Date:  August 7, 2013

Title:  WBO Lt. Heavyweight Title

Location:  Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

Promoter:  Frank Warren Promotions

Supervisor:   John Duggan

Referee:   Terry O’Connor

Judges:   Alfredo Polanco, Jose Ignacio Martinez and Zoltan Enyedi

Results:    Sergey Kovalev obtained the WBO Lt. Heavyweight Title against Nathan Cleverly.

Nathan Cleverly insists it would be a “recipe for disaster” to underestimate Tommy Karpency at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on February 25.

WBO light-heavyweight champion Cleverly has been matched against the little-known American for his homecoming fight.

While the unbeaten 24-year-old from Cefn Fforest hopes to treat the expected sell-out 5,000 crowd to a fine spectacle, he has ruled out complacency creeping into his preparations.

“It would be absolutely stupid and naive to underestimate any opponent in boxing, especially in a world title fight,” he said.

“It would be recipe for disaster. A lot of people have written Tommy off, but they’re not the ones who are stepping into the ring.

“When you face another trained fighter, you must be on your game, especially at this level.

“I’ve prepared even better than I have for any other fight.

“Tommy’s got nothing to lose and can give it everything knowing there’s a big prize at the end of the line.

“It’s my ambition to remain unbeaten and prevent that from happening.

“I want to enjoy the performance and put on a good display of boxing.

“It could go the distance and the most important thing is that physically and mentally I’m prepared to go 12 rounds.”

The unheralded Karpency has lost two of his 24 fights and had most people scratching their heads when he was unveiled as Cleverly’s next opponent.

But the 26-year-old from Pennsylvania insists he is capable of causing a major upset.

“I’m not sure who Nathan was in negotiations with for this fight, but for me this is the pinnacle of the sport, a world championship bout,” he said.

“The reason I was chosen as an opponent doesn’t affect my drive to win whatsoever.

“I’ve gone through my whole career without a promoter, my father’s my trainer and manager.

“I’ve been written off and that doesn’t really bother me, but I imagine Nathan’s camp haven’t written me off.

“I believe I can beat any light-heavyweight in the world. If I didn’t, I shouldn’t be in sport.”

 

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49363

World champion looking forward to summer ‘superfight’

Nathan Cleverly is hoping to further enhance his box office appeal when he defends his WBO light-heavyweight title against Tommy Karpency.

The Welshman will make the third defence of belt against the American at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on February 25, in what could be a stepping stone to a big open-air fight in the summer.

“Frank (Warren) has got big plans for me and to fight at Cardiff City’s ground would be a dream,” he said. “I’m still only 24 and time is on my side to achieve a lot of things.

“I know the big super-fights will come, I’ve just got to keep putting on good displays and we are progressively getting there.

“In the meantime I can’t be complacent by taking my eye off the ball and let Karpency upset the plans.

“I saw Karo Murat’s fight against Karpency when I was preparing for my fight against Murat and I saw that he’s a southpaw, tough, rugged and strong. He’ll come to have a fight with me, but I’ll break him down and look good doing it.”

 

http://www1.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/7423772/Clev-Big-fights-will-come