Beibut Shumenov Never Turned Down Cleverly, Says Chargin

by Scott Christ on Jan 3, 2012 8:35 PM EST in Boxing News Analysis

Beibut Shumenov's team says they did not turn down a fight with Nathan Cleverly, and never were offered one in the first place.

Hall of Famer Don Chargin says that Beibut Shumenov, the current WBA light heavyweight titleholder, never turned down any offer to face WBO titlist Nathan Cleverly on February 25, despite claims from Frank Warren Promotions that Shumenov said he wouldn't be ready for that date.

The Warren press release said:

An offer went to WBA title-holder Beibut Shumenov to face Cleverly, but he said he would not be ready in time - although it could happen later this year.

Chargin says that in November, he contacted Warren about making a unification bout between Shumenov and Cleverly, and spoke with Dean Powell, Warren's matchmaker, about the fight on two occasions.

He also says that they offered a fight in Las Vegas recently, but didn't hear back. Cleverly is instead facing a very weak opponent in American Tommy Karpency on February 25 in Cardiff.

"I thought that it was strange to get an email just yesterday asking what it would take to get Beibut to come to the UK, especially where we had been talking by phone, and they never responded to our offer weeks ago for Cleverly to fight Beibut in Las Vegas," Chargin said via his own press release.

"The next day they announce a fight between Cleverly and Karpency? The truth of the matter is Beibut never turned down any fight against Cleverly because they didn't make an offer to us. We offered them a fight against Shumenov in Las Vegas and they never even responded to that offer, which, to me, means they turned it down.

"To say Beibut wouldn't be ready in time to fight Cleverly in two months is quite amusing. Beibut's been ready to unify since he first won the WBA title. I am terribly disappointed that they would make false statements like that."

Now there is, of course, promoter spin here, too: For as ready to unify as Shumenov has supposedly been, he's not only not unified, but he's faced some really poor challengers since winning the belt via highly disputed decision over Gabriel Campillo in January 2010.

Hopefully this is a fight that can become a reality later in the year, because right now these guys are both spinning their wheels with some awful matchups.

Tweet Comment 10 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Read More: beibut shumenov, nathan cleverly

Comments

Disgraceful fight, even for a homecoming one.

Not that I was expecting this to come off, or Hopkins, but at least a fringe contender.

by Shitali Klitschko on Jan 3, 2012 8:40 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Edison Miranda or Enzo Maccarinelli would’ve made for more interesting opponents, both have stated that they would happily fight Cleverly, but instead Warren opts for another weak opponent, the longer this goes on the less credibility Cleverly has as champion, sure it’d be riskier but Clev would get more respect if he actually started taking on proper fighters.

"I'm not God, but I am something similar."

—Roberto Duran

by Counterpunch on Jan 3, 2012 8:52 PM EST reply actions

Vince Cleverly said Nathan was the best light heavyweight in the world. Of course dad’s will be dad’s and that’s to be expected. But……cocaine is a helluva drug.

by CollegeDropIn on Jan 3, 2012 9:26 PM EST reply actions

It appears to me that Shumenov is only interested in fighting in Vegas and Cleverly has no intention of going to fight on the opponent’s home-turf. So really, this fight has very little chances of getting made. Shumenov is just trying to look like the good guy when he says he “doesn’t understand” why Cleverly didn’t want to fight in Vegas. This is like the wolf saying it doesn’t understand why the sheep doesn’t want to come with him to the woods for a friendly walk.
I bet Shumenov announces a fight against another nobody pretty soon and will keep saying that he “tried” to get all the top guys and that none of them were willing to fight him.

Also for Shumenov, if you keep saying nobody will fight you, please call any of the following: Adrian Diaconu, Zsolt Erdei, Ismayl Sillakh, Tavoris Cloud. You’ll find any of them is perfectly willing to fight you in your hometown. Oooooh, but you don’t want to do hat, do you?

by Radu on Jan 4, 2012 9:44 AM EST reply actions

As much as I like Shumenov technique. Sillakh would dispatch Shumenov and probably knock him out because Shumenov is there to be hit and throws lots of punches. I would favor Shumenov over every other fighter you named especially Diaconu and Cloud.

by 36_chambers_ofdeatH on Jan 4, 2012 12:40 PM EST up reply actions

He can also call the guy who BEAT him decisively, but got screwed royally? Campillo.

But that will never happen.

by DPlainview on Jan 4, 2012 3:49 PM EST up reply actions

So he should go to Cleverly’s hometown? Cleverly is fighting scrubs, same as Shumenov. Both camps are full of it.

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

by Scott Christ on Jan 4, 2012 11:58 PM EST up reply actions

Oh, I definitely don’t think Shumenov should go to Cleverly’s hometown. I just meant that neither is willing to go to the other’s hometown so this fight never really had a chance of happening. If either camp says they “thought” it was going to happen, they are full of it.
This is why I only mentioned fighters that would be willing to travel to Shumenov’s house.

by Radu on Jan 5, 2012 3:31 AM EST up reply actions