Cleverly NOT defending against average East European!!

[dondada]

BERNARD HOPKINS EX ‏@THEREALBHOP
@allegedly_tv stop using my name to promote ur BUM titleholder.. nate clevery.

[ScottDetonator]

BERNARD HOPKINS EX ‏@THEREALBHOP
@allegedly_tv stop using my name to promote ur BUM titleholder.. nate clevery.

[whiskey]

I don't think Tony Bellew and Bernard Hopkins are colluding with each other to refute the contents of the press release.

It's the same as last time, quietly usher in the actual opponent - then litter the press release with disparaging comments about real fighters to deflect the focus from the quality of the challenger. To serve both as a cloak and and excuse.

We saw it with Karpency, we are seeing it now - and will see it on the next opponent.

The only thing I can't work out is whether Clev is swallowing it, or colluding with it. I'm starting to believe it's the latter now.

It's all well and good in front of an audience of 300,000 on Sky, it's keeps him in the public eye. But this is tucked away on a specialist channel. I can only assume the kitty isn't big enough for a £500k-£1m opponent and thus we have a £40k one.

[danconnollyeire]

I don't think Tony Bellew and Bernard Hopkins are colluding with each other to refute the contents of the press release.

It's the same as last time, quietly usher in the actual opponent - then litter the press release with disparaging comments about real fighters to deflect the focus from the quality of the challenger. To serve both as a cloak and and excuse.

We saw it with Karpency, we are seeing it now - and will see it on the next opponent.

The only thing I can't work out is whether Clev is swallowing it, or colluding with it. I'm starting to believe it's the latter now.

It's all well and good in front of an audience of 300,000 on Sky, it's keeps him in the public eye. But this is tucked away on a specialist channel. I can only assume the kitty isn't big enough for a £500k-£1m opponent and thus we have a £40k one.

His trying the old... I offered Froch but he turned me down... like Froch would fight Clev

[Datsue]

I tell you what Taffy, I'd like to acknowledge that Uzelkov is a big step up for Cleverly.

But that a man who lost eleven rounds in his only other "world" title fight (against a novice who shouldn't even have the belt), & lost pretty convincingly to the flawed European champion (is Gutknecht even the EBU champ? Or some Mickey-Mouse derivation thereof?) is a big step up for your boy is a pretty damning indictment, innit?

He's an acceptable marking-time sort of fight. Uninspiring. Middle of the road. A decent substitute. But that's only 'cos Clev has been spoon-fed shite. Remind me how many titles he's won again? & how many reigning champions he's dethroned?

I love Bomber, but he was a bloody British-level novice & still gave Clev hell. I think that puts him into perspective right there, & defending against Uzelkov & Karpency isn't going to have honed Clev's skills.

BERNARD HOPKINS EX ‏@THEREALBHOP
@allegedly_tv stop using my name to promote ur BUM titleholder.. nate clevery.

[fizzjambo]

I've actually got no problem with this fight, Uzelkov is a decent fighter, he's got a good win vs Campillo and his fight vs Shumenov was a better contest than some are making out, he just got outstriped over the last four.

However NEITHER man is (currently) world champuion class. Shumenov, Murat, Clev, Bellew, Gutknecht, Bellew, etc are all operating at a similar level, as are Cloud and Campillo really. The probelm is two fold - the division is weak where Dawson is the standout fighter but has zero pull to the US TV execs, therefore cannot get the backing to force unification/legitimate fights. As a result he's had to drain himself down to go after Ward, who is actually in a similar-ish position. The second problem, and by far the biggest, is that four 'world' titlists is farcical enough at the best of times but in a weak division with the titles split it looks dreadful. I probably am a bit harsh on Bellew but his is a case in point. You do not go from struggling against a novice like Bob Ajisaf where you get dropped, to getting floored twice by a relative journeyman like Ovil MacKenzie, to then boxing yourself to a dull as dishwater safety first 12 round nod against the same journeyman to then having a give or take 12 round war against a legitimate undefeated world champion in a fight I (and plenty others) thought was a draw!

Warren's matched Cleverly fine here, he should however leave outs all the garbage re. Froch and Hopkins. They've more than earned the right to turn Cleverly down (if that has happened) without needing to give an explanation

[Horse]

If Cleverly is going to defend against opponents like this, then can't he do it 4 times a year instead of 2?

[wadey]

The problem with Clev is he fights Shite like this and we all know it will go to points with Cleverly probably winning every round. So unless your a big welsh follower, there is zero interest for the rest of us.

[earsjohn]

For those who use Twitter, @allegedly_tv has recently tweeted in response to @therealbhop regarding the pull out claimed by Warren in the Clev-Uzelkov press statement "The main target was American great Bernard Hopkins but after I agreed terms with his promoter Golden Boy, he pulled out."

All Tweets by @allegedly_tv....

1 - (to B-Hop) maybe you should look at your past comments where you said you wanted to fight him?

2 - (to B-Hop) You said Jan 2nd Ring magazine online "I got two names that I've been scouting, and I've got tapes of them........

3 - (to B-Hop) ......I would like to unify the titles. I would like to fight the WBA guy [Shumenov]. That seems like somebody who likes to...

4 - (to B-Hop) ..fight. He's strong. The WBO guy from England [Cleverly,] he's been calling me out on certain websites."

5 - discussions were ongoing with Richard Schaefer over the fight as he confirmed in an interview in Feb....

6 - Richard Schaefer said,'I've talked to Bernard about Nathan and he said "Look I'm used to fighting younger guys.Just keep bringing them on"..

7 - ..'I went with Frank through the some numbers......But definitely, if everything goes well, I would very much like to make that fight.'

[whiteboy]

What is jeff Powell thinking of publishing fw's propaganda in the national press!!!! Horrific article in the mail

[dondada]

For those who use Twitter, @allegedly_tv has recently tweeted in response to @therealbhop regarding the pull out claimed by Warren in the Clev-Uzelkov press statement "The main target was American great Bernard Hopkins but after I agreed terms with his promoter Golden Boy, he pulled out."

All Tweets by @allegedly_tv....

1 - (to B-Hop) maybe you should look at your past comments where you said you wanted to fight him?

2 - (to B-Hop) You said Jan 2nd Ring magazine online "I got two names that I've been scouting, and I've got tapes of them........

3 - (to B-Hop) ......I would like to unify the titles. I would like to fight the WBA guy [Shumenov]. That seems like somebody who likes to...

4 - (to B-Hop) ..fight. He's strong. The WBO guy from England [Cleverly,] he's been calling me out on certain websites."

5 - discussions were ongoing with Richard Schaefer over the fight as he confirmed in an interview in Feb....

6 - Richard Schaefer said,'I've talked to Bernard about Nathan and he said "Look I'm used to fighting younger guys.Just keep bringing them on"..

7 - ..'I went with Frank through the some numbers......But definitely, if everything goes well, I would very much like to make that fight.'

Good work, nice one. Of course, this goes no way to showing that Bob-Hope agreed terms and then pulled out.

[Bard of Boxrec]

lol, I love how Hopkins describes Cleverley as 'from England'. I think he did that with Calzaghe too. It's clearly just ignorance but it would be funny if he was doing it deliberately to try and wind him up.

If I was Hopkins, I would seriously consider actually taking this fight. Low risk and decent reward as Warren would promote it well. Cleverly would be Bernard's first stoppage victim since Oscar. He would just toy with the Welshman before stopping him.

[Dan Dares]

What is jeff Powell thinking of publishing fw's propaganda in the national press!!!! Horrific article in the mail

It's an horrific paper.

[llamalew]

Just read this on Hopkins twitter

"@THEREALBHOP: @allegedly_tv after ur guy fight oct 27 we can get deal done!"

[jameswilson]

Just read this on Hopkins twitter

"@THEREALBHOP: @allegedly_tv after ur guy fight oct 27 we can get deal done!"

Nice to see his spelling and grammar are of the very highest quality.

[taffytoon]

Nice to see the Clev haters hate!!! He is fighting somebody far superior to Tony Bellew yet you would rather see a rematch

And you call Clevs opponent a joke


Thanks for the giggle

Taffy, look at my previous posts and you can see I've always rated Cleverly. For that matter, I've always rated you as a poster.
However, you're doing yourself no favours here. Nathan's career has stalled badly and matters are made worse when you've got his promoter making disputed claims in a poor attempt to legitimize the current state of affairs. I respect your loyalty, but you're trying to defend the indefensible at the moment and you'd be better off staying quiet on it rather than trying to reduce the issue to one of Clev 'haters' and bringing Bellew into it unnecessarily.
The reality is that Nathan has had a string of sub-standard opponents given his claim to be a world title holder and it's also hard to see how the guys he is facing are assisting his development should he eventually land a defining fight.

God post deserter I have said all along that I would like to see champions fighting champions, yes the opponents are inferior and of course I would love to see Nathan fighting big named fighters, unfortunately as is the case far too often he is fighting unheard of Europeans. That said all the members on here that could do a complete U TURN had Bellew won the title is a joke, I stated right from the start that Bellew v Cleverly should not have been for a world title and that Tony was not at world class, is Nathan? Who knows, I honestly believe that when tested he will come up with the goods, I know the kid has a heart of a lion and would fight absolutely anybody put in front of him without question, yes it is disappointing to see a talent not being tested but until he starts demanding better fights it is what it is. I wish him all the luck in the world and hope he goes on to fulfill his true potential, it is just so boring and annoying reading the same old crap from the same old posters most of which are Bellew supporters.

[TheCobra]

WBO = the new WBF.

[dve3333]

What is jeff Powell thinking of publishing fw's propaganda in the national press!!!! Horrific article in the mail

It's an horrific paper.

Powell is an absolute joke fair weather boxing writer who should retire. He's been spouting garbage for years with his cushy number jetting off to Vegas whenever there's a big time fight yet barely covers the grass roots of the sport.

[TheCobra]

What is jeff Powell thinking of publishing fw's propaganda in the national press!!!! Horrific article in the mail

It's an horrific paper.

Powell is an absolute joke fair weather boxing writer who should retire. He's been spouting garbage for years with his cushy number jetting off to Vegas whenever there's a big time fight yet barely covers the grass roots of the sport.

Totally agree about Powell, typical of the bigger (wannabe middle class) papers. They cover only the big fights, they all get a jolly off to Vegas for a holiday and a piss up, then there is absolutely no mention of boxing for the rest of the year.

The guy spouts absolute crap and doesn't know a thing about our good sport. I don't buy the Mail, but every now and again an article of his creeps onto my online radar and they are quite often clueless and fairly often they have a general anti-boxing sentiment to them, yet he's happy to go to Vegas and take the free holiday. Too many guys like this in the British media, it's a real shame for our sport.

[taffytoon]

lol, I love how Hopkins describes Cleverley as 'from England'. I think he did that with Calzaghe too. It's clearly just ignorance but it would be funny if he was doing it deliberately to try and wind him up.

If I was Hopkins, I would seriously consider actually taking this fight. Low risk and decent reward as Warren would promote it well. Cleverly would be Bernard's first stoppage victim since Oscar. He would just toy with the Welshman before stopping him.

Like Bellew was going to destroy him in 2

[gasman]

That is another rubbish fight for Cleverly - pure garbage matchmaking. This is the kind of guff what made Sky rethink their contracts, at least now they have a proper promoter in Hearn who will put on the right fights, not mismatch after mismatch.

As for Powell, I have to say, he was one of the few who print hacks who set aside gushy patriotism and called the Olympics right i.e. Joshua-Savon et al. Fair dues to him, definitely went up in my estimation after that.

[dondada]

That is another rubbish fight for Cleverly - pure garbage matchmaking. This is the kind of guff what made Sky rethink their contracts, at least now they have a proper promoter in Hearn who will put on the right fights, not mismatch after mismatch.

As for Powell, I have to say, he was one of the few who print hacks who set aside gushy patriotism and called the Olympics right i.e. Joshua-Savon et al. Fair dues to him, definitely went up in my estimation after that.

And Froch is fighting what leading SMW contender?

Aye, because gasman is basing his whole argument solely on their next opponents, isn't he?

[gasman]

double post

[gasman]

That is another rubbish fight for Cleverly - pure garbage matchmaking. This is the kind of guff what made Sky rethink their contracts, at least now they have a proper promoter in Hearn who will put on the right fights, not mismatch after mismatch.

As for Powell, I have to say, he was one of the few who print hacks who set aside gushy patriotism and called the Olympics right i.e. Joshua-Savon et al. Fair dues to him, definitely went up in my estimation after that.

And Froch is fighting what leading SMW contender?

How anyone would criticise Froch after his run of fights is beyond me. I bet the Nottingham show will still be a top card. I'll take Hearn's shows every time over Warrens. I am in no hurry for a return of PPV British Title fights or half empty leisure centres for crap cards.

[dondada]

What about Kell Brook's next opponent? Hardly a leading light at welterweight is he? Is he even ranked in the top ten of any sanctioning body?

Eh? Brook is trying to get an IBF title shot. He and his next opponent - Saldivia - are the top two rated in their division (two and three).