By Cliff Rold

Five years after their initial encounter was to have occurred, a pair of light heavyweights will lock horns in a battle light on attention stateside but with plenty of meaning for them.

The UK’s Nathan Cleverly needs a win this weekend. He showed in a fantastic battle with Andrzej Fonfara last year that he still has plenty to offer. After a devastating knockout loss to Sergey Kovalev, and a rematch defeat to Tony Bellew, many wrote Cleverly off.

The Fonfara fight showed that might have been hasty. It still wasn’t a win.

For Braehmer, this is a chance to beat someone his fans outside Germany might take note of. Holding the WBA’s secondary ‘world’ light heavyweight belt, Braehmer has carved out a living without ever really attempting to bite off more than he could chew. At an advancing fistic age, this is an opportunity to position himself as a possible mandatory for the winner of the Kovalev-Andre Ward fight in November.

Let’s go to the report card.

The Ledger

Juergen Braehmer

Age: 37

Title: WBA Light Heavyweight (2013-Present, 6 Defenses)

Previous Titles: WBO Light Heavyweight (2009-11, 2 Defenses)

Height: 5’11 ½

Weight: 173 ¼ lbs.

Hails from: Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Record: 48-2, 35 KO?

Record in Major Title Fights: 9-1, 5 KO (10-1, 6 KO including interim title fights)

Rankings: #2 (TBRB), #4 (ESPN, Boxing Monthly), #5 (BoxingScene, Ring), #6 (BoxRec)

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 2 (Hugo Garay L12; Enzo Maccarinelli RTD5)

Vs.

Nathan Cleverly

Age: 29

Title: None

Previous Titles: WBO Light Heavyweight (2010-13, 5 Defenses)

Height: 6’1 ½

Weight: 174 ½ lbs.

Hails from: Cefn Forest, Wales, United Kingdom

Record: 29-3, 15 KO, 1 KOBY?

Record in Major Title Fights: 5-1, 2 KO, 1 KOBY (6-1, 2 KO, 1 KOBY)

Rankings: #10 (BoxRec)

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 2 (Tony Bellew MD12, L12; Sergey Kovalev TKO by 4)

Grades

Pre-Fight: Speed – Braehmer B; Cleverly B

Pre-Fight: Power – Braehmer B; Cleverly B-

Pre-Fight: Defense – Braehmer B; Cleverly B-

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Braehmer B; Cleverly B

This fight could end up being an interesting style clash. Braehmer is often more comfortable boxing at range; Cleverly is at his best coming forward. A key question could be how much of his best Braehmer still brings to the ring.

In his last outing, he looked a little slower, with less snap on his shots, than had been the case in the past. One has to wonder if over 50 professional fights, and all the camps that go with them, are having their natural effect. Regardless, he’s a crafty fighter. Braehmer has an educated jab and can be deceptively quick is delivering his southpaw left. He does a good job changing speeds on his shots, picking spots to come forward and otherwise letting his man create openings in front of him. 

Cleverly should be rested having been out a year since the battle with Fonfara. Could that also mitigate his chances of testing the older man? Layoffs are often bad for timing when the lights come on.

Cleverly’s losses have all come against fighters who met him in the trenches and beat him there. They were all physical fights. Fonfara and Bellew outworked him; Kovalev ran him over but Kovalev is at another level from most of the class. The Bellew rematch was contested at cruiserweight, a division that seems friendlier to a Bellew who now holds a title there. At his best, Cleverly presents a high work rate, work to the body, and a sharp left hook.

What the Welshman lacks is genuine finishing power. Against his better foes, Cleverly’s biggest shots haven’t stopped opponents from coming forward. Braehmer has never been stopped. For Cleverly to win here, he has to make Braehmer’s feel the age in his legs and maintain his activity into the second half. 

On the inside, Braehmer may try to tie him up and how Cleverly works on the inside will matter. If he lets himself get tied up, turned, and countered he won’t score the points he needs. He probably won’t outthink Braehmer in there so he has to demonstrably outwork him.

The Pick

Why demonstrably?

Cleverly is on the road here. In a close fight, that matters. This could be a close fight. It is silly that Braehmer holds a title in the class under the same body as Kovalev and has gone years without the WBA forcing them to fight. Silly or not, on his turf Braehmer is the champion. Cleverly has to take the fight to him and leave little doubt.

The smart choice here is a points nod for Braehmer but Cleverly feels due. Almost a decade younger, his energy is going to matter in the second half. The pick is Cleverly on a close, maybe split, decision. 

Report Card and Staff Picks 2016: 34-12

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com