By Shaun Campbell: So Nathan Cleverly is back on Sky Box Office after his last thrilling encounter with Karo Murat, which was thought to be the best fight of the night on The Magnificent 7 bill back in September. After stopping the tough German, Cleverly is now targeting a shot at WBO world champion Juergen Braehmer sometime next year. The talented youngster first has to come through the “WBO European light-heavyweight champion” (whatever that is worth) Alejandro Lakatos. The Spaniard has won 31 fights, and lost 5. But the wins on his record do not really fill anyone with confidence that he will have enough to beat Cleverly.
Nathan Cleverly
Will Nathan Cleverly become the new interim WBO light heavyweight Champion?
By Gari Jones: On the 11th December 2010 Nathan Cleverly (W20 (KO10) L0, D0) will face off against the more experienced Romanian Alejandro Lakatos (W31-KO23-L5 (2KO)-D2) for the interim World Boxing Organization (WBO) light heavyweight title.
Cleverly is open to fighting Cloud
By Scott Gilfoid: Unbeaten light heavyweight contender Nathan Cleverly (20-0, 10 KO’s) is open to fighting International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18 KO’s). Cleverly, 23, seems to have become a little cocky after beating light heavyweight contender Karo Murat by a 10th round stoppage in September.
Cloud wants fight with Cleverly
By Sean McDaniel: IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18 KO’s) wants a fight with #4 ranked WBO light heavyweight contender Nathan Cleverly (20-0, 10 KO’s) according to boxing news from frankwarren.tv. First, however, the 28-year-old Cloud has a title defense coming up on December 17th against Fulgencio Zuniga at the America Airlines Arena, in Miami, Florida.
DeGale-Smith, Macklin-Varon, Cleverly-Lakatos, Brook, Bellew and Gavin on 12/11 card
By William Mackay: The December 11th fight card with Nathan Cleverly, Matthew Macklin, James DeGale, Paul Smith, Kell Brook, Frankie Gavin and Tony Ballew looked good to me at first but I’m not really impressed with the fights that I’m seeing the card thus far. Of the fights that have been confirmed for the card – Paul Smith vs. James DeGale, Frankie Gavin vs. Dean Harrison, Nathan Cleverly vs. Alejandro Lakatos and Matthew Macklin vs. Ruben Varon – those bouts don’t really aren’t all that spectacular to me. I like the DeGale-Smith fight, but that’s about it.
Cleverly likely to face Lakatos on December 11th for WBO light heavyweight interim title
By William Mackay: Unbeaten light heavyweight contender Nathan Cleverly (20-0, 10 KO’s) will have to wait a little while longer before he gets his title shot against World Boxing Organization (WBO) light heavyweight champion Jurgen Brahmer. Instead of facing Cleverly, Brahmer is looking to take on WBA light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov next, according to boxing news from the BBC. Cleverly will be fighting on December 11th at the Echo Arena, in Liverpool. As of now, no opponent has been picked out for Cleverly.
Shumenov v Cleverly: A possibility
By Andrew Meggers-Lloyd: You’d have to have had your head buried in the sand over the last few years, to have not been impressed by the waves 23 year old Nathan Cleverly has been making in the ligh-heavyweight division, and in the Boxing world in general. The affable Welshman has many admirers throughout Europe following his convincing victories of late, namely against the previously unbeaten German hope, Karo Murat in Manchester in September. Not only has he been convincing in the Boxing ring, but he has combined his fights and training with studying for a Mathematics degree at Cardiff University, graduating with honours.
Warren thinks Cleverly will be talked about like Hatton and Calzaghe by the end of his career
By Scott Gilfoid: In his column at The Sun,, promoter Frank Warren speaks highly of his fighter undefeated light heavyweight contender Nathan Cleverly (20-0, 10 KO’s), who recently defeated Karo Murat by a 10th round TKO last Saturday night a week ago in the Magnificent Seven card. Warren says “At 23, he [Cleverly] has a big future ahead of him. I honestly believe that, by the end of his career, he will be talked about in the same bracket as Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe.” I do believe that Cleverly will be talked about like Hatton, but not in a positive sense. With the amount of punches that Cleverly’s head was absorbing from Murat in that fight a week ago, I think Cleverly is going to be lucky if he can still talk in the future if he keeps taking punishment like that.
Cleverly-Murat prediction: Look for Murat to stop Nathan in the 6th
By William Mackay: In a battle of top unbeaten light heavyweight contenders this Saturday night in promoter Frank Warren’s Magnificent Seven card at the LG Arena, in Birmingham, number #2 ranked World Boxing Organization light heavyweight contender Karo Murat (22-0, 13 KO’s) faces number #3 ranked Nathan Cleverly (19-0, 9 KO’s) in a WBO light heavyweight title eliminator match. Cleverly, 23, has the height advantage at 6’3 ½” compared to the 5’10 ½” Murat from Germany. However, Murat is the harder puncher, the stockier fighter and the better inside brawler. Cleverly, a tall fighter for a light heavyweight, likes to fight on the inside as well.
Magnificent 7 Preview: Macklin-Barker, Cleverly-Murat, Brook-Jennings
By Shaun Campbell:
European Middleweight Title:
Matthew Macklin (26-2 18KO’s) vs. Darren Barker (22-0 14KO’s)
The main event of the evening is the much anticipated European middleweight title fight between Matthew Macklin and Darren Barker. The pair were scheduled to meet in the past, but Macklin instead faced Amin Asikainen for the then vacant European crown. Barker instead won the vacant British title, and then when Macklin gave up the European title due to an injury, Barker won the challenge against Affif Belgecham. Now the pair will finally meet in in what is being tipped as the biggest domestic fight since Eubank vs Benn (also at middleweight).