Heavyweight champion, Tavoris Cloud. Cloud appears to be the real deal, 20 fights, 20 wins, 18 of those by knockout. That’s 90%. Also, as I mentioned, 20 fights into his career he is a world champion. And he beat Clinton Woods to do so. Woods is no pushover. Cloud then, would be the ideal fight for Clev to fight a dangerous yet inexperienced opponent across the pond.
If Cleverly was able to beat both these young Americans he’d then be both well known and respected in America, and a world champion, ready to take on the more experienced crowd of Juergen Braehmer, Glen Johnson, Antonio Tarver, and Bernard Hopkins. Then after another phase of learning from the experience of some of the old hands before they hang up their gloves, he could fight against the likes of Jean Pascal who is an awkward boxer to fight, or Chad Dawson, who will likely be Cleverly’s main rival over the next 10 years.
In case you hadn’t noticed, I believe Nathan Cleverly will be one of the biggest names in boxing over at least the next decade. Yes, he has had everything his own way so far but, he has, don’t forget, only been boxing part time around his medical degree. Come summer this year when he is able to concentrate fully on his boxing, he will step up several levels and become one of the leading lights in a division I believe will be one of the most active, competitive, and exciting in the new era we are stepping into.
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