Comment: Cleverly needs elite test to gain respect he craves

[Captain Hook]

Piece I wrote for Boxrec and Daily Post - ta

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport-news/b ... -30068709/

[Camcas]

Good article, agree with almost everything you wrote

[Captain Hook]

Thanks Camcas, appreciated...

[Quixall]

I think Cleverley is still on a learning curve and whilst he does posses the skills and status you state in the article, i think he will be fed these type of opponents for a while yet. As you also state, he could have opted for tougher fights with Miranda, Diaconu or a re-match with Bellew which would have been an eagerly awaited fight. It's a fact that Cleverley divides opinion, but people will not fully accept him as a world champion untill they have seen him fight and beat someone they respect and his latest opponent isn't that at all. I think Cleverly can operate at world level, but i don't think he is ready for people such as Hopkins who is being touted, Dawson or Cloud. Expect to have more of these fights for Cleverley over the next 18 months.

[milpool]

I think Cleverley is still on a learning curve and whilst he does posses the skills and status you state in the article, i think he will be fed these type of opponents for a while yet. As you also state, he could have opted for tougher fights with Miranda, Diaconu or a re-match with Bellew which would have been an eagerly awaited fight. It's a fact that Cleverley divides opinion, but people will not fully accept him as a world champion untill they have seen him fight and beat someone they respect and his latest opponent isn't that at all. I think Cleverly can operate at world level, but i don't think he is ready for people such as Hopkins who is being touted, Dawson or Cloud. Expect to have more of these fights for Cleverley over the next 18 months.

And for this reason he can't be classed as a true 'world' champion...which then just demonstrates that all these 'world' title belts mean nothing anymore.

[Quixall]

I think Cleverley is still on a learning curve and whilst he does posses the skills and status you state in the article, i think he will be fed these type of opponents for a while yet. As you also state, he could have opted for tougher fights with Miranda, Diaconu or a re-match with Bellew which would have been an eagerly awaited fight. It's a fact that Cleverley divides opinion, but people will not fully accept him as a world champion untill they have seen him fight and beat someone they respect and his latest opponent isn't that at all. I think Cleverly can operate at world level, but i don't think he is ready for people such as Hopkins who is being touted, Dawson or Cloud. Expect to have more of these fights for Cleverley over the next 18 months.

And for this reason he can't be classed as a true 'world' champion...which then just demonstrates that all these 'world' title belts mean nothing anymore.

I think we have known that for some time. Mayweather has had fights that didn't involve a world title belt and yet no-one would suggest that he isn't the best in his division. All these world title belts have been made to create money, not to signify who is the best in any divsion. Cleverley can operate and be competative at world level but he is some way off being considered amongst the elite in the light-heavy division.

[Captain Hook]

Good points...

For some the belts are more important than ever, for leverage, but there are lots of fighters out there without belts who are far better than lots of world champions out there who use them as a shield to deflect their lack of quality opposition.

Cleverly seems the type who wants to fight the best, I can't see him being afraid of a challenge. Sadly he doesn't make the matches.

I really do hope he gets in with a top five fighter by the summer. Fingers crossed

[Captain Hook]

Macho - what do you think of Karpency as an opponent? I agree Clev's too green for Dawson, Hopkins and co, but this is a step backwards from Bomber and Murat.

At the end of the day he's got that world title now, and one of the big four, not an IBO or WBU.

There are so many more deserving fighters than the American, and I hope they get their shot at Clev..

... and that Clev gets to prove his talent against a better calibre of opponent.

[Quixall]

Hook.................

Tell me this !!

Where you suprised about the Karpency being announced as Cleverley's opponent ?

If you weren't then you have answered your own question. Cleverley isn't ready to step up and challenge the veery best, he needs to retain that title longer whilst he refines his skills and gains more experience, so expect more fights of this calibre for a while to come.

[Ezzard]

Hook.................

Tell me this !!

Where you suprised about the Karpency being announced as Cleverley's opponent ?

If you weren't then you have answered your own question. Cleverley isn't ready to step up and challenge the veery best, he needs to retain that title longer whilst he refines his skills and gains more experience, so expect more fights of this calibre for a while to come.

I agree that Cleverly needs to build up. And he deserves a gimmee at home. But after that he needs to improve and to do that he needs to fight better fighters.

I scored Cleverly-Bellew as a draw. But I actually thought Bellew was the more skilful. Clev won his rounds by simply throwing more shots. Nothing wrong with that but he needs to become more rounded.

Clev-Bellew II has to happen in 2012.

[Captain Hook]

Hook.................

Tell me this !!

Where you suprised about the Karpency being announced as Cleverley's opponent ?

If you weren't then you have answered your own question. Cleverley isn't ready to step up and challenge the veery best, he needs to retain that title longer whilst he refines his skills and gains more experience, so expect more fights of this calibre for a while to come.

Yes I was surprised...

[jameswilson]

Thing is we don't necassarily demand to see Cleverly in with the very best straight away. He had an entertaining fight with Bomber and proved himself at a certain level there, so yes he does deserve a few fights that build up to the other title holders. But while this next opponent will line his wallett, it won't do him any favours either in terms of his respect or improving his boxing. Lets see him fight some different styled guys who we can agree are top10 top15 fighters. Miranda is a shortish banger. Diaconu offers certain problems. Allan Green is very tall and rangey, with power in his left hook. I don't think his next opponent would even beat the current European champion.

[whiskey]

The fight does nothing for Clev, nothing for his fans, nothing for the channel it's on.

What exactly does it do ?

[Captain Hook]

Just had an email from an American in defence of Karpency, to give it more balance. I'll publish some responses in the next column, including those off Boxrec.

[Captain Hook]

The guy says: "Tommy was Roy Jones Jr. main sparring partner for the Joe Galz. fight"

I presume he means Calzaghe?

[Quixall]

Hook.................

Tell me this !!

Where you suprised about the Karpency being announced as Cleverley's opponent ?

If you weren't then you have answered your own question. Cleverley isn't ready to step up and challenge the veery best, he needs to retain that title longer whilst he refines his skills and gains more experience, so expect more fights of this calibre for a while to come.

Yes I was surprised...

I'm suprised that you were suprised

The Bellew fight was the big give away and acted as a barometer. Cleverley fought the wrong kind of fight aginst Bellew, he was drawn into a fight that suited bellew and maybe that was down to Cleverley not being disciplined or some credit has to go to Bellew. The fact remains that he only just beat Bellew and in some people's eyes got a draw. Some people want him to "step up" which from a boxing fans point of view is reasonable, but with all these alphabet titles going around its easier to gain one and then hiold onto to it as a cash cow, bargaining tool and experience provider. Bellew proved that Cleverley at the moment isn't in the same league as a Hopkins, Dawson, Cloud, so the only guys out there to fight and retain his title are obscure fighters like Karpency. Cleverley will eventually fight a bigger name, but by then he will be in a financial position to lose to that guy, whether it's a Hopkins, Dawson, Cloud.

[Captain Hook]

I just thought it would be someone in the top 50... probably silly of me to be so optimistic

[Quixall]

I just thought it would be someone in the top 50... probably silly of me to be so optimistic

Yeah i would go along with that Captain, but i think many people thought it would a top ten merchant

His next one will be around ranked 65, so let's look forward to that eh

[Captain Hook]

Then again he is number 49 here: http://www.boxing.co.uk/rankings/mens/l ... ndex.shtml

Not far behind William Joppy and Byron Mitchell

[Finn]

Good article - it must be embarrassing for clev to be walking around posing as a world champion when he hasnt actually fought anyone at world class level. Surely he must want to fight someone to validate his world champion status.

[Finn]

Good article - it must be embarrassing for clev to be walking around posing as a world champion when he hasnt actually fought anyone at world class level. Surely he must want to fight someone to validate his world champion status.

He may well feel undeserving but that doesn't mean he should go rushing headlong into the mire. Take a gimme (if there is such a thing), maybe two, and then gradually step up the levels. Playing the long game is the only sensible option.

Gotta disagree if he wanted to do that he shouldnt have bothered getting a world title. He should be fighting top 10 oposition now on a regular basis.

[whiskey]

It's a good article by the way.

Clev's fans have packed themselves into buses for the last couple of years as he fought in London and Liverpool etc.

Their first homecoming fight as champion -and they get fed a turd.

[Captain Hook]

Thanks guys...

Agree with the majority. If you hold a world title belt you should be fighting the best. Young or not, you can't use a reign as world champ to build experience and fight bums until you're ready for the big boys.

You're already the champ....go out and prove you deserve to be.

That's my opinion anyway...

[Lenny]

I will say one good thing for Cleverly's next fight in that tickets aren't being charged at 'World Champion' prices.
Although he hasn't really been that far away, that is one positive for his homecoming.

If we kinda accept his next two fights will probably be Enzo and Bellew, lets hope everyone will be prepared for him to mix it with the big boys after that (provided he wins of course)

Good article Hook

[Captain Hook]

Thanks Lenny..

That said, is Enzo Mac deserving of a world title shot? not for me...