Cleverly vs Kovalev

[lefty]

Fighting kovalev to be announced tomorrow

Wouldn't be surprised if it's announced... no way it gets round to taking place though...

Bloody cynic

[mickey1975]

Fighting kovalev to be announced tomorrow

Wouldn't be surprised if it's announced... no way it gets round to taking place though...

Bloody cynic

If it doesn't, it sounds like Kovalev might be the one pulling out.

[Final round]

Kov's ducking Clev.

[Autobarn]

i hope kovalev really forces the fight vs hopkins, inflicts some hurt and makes a statement for exciting, offensive fighters.

[Deserter]

If it doesn't, it sounds like Kovalev might be the one pulling out.

Nothing safer than 'announcing' a fight when you know the other party has bigger fish to fry... it's all smoke and mirrors.
The bottom line is that this is a business, and there is no way on earth Warren is going to risk one of his few remaining cash cows in a fight that doesn't offer huge bucks. Makes no sense at all. Far easier to talk the talk, while looking for easier paths to navigate.

[mickey1975]

If it doesn't, it sounds like Kovalev might be the one pulling out.

Nothing safer than 'announcing' a fight when you know the other party has bigger fish to fry... it's all smoke and mirrors.
The bottom line is that this is a business, and there is no way on earth Warren is going to risk one of his few remaining cash cows in a fight that doesn't offer huge bucks. Makes no sense at all. Far easier to talk the talk, while looking for easier paths to navigate.

Potential cash cow. I can't see how Nathan generates any money at the moment, if anything I would guess he costs FW money.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Potential cash cow. I can't see how Nathan generates any money at the moment, if anything I would guess he costs FW money.

Which is why it's so puzzling that FW feels the need to baby him so much. I mean, I and a lot of people know it's because Cleverly isn't very good so the opponents need to be limited by design, but Nathan isn't a name outside of boxing circles and noone's really interested in him, so there's nothing to protect. Might as well throw him to the wolves and hope the fight is interesting at least.

[whiskey]

Potential cash cow. I can't see how Nathan generates any money at the moment, if anything I would guess he costs FW money.

Which is why it's so puzzling that FW feels the need to baby him so much. I mean, I and a lot of people know it's because Cleverly isn't very good so the opponents need to be limited by design, but Nathan isn't a name outside of boxing circles and noone's really interested in him, so there's nothing to protect. Might as well throw him to the wolves and hope the fight is interesting at least.

Sink or swim - like Kevin Mitchell's role against John Murray, then against Ricky Burns.

[Autobarn]

another cynical angle worth considering - hopkins may not want to face a destroyer like kovalev, and may dump the IBF title, and look toward the ring mag/lineal & WBC title, IF he believes adonis stevenson an easier to outwit opponent.

[black panther]

another cynical angle worth considering - hopkins may not want to face a destroyer like kovalev, and may dump the IBF title, and look toward the ring mag/lineal & WBC title, IF he believes adonis stevenson an easier to outwit opponent.

I'd agree with this. Hopkins is smart when it comes to picking fights and analysing fighters. He delaying fighting Chad Dawson and went after Pascal because he knew Dawson would be a difficult match-up. He jumps at the chance to fight more flat footed fighters such as Cloud and Pavlik who he can fiddle around with his box of tricks.

[earsjohn]

I note that the big FW/Cleverly Press Conference came and went without the naming of an opponent!

Instead FW claimed that the Kovalev fight should be wrapped up today and that there is an agreement, signed contracts, a date (August 17th) and a venue (not sure).

A couple of interesting comments from Cleverly:

"I've seen the emails and everythings done on our end, but if it isn't Kovalev then we'll go another way" - It's always about the emails with Frankie! And since when did one side providing confirmation of a two-party agreement constitute anything worth press conferencing?

"We were negotiating with Hopkins but that fell through at the last minute" - Really? Wasn't Hopkins fight with Murat sewn up and as soon as Murat pulled out injured, the IBF ordered purse bids for Kovalev? Why would B-Hop be negotiating for a fight that simply wasn't in play?

"Judge me in four years when I've unified the Light Heavyweight division" - 4 years???? Even assuming that Clev wins all of his unification fights, he needs to meet just Adonis Stevenson, Bernard Hopkins and Beibut Shumenov. That's a total of 3 fights. Even allowing for a loosener in between each title fight, 6 fights in four years is hardly ambitious or a frightening statement of intent! And particularly when it's getting off to a slow start by announcing a fight with no opponent and citing the name of one guy who is almost certain to be fighting someone else.

[Horse]

Cleverly and Warren are making arses of themselves again.

[bfchunk]

I'm getting fed up with Cleverly. Each time we get hyped up that he might actually face TBA, but someone at the lower end of the WBO rankings always comes in at the last minute...

[Final round]

I can't see Hopkins fighting Kovalev? at all

[magnus]

The date, venue and tickets are all confirmed

Just not the fight eh?

[Final round]

I can't see Hopkins fighting Kovalev? at all

@THEREALBHOP: I respect n accept the IBF decision.. I see this guy is good!! I look forward to defending my title

[forcefraser]

Maybe a rematch with Hawk?

[lillywhite14]

He might as well fight Bellew again. Push the promotion, milk it, Battle of Britain, rematch etc

Would both earn a few quid and would be a very close, good fight.

[Autobarn]

they already let that one go.

[Alba]

I can't see Hopkins fighting Kovalev? at all

@THEREALBHOP: I respect n accept the IBF decision.. I see this guy is good!! I look forward to defending my title

Hopkins will fancy this ,either way its a win-win aint it !

[Final round]

I can't see Hopkins fighting Kovalev? at all

@THEREALBHOP: I respect n accept the IBF decision.. I see this guy is good!! I look forward to defending my title

Hopkins will fancy this ,either way its a win-win aint it !

[MarkMcBurney]

My take: http://markmcburney.wordpress.com/2013/ ... lev-v-kov/

[Autobarn]

they're saying murat may get the work visa for America and that Hopkins v murat could be back on.

if I was 48 yo, legend or no, i'd rather fight murat than kovalev.

http://www.BS.com/hopkins-mura ... ose--66815

in that case, cleverly vs kovalev is still possibility - and hopefully all the cynicism and negativity has been inappropriate.

[Exoddus]

Froch shouldn't even entertain this. They know it doesn't make sense and won't happen. He just should leave Cleverly calling out top class fighters and saying things like "the deal is almost done" and then get good olde allegedly to ring the WBO and get them to place a Latvian milkman coming off two losses in at rank #15. So Cleverly can defend his paper championship against them.

If he does fight Sergey Kovalev. He will gain much needed respect from everyone as a fighter.

[levi billups]

Unless I have misunderstood his tweet, last night Steve Bunce announced this fight (Cleverly v Kovalev) as having been made. It's one I'm sure we will all look forward to - a proper risk/reward fight.