By Scott Gilfoid: WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12 KO’s) says he plans on taking advantage of challenger Sergey Kovalev (21-0, 19 KO’s) to punish him with shots each time the Russian fighter loads up with one of his big power shots in their fight on August 17th at the Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
Cleverly thinks he can hit Kovalev with shots each time he looks to land a hard punch of his own.
Cleverly said “He’s a massive puncher, but when he loads up for these big punches he’ll leave me openings and then I’ll take this guy apart.”
I’m having a hard time picturing the light hitting Cleverly take any good fighter apart, especially a big puncher like Kovalev. If Kovalev fights terribly then I can see Cleverly winning a decision, but taking him apart? No, I can’t see that one at all. I just don’t know how Cleverly is going to be able to take Kovalev’s big shots for 12 rounds without getting knocked out.
Cleverly only has one way of beating Kovalev, and that’s by a decision, and possibly a controversial one given that the fight is taking place in Wales. That means that Cleverly is going to have to eat huge power shots from Kovalev for 12 rounds in order to get the win.
Cleverly isn’t going to be able to make Kovalev miss for 12 rounds. I haven’t seen Cleverly do that to anyone he’s faced. He always get nailed plenty, even when he tries to fight defensively. The problem is Cleverly has too much ego and he likes to slug. I suspect he’ll let his ego get away from him in this fight, and end up getting hammered by shot that will stun him.
Cleverly’s last opponent Robin Krasniqi buzzed Cleverly once or twice in the fight, and he’s not even a puncher. Now imagine what a slugger like Kovalev will do to Cleverly once he gets warmed up. Like I said, if Kovalev doesn’t knock Cleverly out, he’s going to nail him with huge power shots for 12 long rounds.
Cleverly is going to be a mess by the time this fight is over. If it goes to the cards, I don’t see how the judges not give the decision to Kovalev, because he’s going to be landing the harder shots, the cleaner landing shots, and the more meaningful shots.
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