Nathan Cleverly to Face Tommy Karpency in Homecoming Bout
by Scott Christ on Jan 3, 2012 5:22 PM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
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Nathan Cleverly's opponent has been named for his February 25 defense of the WBO light heavyweight title in Cardiff, and it really couldn't have been much weaker a choice. 25-year-old southpaw Tommy Karpency of Pennsylvania will make the trip abroad for the title shot.
Here's what Cleverly said in a release from Frank Warren Promotions:
"This is my first fight in Cardiff for a long time and I'm looking forward to putting on a good show for my fans against Karpency. My return has created a big interest in Wales and it's going to be a fantastic welcome home on 25th February at the Motorpoint Arena.
"I've trained over Christmas and I'm in great shape already and we're still over seven weeks' away from the fight so I'll be spot on come fight night.
"Karpency looks like a tough fighter and he took Murat the distance last year and Murat gave me a hard fight. I've got big plans for this year that I hope will include a unification fight so I've got to keep busy and beat Karpency in style."
Karpency (21-2-1, 14 KO) is a club fighter with no wins of substance, but I guess the saving grace is that he wasn't horrible when he fought Murat in May 2010.
There's really no way to spin this as a good fight or a tough title defense, and it's been booked entirely as a home fight to draw some money from fans in Cardiff to come out and see the local star. Expect something similar to this for Ricky Burns' fight in Glasgow on March 10.
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This fight is what it is but
I know Karpency and he is a good kid that trains in a old church with his dad as his trainer. I might be biased but I dont mind seeing a kid like him get a shot.
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You’re biased. It’s a lousy fight.
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Im not defending it but just saying he is a hard working kid who comes from a small coal town (where few live).
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"Look at this body, ... Do I look like I use steroids?"
-James Toney
by tylerrcurtis on Jan 3, 2012 8:40 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeesh
What Warren has lined up for Clev as title defenses so far takes the easy defenses to a new level for him. This is Humberto Sotoesque.
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Really disappointed by Cleverly. Even Boxrec has given this one two stars, and that’s saying something.
Still searching for an alive Dan Tucker.
Cleverly vs. TBA would usually get a three, puzzling.
It’s not a dig at Karpency, he was ok against Murat, and Teddy Atlas (yes, that prize-winning judge) had him winning against Rayco Saunders. It’s just that Cleverly should be fighting better if he wants to be taken seriously. Since the Murat fight, his stock has just been dropping.
Still searching for an alive Dan Tucker.
I’m not getting all up in arms over sanctioning body rankings because why bother, but it is worth noting that in the last WBO rankings, Karpency was not in the WBO top 15. What changed!
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
This is why BoxNation is a bad idea, they show all Warrens cherry picked shitty fights whereas Sky would of gone “hang on a minute, whos that?”
Its also funny how Eddie Hearn trashes this, then goes and makes Brook v Matthew Hatton.
by Shitali Klitschko on Jan 3, 2012 8:49 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I actually don’t think Brook-Matt Hatton is a particularly bad fight, to be honest. Brook isn’t pretending to be a world champion and Hatton’s at least one of the top domestic fighters.
"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 4, 2012 11:46 AM EST up reply actions
All things considered I’d rather have a game MatHat in there than some washout like Shane Mosley, but its still massively underwhelming.
by Shitali Klitschko on Jan 4, 2012 2:57 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
One of the worst things about it is that Karpency hasn't fought in a year.
Although Karpency is no club fighter like you’ve stated. Maybe more like a young journeyman in the making. He does have some skills and speed.
I honestly don’t think it’s a mismatch, but it is a weak title defense for sure.
Yeah I don’t really see anything wrong with Brook-Hatton. It sure as hell a better match-up than Cleverly-Karpency, and probably gonna be more competitive.
by 36_chambers_ofdeatH on Jan 4, 2012 12:53 PM EST reply actions
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