Terrible mistake for Nathan Cleverly to fight Ilunga Makabu

[Freedom2013]

Ilunga Makabu is arguably the hardest puncher at cruiserweight.

He has great punch resistance too, I know Dmitry Kucher is a big puncher and Makabu took his best shots.

Nathan Cleverly is moving up to cruiserweight after his KO loss to Sergey Kovalev and in his first fight in that division on Feb 2 is scheduled to fight Makabu. I can't think of a worse career move for him.

Cleverly is a good fighter and right now he still has potential. But he will not be able to come back from two consecutive KO losses. This will be the end of him.

[Andrew]

Searched online and found nothing official yet. Very strange listing by boxrec .............

The fight doesn't make much sense unless he is getting mega bucks for it. If true should be confirmed in the next week or so surely.

[tonyevs]

Just watched his last two fights on youtube .. Cleverly won`t be fighting him

[BAP1]

I do fear for Nathan in this fight. Not sure why he would go straight back in there with a huge puncher. If he loses by KO it could spell the end of he's career

[Andrew]

Searched online and found nothing official yet. Very strange listing by boxrec .............

The fight doesn't make much sense unless he is getting mega bucks for it. If true should be confirmed in the next week or so surely.

On boxing scene now looks like this is on gonna check this Makabu guy out.

http://www.BS.com/cleverly-vs- ... b-1--73124

[Andrew]

Makabus last fight is below in good quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ9UQoxpS_8

Doesn't do much until the 3rd round. Once he lets his hands go he does look very powerful at the right range and the KO is beast of a hook as well.

Fields was looking quite durable, his only loss was to Ola Ofalabi in 2008 ( though opposition looks poor inbetween).

I'd take the best Cruisers to beat Makabu based on this...... but Cleverly is someone who got smashed in his last fight at Light heavy.

Looks a really bad move this one he must be getting paid really good money for FW to allow it.

[chinny]

Searched online and found nothing official yet. Very strange listing by boxrec .............

The fight doesn't make much sense unless he is getting mega bucks for it. If true should be confirmed in the next week or so surely.

On boxing scene now looks like this is on gonna check this Makabu guy out.

http://www.BS.com/cleverly-vs- ... b-1--73124

The writer refers to Cleverley's "outstanding reign". Serious question: that has to be sarcasm, right?!

[dookus]

Makabu has huge power, but I wonder whether he's busy enough to keep Cleverly from flurrying his way to a decision. He doesn't look to have Kovalev's combination of accuracy and workrate. On the other hand, if CLeverly gets himself into a fight..

[palooka]

Ilunga Makabu is arguably the hardest puncher at cruiserweight.

He has great punch resistance too, I know Dmitry Kucher is a big puncher and Makabu took his best shots.

Nathan Cleverly is moving up to cruiserweight after his KO loss to Sergey Kovalev and in his first fight in that division on Feb 2 is scheduled to fight Makabu. I can't think of a worse career move for him.

Cleverly is a good fighter and right now he still has potential. But he will not be able to come back from two consecutive KO losses. This will be the end of him.

I've not seen Makabu box but will have a look on youtube; hope his move up is not from the frying pan to the fire - if he hits harder than Ola Afalobi then Nathan is in serious trouble; he'd be better with a desk job with prospects surely?

[crusader]

Makabu is very explosive and obviously bigger than anyone Cleverly has faced. If Clev is to win this he'll probably need to do more than just stand in front of his opponent throwing loads of arm punches as he usually does, and the solid chin that let him make a lot of mistakes at 175 may not hold up as well against cruisers.

I think Clev should definitely have a few fights at CW before stepping in with someone as good as Makabu. Not only to get some momentum and perhaps more confidence, but to get more used to what it's like to be in a fight with bigger men who he will likely have trouble bullying and walking down as he did to many of his smaller opponents.

[Black Sam Bellamy]

If I was Cleverly and there's decent money on offer I'd be biting their hand off personally. Good knockout of Fields, but Makabu's physique could be his undoing as he's blowing and looks pretty stationary by the fifth round. With the right tactics, Cleverly could outbox him in my view. Eric Fields is a club fighter with a completely misleading record. Why should Cleverly be afraid of him on the basis of that fight ??

[crusader]

When has Clev outboxed a solid opponent? Not saying he couldn't, but he's won almost every bout by virtue of workrate, and has yet to show me any meaningful boxing skill.

I know several people picked Clev to beat Kov because of this supposed boxing ability, but I really don't know what people are talking about when they mention it.

[Black Sam Bellamy]

A busy Cleverly who makes Makabu expend energy in the first half of the fight, can win a points decision with superior skills; providing he doesn't walk onto a big shot early on. Just my opinion.

[polecateddy]

Could be Enzo/Lebedev 2, with Cleverly overpowered early.

[tonyevs]

Could be Enzo/Lebedev 2, with Cleverly overpowered early.

Agreed.

Once this fella lets his hands go he looks very solid indeed.
Clevs people aren`t daft enough to throw him in with this kid.

[chinny]

I can only think Clev's contract is coming to an end. Recent decisions have been bewildering.

[Final round]

Who's the matchmaker now

[fizzjambo]

I don't think the match making in the Clev / Kovalev fight was poor at all. From the outside looking in Cleverly doesn't appear to be a guy who sees his long term future in boxing. That's not a critism, but I get the feeling he wants to make a few quid and then move on with his life. He seems to be a bright lad and will have a decent varity of career options available to him after boxing.
Taking the above into account he was looking at decent money fights, ie unifications. With the current other 175lbs champions all being fighters with major US broadcasters he needed to appeal to those broadcasters to get the unification fight against a Hopkins/Stevenson/Shumenov that would bring decent money to the table. In order to secure such a fight he needed to beat a Dawson/Pascal/Cloud/Kovalev type fighter to generate the interest in a unification fight in the US. Kovalev was willing to travel, had a bit of US TV hype and, although dangerous, looks a bit one paced and dropped a decision to Boone FFS. I still believe Cleverly could have beaten Kovalev using his fitness, workrate and under rated boxing ability to keep the fight tight over the first half / two thirds and then upping the work rate from then as Kovalev tired. A dangerous fight, as with any puncher, but not impossible by any means.
I'd take Hopkins to beat Kovalev. I honestly think it's a dreadful style fight for the Russian

[zero]

When has Clev outboxed a solid opponent? Not saying he couldn't, but he's won almost every bout by virtue of workrate, and has yet to show me any meaningful boxing skill.

I know several people picked Clev to beat Kov because of this supposed boxing ability, but I really don't know what people are talking about when they mention it.

x2

[taffytoon]

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A ... PRXHw7&s=1

[thewarcap]

Who's the matchmaker now

For Warren? Jason McClory, I think.

[JimJim2009]

I can only think Clev's contract is coming to an end. Recent decisions have been bewildering.

It's certainly not the usual gradual, safety first rebuilding process. I wonder if Nathan - having been at the "top" for several years, has no patience for a slow-burning 18 month return to the top, on undercards etc.

[Final round]

Who's the matchmaker now

For Warren? Jason McClory, I think.

Thanks war cap .
Seems like poor matchmaking for his CW debut to me.

[Final round]

The Bellew rematch at CW would pull in the punters.

[wrimc]

Everybody needs to stop thinking like a promoter and appreciate this for what it is. This is a fantastic fight for fans. IF Cleverly harbours ambitions if competing at world class at cruiser he will have to beat this kind if opposition. Not saying he can do it but it's better than watching a couple of mismatches and see him win some bauble later on down the line.