By Sean McDaniel: IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18 KO’s) wants a fight with #4 ranked WBO light heavyweight contender Nathan Cleverly (20-0, 10 KO’s) according to boxing news from frankwarren.tv. First, however, the 28-year-old Cloud has a title defense coming up on December 17th against Fulgencio Zuniga at the America Airlines Arena, in Miami, Florida.

Cleverly, 23, is also busy with a fight on December 11th against light heavyweight contender Alejandro Lakatos.

Cloud says “After I take Zuniga out, I’m looking for any of those guys, wherever. Pascal, Dawson. Shumenov? We will knock him out in [his home country of] Kazakhstan or wherever he want to meet at. Cleverly, Brahmer. Tell them all to put the money up. I’ll come to their hometown and knock them out.”

Although I would love to see Cleverly step it up and challenge Cloud for his IBF title, I seriously doubt that he’ll steered against Cloud. My guess is Cleverly, a weak puncher and still very young at 23, will be aimed at WBO light heavyweight champion Jurgen Braham instead, because he seems to be the weakest of the light heavyweight champions.

I don’t think Cleverly can hang with WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal or WBA title holder Beibut Shumenov, both of whom can punch and have good boxing skills. Cleverly recently defeated Karo Murat by a 10th round TKO in September, but Cleverly showed zero defense in that fight and looked poor at times. Right now, I think Cloud would be way too good for Cleverly, and would likely annihilate him with his high work rate.