New NABF champ Michael Clark challenges Mayweather

06.05 - PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Newly crowned NABF lightweight champion Michael Clark has issued a challenge to WBC title-holder Floyd Mayweather, Jr., as well as the winner of the upcoming Paul Spadafora- Leonard Dorin IBF-WBA unification bout.

Last night, Clark (31-2, 15 KOs) won a 12-round split decision (115-113 & 115-113 Clark, 116-112 Quinonez) from defending champion Steve Quinonez (30-7-1, 11 KOs) live on Fox Sports from Trump29 Casino in Coachella, California (near Quinonez’ hometown of Cathedral City). “I’ll fight anybody in the top 10,” the Columbus, Ohio-native Clark said, “and I’ve already beaten Levander Johnson (No. 2 IBF contender). The guy I really want is Mayweather. To be the best you have to beat the best. Just about everybody in boxing thinks Mayweather’s the best lightweight in the world. Hey, I’m used to fighting in everybody’s back yard, and I’m willing to fight Floyd in Detroit. I started boxing there at the Kronk Gym. If we can’t work that fight out, I’ll take on the winner of Spadafora-Dorin. I’ll leave that up

Clark, 29, has won five fights in a row since losing a unanimous decision to the now IBF super lightweight champion Vivian Harris. His only other career loss was to WBO title-holder Artur Grigorian.

“His win against Quinonez has to put Michael in the top 10,” Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. president Burchfield added. “I want to thank the NABF, Tom Brown and Dan Goossen from Goossen-Tutor for giving us that opportunity. Mayweather’s the fight we want. He’s a great champion. Michael has done everything he’s had to do, including fights in his opponents’ backyards, and now he deserves a title shot. He fought a great fight against a very tough opponent in Quinonez, who was ranked in the top 15 in all three of major organizations. It’s Michael Clark’s time now.”