Hopkins-Cloud, Thurman possible for HBO on 3/9 in Brooklyn

By Boxing News - 12/18/2012 - Comments

By Dan Ambrose: If the International Boxing Federation (IBF) sanction the March 9th fight between IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) and 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s), it could wind up on HBO, according to RingTV.com.

The fight will be taking place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Keith Thurman (19-0, 18 KO’s) will be on the undercard fighting against an opponent still to be determined.

Cloud-Hopkins figures to be a good fight because Cloud is a brawler and he’s lucked vulnerable in fights against Yusaf Mack, Clinton Woods, Glen Johnson, Fulgencio Zuniga, Gabriel Campillo and Julio Cesar Gonzalez. Cloud is a good fighter, who likes to throw a lot of punches, but he’s easy to hit and he can be hurt.

Hopkins is also vulnerable at this point in his career now that he’s aged to where he’s no longer dominating guys like he once was. Hopkins hasn’t won a fight since beating Jean Pascal last year in May. Hopkins had two fights with Chad Dawson after that bout, with the first one ending with Hopkins injuring his shoulder in the 2nd round, and in the second fight Hopkins didn’t throw enough punches to win.

Cloud will be looking to take the fight to Hopkins and outwork him in a way that Dawson couldn’t. I think this could be a really hard fight for Hopkins because he can’t throw a lot of punches like he used to and the only way he’s going to win this fight is if he takes it to the inside against Cloud and beats him by a grueling decision.

Thurman, 24, has been looking really impressive in destroying Carlos Quintana and Orlando Lora. This guy could be the real deal at 154, but it’s still hard to imagine him being able to beat the likes of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Erislany Lara, Vanes Martirosyan, Austin Trout and Cornelius Bundrage. Those fighters are more sophisticated than Thurman and have a lot of other ways to beat you rather than just slugging.



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