By Scott Gilfoid: We know that WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly’s promoter is interested in matching him against 47-year-old Bernard Hopkins in the summer in Wales for a big arena fight. However, the odds are against that fight happening I hate to say. Hopkins will be battling the two-time WBC light heavyweight Chad Dawson on April 28th, and I wouldn’t bet on Hopkins winning that fight even if he uses his old punch and grab technique. That old trick won’t work for a skilled fighter like Dawson.

It might work on lesser fighters that are slower and can’t move their feet to escape Hopkins’ grabbing each time he punches. I’m also certain that Dawson will win the Hopkins rematch fairly easy. Of course, Hopkins will try and slow it down to a crawl with his tricks and will probably try and do some rough stuff on the inside, but it won’t be enough.

So will Cleverly and his promoter go for the idea of facing a young able-bodied fighter like 29-year-old Dawson rather than 47-year-old Hopkins? I have a funny feeling that there won’t be any welcome wagons waiting for Dawson from Cleverly and Co. if he makes it look easy beating the aging Hopkins. They want the name guy, the old guy, and Dawson isn’t either of those things. He’s not popular like Hopkins and he sure as heck isn’t old. What Dawson’s capable of doing to a limited light hitting volume puncher like Cleverly is make him look like a domestic level fighter by boxing circles around him and beating him with ease. But I honestly don’t see Dawson getting the chance at Cleverly. I think they want the 47-year-old because he’s showing serious signs of wear and tear on his near 50-year-old body, whereas Dawson isn’t. So what do you think they’ll do? My guess is ignore Dawson like the plague after he beats Hopkins and go pick out someone like Tony Bellew or Danny McIntosh to fight instead. In other words, a recognizable British fighter but one that probably doesn’t quite have enough to unseat Cleverly just yet.