Nathan Cleverly has told rival world champions Bernard Hopkins and Tavoris Cloud to make sure they turn on to EPIX this Saturday to watch him in action.
Cleverly’s third World Boxing Organization (WBO) World Light-Heavyweight title defence will be televised live in America by EPIX and also on a jumbo-screen in New York’s Times Square.
The unbeaten Welshman makes his long awaited ‘Homecoming’ at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena against American Tommy Karpency which is live and exclusive in the UK on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 456/Virgin Ch. 546).
Providing the 25-year-old star comes through, his next target is the World Boxing Council (WBC) World Champion Hopkins – at 47 boxings oldest world champion in history – who first takes on Chad Dawson on April 28 in Atlantic City in a rematch of their controversial first fight – which can also be seen live on BoxNation.
Cleverly said, “I was brought up to respect my elders and he’s a legend of the sport so I’ll refer to Bernard as Mr. Hopkins,”
“If Mr. Hopkins could stay up a bit later this Saturday, as I guess he retires to bed earlier these days, have a cup of hot cocoa and settles down to watch EPIX then he’ll see his next challenger live on his TV,”
“I don’t want to give him a nightmare as he’s lost to one Welshman already in my former gym-mate Joe Calzaghe, which is no disgrace as he’s Britain’s greatest ever boxer, but if Joe was the master then Mr. Hopkins must now face the student,”
“He’s got his unfinished business with Dawson to settle first and we’ll see what happens, but I want to fight him,”
“He’s one of the greatest champions in history and has made extraordinary achievements in the sport, but I want to be the best so I’ve got to face the best and that’s Mr. Hopkins.”
Unbeaten IBF title holder Cloud, who retained his title last week with a points win Gabriel Campillo, is also on Cleverly’s radar.
Cleverly added, “I wasn’t overly impressed with Could’s last performance against Campillo and thought he may have lost it, he is probably the easiest to beat out there so I’d like to take his unbeaten record and IBF belt off him,”
“If Campillo was dropped twice in the first round, came back to cut up Cloud and win on one of the judges scorecards, what would I do to him? I would have too much speed, angles and work-rate for Cloud to deal with if we fought.”
“I’m sure Cloud will be watching me on EPIX, but I don’t think he’d fancy a fight against me.”