(Photo Courtesy: Richard Maynard/Frank Warren Promotions) By Scott Gilfoid: WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12 KO’s) and #2 WBO, Sergey Kovalev (21-0-1, 19 KO’s) made weight today for their big fight tomorrow night at the Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. Kovalev, 30, came in comfortably 2 pounds under the limit at 173 lbs., and he looked in superb shape.
However, Cleverly barely made the limit in coming in right at 174 lbs., and you have to wonder if he’s been struggling to take weight off. I mean, that’s cutting it close when you come right in just 1 pound under the limit.
This is going be one of the rare fights where Cleverly is facing an opponent that is roughly the same height as him, because Cleverly has faced a lot of shorter opponents during his career, and that’s given him the advantage of being able to pound away at them from a safe distance.
Cleverly’s not going to have that advantage on Saturday night against the 6’0” Kovalev, because he’s be able to trade with Cleverly no matter where he stands in the ring. If Cleverly wants to try and box Kovalev, he’s going to be eating jabs and long right hands from him. There will be no safe harbor for Cleverly.
Cleverly’s going to have to be willing to get into the trenches like he’s been talking about, and shown that he can actually fight that way rather than just talk. I don’t really buy any of what Cleverly has been saying about wanting to trade with Kovalev, and how he’s going to knock the Russian out. I see that as just subterfuge on Cleverly’s part to cover up what he’s really going to do in the ring.
I see Cleverly running, ducking for cover, and doing anything he can to avoid getting hit by Kovalev. And yeah, I see Cleverly taking a page out of Tony Bellew’s play book by looking to clinch all night long to avoid getting hit so often. I just hope the referee isn’t asleep at the wheel and lets Cleverly hold all night, because this could get ugly if Cleverly decides to drape himself on Kovalev for 12 rounds instead of fighting him.
If Cleverly doesn’t hold all night, I see him taking a royal beating and getting knocked out. It’s going to be scary seeing the punishment that Cleverly takes in this fight from the hard hitting Russian fighter, but I just hope the end comes quickly for Cleverly so that he doesn’t have to suffer needlessly.
If Kovalev puts Cleverly out of his misery quick, it’ll be better for him, because he’ll likely be able to continue his career without any problems. But if Cleverly takes a prolonged beating from Kovalev for 12 rounds, then I worry that it might take a lot out of him and leave him not the same afterwards. I’d hate to see that happen to the young chap.
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