Cleverly would fight Froch at 168

[Newport Daz]

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/ ... er/?ref=la

His dad says they would fight at 168. That would be one hurdle overcome, but how would it work promotionally? Hearn would want it on SKY, Wazza on BN. Unless Clev would be the next guy to leave W@rren?

Good fight if it happens, but just as likely as Cleverly fighting Hopkins, Shumenov and all the other "top" names at 175.

[danconnollyeire]

A weight drained Clev would have very little chance of even surviving IMHO

[polecateddy]

Shumenov seemed to be a bit of a prodigy but appears to have been so protected now by his management he's practically vanished off the face of the earth!

[SNG]

Clev is mad if he gives up the weight. I don't see what Froch gains from that fight at 168 either, the attraction in a Cleverly fight is the LHW title.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Clev is mad if he gives up the weight. I don't see what Froch gains from that fight at 168 either, the attraction in a Cleverly fight is the LHW title.

Oh yeah, a paper title.

[SamWise72]

It could still be an LH title fight. See Leonard-Lalonde, which might have been a different fight if it had been made at 175. Lalonde floored Leonard, but was gassed by the end, which may have been weight related since they fought at 168 for both the LH and the SMW titles. It could be a chance for Clev to fight for titles with a bit more legitimacy than his WBO trinket, and for Carl to challenge for LH without significant risk!

[Lenny]

It could still be an LH title fight. See Leonard-Lalonde, which might have been a different fight if it had been made at 175. Lalonde floored Leonard, but was gassed by the end, which may have been weight related since they fought at 168 for both the LH and the SMW titles. It could be a chance for Clev to fight for titles with a bit more legitimacy than his WBO trinket, and for Carl to challenge for LH without significant risk!

When has Froch gone for the title with least risk? He has never entertained the idea of a WBO title before
He gains very little from a fight with Cleverly who is what, bottom half of the top 10 at best?

[Autobarn]

it'd be nice to see cleverly step up. but he and froch are different weights. cleverly would be depleted at 168 and froch'd gain little from such a matchup.

if cleverly did step up, and there are plenty in his own weight to challenge, we'd know how good he is, what he's doing wrong, what needs changing - all the inevitable things.

let's see if cleverly and braehmer can finally meet in the ring - not too bad a matchup. isn't he after hopkins?

[Autobarn]

It could still be an LH title fight. See Leonard-Lalonde, which might have been a different fight if it had been made at 175. Lalonde floored Leonard, but was gassed by the end, which may have been weight related since they fought at 168 for both the LH and the SMW titles. It could be a chance for Clev to fight for titles with a bit more legitimacy than his WBO trinket, and for Carl to challenge for LH without significant risk!

i don't think froch has the sugar ray leonard level of clout, to get a fight down to 168 with both 168 and 175 titles on the line. i don't know if a sanctioning body would ever entertain the idea again, for anyone.

[SNG]

Clev is mad if he gives up the weight. I don't see what Froch gains from that fight at 168 either, the attraction in a Cleverly fight is the LHW title.

Oh yeah, a paper title.

I suppose draining him down to 168 makes the win all the better then?

[SamWise72]

I'm not saying Froch will, or should take it, just that it's not impossible to create such a situation. What's in it for Carl is a big domestic payday, and a minor place at the LH table, which he could use to parlay for the bigger fights. I can only see him beating Cleverly up at 168, which would then give him a title, albeit very much a toy one, to help make a Hopkins fight, or Dawson. I can see a logic in doing it, but you're right, it's not Froch's style, and it seems like he probably wouldn't do it.

[SNG]

I'm not saying Froch will, or should take it, just that it's not impossible to create such a situation. What's in it for Carl is a big domestic payday, and a minor place at the LH table, which he could use to parlay for the bigger fights. I can only see him beating Cleverly up at 168, which would then give him a title, albeit very much a toy one, to help make a Hopkins fight, or Dawson. I can see a logic in doing it, but you're right, it's not Froch's style, and it seems like he probably wouldn't do it.

The fighter makes the title. Had Clev gone on and fought a two or three of the top LHWs no-one could call his title a paper title, if Froch beats him at LHW and goes into the big fights (Dawson/Hopkins) no-one could say the same of his title either.

[SamWise72]

Agreed. The WBO is the absolute worst for letting promoters take the piss and make pish title fight after pish title fight though. I can't take it seriously as being equally valuable to the (already plenty devalued) WBA, WBC and IBF belts, though I know many here now consider that there's a Big 4, not a Big 3.

[NazNaci1]

Froch gains nothing from this and as has been pointed out, a weight weakened Cleverly gets walked through.

[Dirk Kelly]

It could still be an LH title fight. See Leonard-Lalonde, which might have been a different fight if it had been made at 175. Lalonde floored Leonard, but was gassed by the end, which may have been weight related since they fought at 168 for both the LH and the SMW titles. It could be a chance for Clev to fight for titles with a bit more legitimacy than his WBO trinket, and for Carl to challenge for LH without significant risk!

When has Froch gone for the title with least risk? He has never entertained the idea of a WBO title before
He gains very little from a fight with Cleverly who is what, bottom half of the top 10 at best?

Wasn't the Inkin fights supposed to be for the WBO?

[brian13]

It could still be an LH title fight. See Leonard-Lalonde, which might have been a different fight if it had been made at 175. Lalonde floored Leonard, but was gassed by the end, which may have been weight related since they fought at 168 for both the LH and the SMW titles. It could be a chance for Clev to fight for titles with a bit more legitimacy than his WBO trinket, and for Carl to challenge for LH without significant risk!

When has Froch gone for the title with least risk? He has never entertained the idea of a WBO title before
He gains very little from a fight with Cleverly who is what, bottom half of the top 10 at best?

Wasn't the Inkin fights supposed to be for the WBO?

WBC eliminator, Inkin went on and then fought for the WBO after he pulled out the number of times he did. No surprises there, it was universium and we all know what they were like.

Froch walks through Cleverly at 168 and I would heavily favour him at 175 aswell.

[SamWise72]

Froch gains nothing from this and as has been pointed out, a weight weakened Cleverly gets walked through.

He could gain a great deal of money, and an LH trinket to boot. It doesn't do anything for his legacy, but it's better than Yusef Mack! Remember Bruno/Bugner? That did nothing for Bruno career wise, but everyone wanted to see it, and it put a lot of money in his pocket. I agree this isn't Froch style, and I think it's way more likely that he wants to fight Ward, and then either move up for Dawson/Hopkins, or face JCC Jnr or Golovkin, or maybe even a last hurrah for Martinez?

[NazNaci1]

Froch gains nothing from this and as has been pointed out, a weight weakened Cleverly gets walked through.

He could gain a great deal of money, and an LH trinket to boot. It doesn't do anything for his legacy, but it's better than Yusef Mack! Remember Bruno/Bugner? That did nothing for Bruno career wise, but everyone wanted to see it, and it put a lot of money in his pocket. I agree this isn't Froch style, and I think it's way more likely that he wants to fight Ward, and then either move up for Dawson/Hopkins, or face JCC Jnr or Golovkin, or maybe even a last hurrah for Martinez?

Bunny doesn't have anywhere near the clout that he used to. Froch stands to earn significantly more in other fights. Kessler III, Bute II, Ward II, Pascal II, even Abraham II, Hopkins etc all are significantly bigger fights with a lot more money in it for Froch. Froch can now command good purses as he is an international star, to a degree. Cleverly is nothing in comparision and what could W@rren offer that would make Froch think? Nothing like what the others would earn, that is for sure.

[SamWise72]

You don't think the ticket sales would be huge for that fight? Maybe I'm overestimating, but big domestic clashes normally pay well. Ward isn't a bit ticket seller, Kessler is most likely retiring. I can see where JCC in Mexico or Martinez in Argentina could be big money, but there's a big risk of getting jobbed. This is an armchair perspective though, and maybe I'm completely wrong.

[NazNaci1]

Well Cleverly has pretty much zero appeal. Bar Wales, Bunny's BN channel and hardcore fans, no one has any idea who he is. Froch is more well known but even he is hardly a household name. It just does not make sense as it is hardly a big domestic fight but obviously Cleverly andW@rren fancy their chances and possibly see it as a way to gate crash some publicity and use Froch.

W@rren does spout this type of stuff often enough. It's just hyped in all honesty. A guy who fights the likes of Karpency and Hawk etc is hardly going to drop down in weight and take on a top fighter in his natural division.

You may be right but I don't see it.

[Tomasino]

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/ ... er/?ref=la

His dad says they would fight at 168. That would be one hurdle overcome, but how would it work promotionally? Hearn would want it on SKY, Wazza on BN. Unless Clev would be the next guy to leave W@rren?

Good fight if it happens, but just as likely as Cleverly fighting Hopkins, Shumenov and all the other "top" names at 175.

This is Cleverlys dad trying to piggyback on Frochs world class achievements. Nathan doesn't even deserve a fight with Froch, it's a funking joke!

[Bard of Boxrec]

Clev is mad if he gives up the weight. I don't see what Froch gains from that fight at 168 either, the attraction in a Cleverly fight is the LHW title.

Oh yeah, a paper title.

I suppose draining him down to 168 makes the win all the better then?

I never said anything about Cleverly coming down to 168. That would make the least sense of all.

And it's not even about the fact that it's 'only the WBO' title. They're all as bad as each other. The point is, everyone knows Dawson is the man at 175.

Anyway, if Froch wanted to take on Cleverly at light heavy he could just come in weighing 12 stone 1 lb and the result would be the same.

[fasteddie]

didnt he see what happened to dawson??? its a potential career suicide

[Horse]

Cleverly doesn't deserve the attention he gets for mentioning Froch.

He should be ignored until he defends his title against someone decent.

[tonyevs]

Very silly idea for Cleverly to move back down to 168lb - Froch would muller him.
Cleverly is a fully fledged lt-heavy.
He'd be a shell at 168lb.

I getting the feeling that Froch wants another pay day with Kessler anyways.
Just don't see him risking it against a young lion like Cleverly .. Espec at lt-heavy.