By Sean McDaniel: If promoter Frank Warren were to pick out a perfect opponent for his fighter WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (24-0, 11 KO’s) for him to fight this summer in Wales, it would be WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins. This would be the big name that Cleverly would need for him to at least get his face on the map in the U.S.

Warren told Sky Sports News “For me, the best fight for Nathan would be Hopkins. I have a feeling Dawson my upset the odds when they face each other…but I prefer Hopkins. He is a big name…If we brought him over…at Cardiff City Stadium or the Millennium Stadium, it would…maybe [bring] 50,000 people in there.”

It sounds like a great idea, but I really don’t think Hopkins will beat Dawson, not the way that Hopkins was looking when he fought Dawson last October. Dawson looked too big and too powerful and much too young for Hopkins. I know the fight ended with Hopkins falling down and hurting himself after missing a punch in 2nd, but it didn’t look at all good for him.

I think Hopkins would have lost that fight by a wide margin had it continued, and the only way I can see Hopkins beating Dawson in their rematch on April 28th, is if Hopkins comes up with some kind of injury early enough in the fight so that it can be ruled a no contest again. I hate to say it but I see that happening, I really do. I think Hopkins will start losing and will hit the deck with an injury, causing the fight to he halted. He’ll hold onto his title for the second time and then move on to the Cleverly fight in the summer.

It’s not the best of circumstances but that’s the only way I can see Hopkins getting to a Cleverly fight, unless Warren is cool with the idea of fighting a beaten Hopkins. I doubt he’d want to match a beaten up Hopkins against Cleverly, though. But as far as a fight between Hopkins and Cleverly drawing 50,000 fans, I don’t see that happening. Cleverly has a few fans in the UK, but I doubt he’s that popular, and I don’t see Hopkins as still having the popularity needed to bring in big numbers.

I think Dawson would easily beat the Cleverly that I saw beat fringe contender Tommy Karpency last Saturday. Dawson just looks like a much better fighter than Cleverly, and I guess I’m not surprised that Warren is looking at Hopkins for the guy for Cleverly, because Dawson would probably easily outbox Cleverly to the point where he looks almost amateurish and feeble.