nathan cleverly the underdog

[mullenman]

bookies have priced nathan cleverly the underdog in his fight 17th august in his back yard,,

looks like if he comes through this fight he deserves more recognition and a superfight for the winter


Nathan Cleverly (5/4)


Draw (25)


Sergey Kovalev (4/5)

[jameswilson]

He definitely deserves recognition if he wins it. The playing the victim needs to stop tho. All this 'ohhhhh none of the big names wanna fight me boo hoo' rubbish that we have heard from god knows how many of our past World champs who won a WBO belt and defended over and over against shite opposition is just so tried and tested now.

If he loses then it's a blow. However someone like Dereck Chisora has actually seen his level of opposition be pretty good following a supposedly crushing defeat. Since losing to Fury he has had some cracking fights. I can see Clev, if he gets beat, getting another title shot within a year. He will travel to fight for it, but I can definitely see it happening if he does lose.

[taffytoon]

I would just like to wish Nathan luck for the fight.

[Hagler2002]

He'll be favourite with bookies come fight night.

[ThereByTheGrace]

He'll be favourite with bookies come fight night.

I agree - the value is with Cleverly on points here.

[mickey1975]

He'll be favourite with bookies come fight night.

I don't think he will. The hype is in place. Lacy stayed favourite all along against JC.

[rio]

Was calzaghe the underdog against lacy in the uk according to the odds? He defo was the underdog stateside

[whiskey]

Clev needs to be really alert and on his toes early doors.

He cant give the opening rounds away, but he needs to make them as tight as he can to score by jabbing and moving - and not swinging with this guy as all the victim interviews state he has legit power.

I dont think the fact it's in wales has any value to Kovalev, who has been fighting Americans in America for a while already.

[mickey1975]

Was calzaghe the underdog against lacy in the uk according to the odds? He defo was the underdog stateside

Yes.

[handsofstone]

WAR :!: i cant wait for this one,its gonna be a classic i think,Kovalevs good from what iv seen of him but Cleverlys gonna turn it on big style i believe,its gonna get tasty in there but i expect a rautious home crowd to rally Nathan on to a deserved win

[Wrists]

I think this is Clev's coming out party I really do.

I think he has a great chin and Kovalev could the Lacy figure here.

Clev as long he survives the first 3 rounds wins widely on points for me.

Then after the fight on here Kovalev gets de-valued..............

[jameswilson]

I think this is Clev's coming out party I really do.

I think he has a great chin and Kovalev could the Lacy figure here.

Clev as long he survives the first 3 rounds wins widely on points for me.

Then after the fight on here Kovalev gets de-valued..............

Or if Kovalev then gets back into contention and gets beat by Tony Bellew then suddenly Kovalev was 'ruined by Cleverly.'

[expe]

Clev needs to be really alert and on his toes early doors.

He cant give the opening rounds away, but he needs to make them as tight as he can to score by jabbing and moving - and not swinging with this guy as all the victim interviews state he has legit power.

I dont think the fact it's in wales has any value to Kovalev, who has been fighting Americans in America for a while already.

Yep, he needs to keep it tight early, keep it long and take Kovalev late. Watching the Calzaghe-Lacy fight back wouldn't be a bad idea for him, similar circumstances and while it isn't southpaw vs orthodox he needs to follow what Calzaghe did against Lacy and keep turning Kovalev so he can't set his feet and land as many body shots as possible to slow Kovalev down and take the sting out of his punches.

[crusader]

While I slightly favor Kovalev (though I'm starting to lean more toward Cleverly), he tends to throw many punches early, usually stops his opponents quickly, and has never fought several rounds against a world-class opponent, or at least an opponent close to that level. If the fight goes several rounds, Kovalev's power and stamina may deplete significantly and he may lose confidence. Cleverly's chin is solid and his stamina is very good, so I think he has a realistic chance of surviving the early rounds and generally outworking Kovalev over the following rounds to win a decision.

Then again, Kovalev may have very good stamina and carry his power and high activity into the late rounds or he may set a lower pace than usual to adjust for going more rounds, and he may not be deterred if things aren't going all his way or as he's used to.

For me, this fight will largely be determined by how well Kovalev manages if he's forced to go several rounds at this level. He may also need to get the better of more than a majority of the rounds to win a decision in Wales, so an especially impressive performance may be needed from him but not Cleverly.

[andeeholden]

I really think the home crowd will have a big part to play in this one. Nathan is definitely capable and he craves a 'defining' fight in which he will get the plaudits he feels he deserves. My only concern is in recent interviews, he comes across as if he wants to prove he can stand up to Kovalev's power which is a no no in my eyes. Although he has a great chin, he ought to stick to his boxing, use his speed and skill to out-think Kovalev all night long.

Saying that; a good dust up is always good for the fans! Game on!

[Deserter]

While I slightly favor Kovalev (though I'm starting to lean more toward Cleverly), he tends to throw many punches early, usually stops his opponents quickly, and has never fought several rounds against a world-class opponent, or at least an opponent close to that level. If the fight goes several rounds, Kovalev's power and stamina may deplete significantly and he may lose confidence. Cleverly's chin is solid and his stamina is very good, so I think he has a realistic chance of surviving the early rounds and generally outworking Kovalev over the following rounds to win a decision.

Then again, Kovalev may have very good stamina and carry his power and high activity into the late rounds or he may set a lower pace than usual to adjust for going more rounds, and he may not be deterred if things aren't going all his way or as he's used to.

For me, this fight will largely be determined by how well Kovalev manages if he's forced to go several rounds at this level. He may also need to get the better of more than a majority of the rounds to win a decision in Wales, so an especially impressive performance may be needed from him but not Cleverly.

Great summary.

[danconnollyeire]

He definitely deserves recognition if he wins it. The playing the victim needs to stop tho. All this 'ohhhhh none of the big names wanna fight me boo hoo' rubbish that we have heard from god knows how many of our past World champs who won a WBO belt and defended over and over against shite opposition is just so tried and tested now.

If he loses then it's a blow. However someone like Dereck Chisora has actually seen his level of opposition be pretty good following a supposedly crushing defeat. Since losing to Fury he has had some cracking fights. I can see Clev, if he gets beat, getting another title shot within a year. He will travel to fight for it, but I can definitely see it happening if he does lose.

Agreed. It will be a great win if he pulls it off. He has been so far off being a real world champion it's unreal. Bellew's been mixing it up with harder competion without a belt. I reckon it's down to his team as I think Clev is game to take on anyone. I think him as a fighter (although he definetly needs a lot more snap in his punches and to finish off people) but he has bored me to sleep over the last two years

But good luck, I will be cheering him on and become a fan again

[youngrell]

I watched a few Kovalev fights last night and I must say I fancy him to win this one unless Clev shows a better defence than he ha previously.

Kovalev is very accurate and seems to put venom in almost every shot he throws. Clev will have to be very sharp to avoid the early onslaught. I will be over the moon for Nathan though if he can pull it off as he's had a huge bashing (rightfully) over the last couple of years.

[BillyTKid]

Cleverly always gets hit and he can't afford to take any bombs from this guy. I want Cleverly to win but I think he will get knocked out and early.