Cleverly Keeps Focus

By Matthew Eves - Boxing Correspondent

The long awaited showdown between WBO Champ Jurgen Braehmer and Nathan Cleverly has been KOed. The German Champion (Braehmer) first claimed he'd missed his flight, the following day his team claimed he'd sustained an eye injury which would stop him boxing Nathan on Saturday night. How much truth is in these claims is unclear, however, what is clear is the total lack pf professionalism from the German and his team, in truth he's never seemed up for a fight with Welshman.

Braehmer has now been stripped of his world title and this Saturday looks set to be Nathans first defence of that WBO strap, not the ideal way to win a world title but I'm sure Nathan will hold this title and gain many more over the next 10 years.
There was a mad rush to find a new opponent for Nathan and who should step up, Liverpool's Tony Bellew. There has been a simmering rivalry between the 2 fighters since the Liverpool man has bad mouthed Nathan on national TV on numerous occasions, it seemed set for a huge night of grudge fights with the Degale Groves fight being on the same bill. However, it was not to be, Tony had not been honest about what he was currently weighing and the British Board of Boxing deemed it unsafe for the Liverpool man to try and loose that weight in time.

One thing seems certain though, one day Nathan and Tony will cross paths in the ring and this will be a great British grudge match. In my opinion Bellew at this moment in time has little or no hope in a fight with Nathan, Bellew has shown in his last fights that he is a long way away from Nathans level and would almost certainly be KOed in the first 6 rounds.

Nathan's new opponent has been named as the German based Pole Aleksy Kuziemski who is higher in the WBO rankings than Bellew and has been in with Braehmer in the past. Aleksy has a decent record only losing 2 in 23 fights and he's been in with some decent guys.

These late changes and the fracas that occurred last night at a press conference with Tony Bellew and Nathan Clevery may take some of the focus away from some fighters, not Nathan though, Nathan has been saying the right things when everyone else has been loosing their heads and he's ready for Saturday night.

Good luck Nathan from all of the Radio Cardiff Tuesday Night Sports Show.

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