Cleverly Accuses Froch of Being Arrogant

by Thomas Hill on Jan 19, 2012 11:01 AM EST in Boxing News Analysis

Nathan Cleverly will have to wait to fight Carl Froch (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Carl Froch has been branded as arrogant by Nathan Cleverly after apparently turning down a fight with WBO light-heavyweight champion.

Cleverly admitted defeat in his quest to face Froch in the summer at Cardiff City stadium, and will now fight Tommy Karpency in front of his beloved Welsh fans at Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena on February 25th.

Froch lost his WBC super-middleweight title against Andre Ward in the Super Six final in December. Froch's promoter Eddie Hearn is reportedly poised to announce a home-and-away battle with Lucian Bute.

Here is what the Welshman said to Skysports about Froch rejecting the clash.

I just think it makes sense and it would be a great fight. I know he'd have to move up a weight but it's an opportunity for him to become a two-weight world champion and if it's going to be an easy fight for him then why not do it.

I think Cleverly's bitterness comes from the fact he has a poor title defence coming up in February against an opponent who won't really test him. There is no doubt that the Cleverly vs Froch fight would be a great fight, and I can see it happening in the future. Froch will probably be looking to put his defeat behind him by showing the boxing world he is better than his performance against Ward. I'd love to see a rematch with Kessler if that could happen, and then see Froch move up to fight some bigger names in the light-heavyweight division. A fight between the two of them would see two fighters with granite chins, just banging away at each other for 12 rounds - which is what we all want to see.

I can understand Cleverly's disappointment but there will be plenty of big fights in the future for him...a lot bigger than Tommy Karpency.

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hes arrogant? oh no! the earth is round!

"According to all the laws of aerodynamics the bumble-bee should not fly, but the bumble-bee does not know this and so flies anyway."

by cylee1180 on Jan 19, 2012 11:21 AM EST reply actions

I do love that fight, actually.

Just while we’re on the topic, my opinion of Nathan Cleverly has dropped pretty drastically in the last year. Nothing to do with what he’s saying here, but whereas a year ago I’d have rated his potential no worse than B+, I’ve got him at B or B- now.

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on Jan 19, 2012 11:39 AM EST reply actions

I’m a bit iffy on Clev. The Bellew fight told me a lot about his prospects should he mix it with the big names in the division. Could he beat Tavoris Cloud? Maybe, Hopkins or Pascal? Perhaps, but there’s no way on earth he could hang with or even come close to beating Chad Dawson. Chad Dawson despite his last effort against B-Hop remains the most talented light heavyweight in the world. So I agree Clev is somewhere between the B to B- range, Dawson is an A- and if he can maintain his new found hunger, coupled with the talent he could surpass everyone else in the division, if he hasn’t already based on pure talent alone.

by CollegeDropIn on Jan 19, 2012 12:25 PM EST up reply actions

I’m not his biggest fan (I don’t know if he has a biggest fan), but I agree that a determined, hungry Dawson pretty much wipes the mat with everyone in the division. Problem is getting and keeping him in that mindset.

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on Jan 19, 2012 1:21 PM EST up reply actions

Since the Mohammedi fight, where the Frenchman was fooling him for the latter half of the fight, he seems to have moved away from fighting behind the jab. I think Cleverly fights arrogantly now, if that’s possible.

Still searching for an alive Dan Tucker.

by Dafs on Jan 19, 2012 1:12 PM EST up reply actions

I think Cleverly fights arrogantly now, if that’s possible.

Totally agree. There’s a great clip in the Murat fight where, between rounds, Vince Cleverly is telling his son how fabulously he’s doing (after one of the rounds where Nathan had been wagging his tongue at Murat and getting hit for no reason whatsoever) when Dean Powell pretty much shuts him up and tells Nathan to get on the jab and stop fooling around. Somewhere along the lines, through a combination of hype, his dad and increased confidence in his abilities, Cleverly’s ego has become ridiculously inflated to the point that it is fundamentally inhibiting his career progression. Until he suffers a big loss, which he will, he’ll stay on the current track, methinks.

"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."

by Oli Goldstein on Jan 19, 2012 2:17 PM EST up reply actions

Pretty much my thoughts

He has very good if not great ability, but declines to use it. It gives us entertaining fights, but not great for his condition

by Sweet science on Jan 19, 2012 7:35 PM EST up reply actions

“I can understand Cleverly’s disappointment but there will be plenty of big fights in the future for him…a lot bigger than Tommy Karpency” if he leaves or forces warren to make them otherwise look forward to 4 years of this

by pong102 on Jan 19, 2012 11:44 AM EST reply actions