By Scott Gilfoid: WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly’s management sure knows how to pick out his challengers, don’t they? Cleverly faces #11 WBO ranked contender Tommy Karpency (23-2-1, 14 KO’s) on Saturday night at the Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales.

What I really like about this choice of opponent for Cleverly is that Karpency hasn’t fought in over a year since beating Andre Hemphill (10-16-2, 5 KO’s) last February. Before that, Karpency beat Julius Jackson (3-8) by a 2nd round stoppage in June 2010. Karpency was beaten by Karo Murat by a 12 round unanimous decision in May 2010.

What gets me is Karpency gets beaten by Murat, a guy that Cleverly already beat, and then Karpency faces two guys with pathetic losing records, and he then sits out for an entire year and he then STILL gets a title shot against Cleverly. Is that rich or what? I can’t believe that kind of match-making. What was up with the World Boxing Organization? Were they asleep at the wheel when the Cleverly-Karpency fight got made?

Karpency wasn’t even ranked at all by the WBO until well after the fight with Cleverly was signed. Karpency had a ranking by one of the other sanctioning bodies but none by the WBO. Why was this guy picked? Was Karpency picked out because he had done thing for a year and had faced two losing record guys and lost to Murat? Was that the criteria for which Karpency was picked out over arguably more deserving contenders for Cleverly?

In Cleverly’s last fight, he took on #13 Tony Bellew. Okay, so Cleverly takes on a guy near the bottom of the rankings for his optional defense. But in his next defense, Cleverly is facing #11 WBO ranked Karpency. Why is Cleverly allowed to dip into the bottom of the division for a second time in a row? Isn’t he supposed to alternate taking top five guys and then whoever for his optional defenses?

Why is the WBO letting Cleverly face a guy ranked as low as Karpency and who hasn’t fought in over a year. I’m sorry but I’m disgusted by this choice of opponent and it’s so, so sad to have a champion picking from the bottom of the division instead of going after a top five guy.