by Cliff Rold

Well, that was fun while it lasted.

It’s a word that describes a lot of what we’ve seen at light heavyweight in the last few years. While it doesn’t have the superstar drawing power of other classes, light heavyweight rarely gets the credit it should for a slate of fun fights.

Part of that is the drama around the class. The build to Sergey Kovalev-Andre Ward, and the years long failure to make Kovalev-Adonis Stevenson, has sucked so much air out of the rest of the room.

Take a step back. Stevenson has had thrillers with Andrzej Fonfara and Thomas Williams. Kovalev’s first fight with jean Pascal was a corker, as was Pascal’s debatable win over Yunieski Gonzalez. Fonfara had a dramatic win over Nathan Cleverly and shocking loss to Joe Smith. Williams and Edwin Rodriguez was lights out once removed from Rodriguez’s jaw dropping war with Michael Seals.

That’s all in the last two years and change and is not all encompassing.

And we still have Kovalev-Ward in the offing.

This is a fun weight class. Saturday was more of the same.

Let’s go to the report card.

Grades

Pre-Fight: Speed – Braehmer B; Cleverly B/Post: Same

Pre-Fight: Power – Braehmer B; Cleverly B-/Post: Same

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

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Braehmer B; Cleverly B/Post: Same

The fight played out style wise the way one would expect it to. The high volume offense of Cleverly forced the fight and Braehmer looked to counter in combination. It meant a fight contested mostly at close quarters with both guys tossing lots of leather. Cleverly threw more, Braehmer threw more accurately.

Both men did a good job picking off head shots and rolling with the punches. The amount of punches meant plenty of contact anyways. Braehmer’s doesn’t look like he should be able to fight inside but he is uncanny. His long arms contort to find opening at odd angles and he was very good at shortening up his punches as Cleverly came forward.

The body punching from both guys was exacting. Neither was content to go head hunting. Cleverly has always been good at working downstairs in combination but Braehmer was right there with him. Through six rounds, it looked like about a dead even fight.

An injury to Braehmer’s elbow left him unable to go on but ready to claim him rights to an immediate rematch. Neither man looks like much of a threat to the trio of Kovalev, Ward, and Stevenson so that sounds just fine. Whether they go six rounds again, or the full twelve, the style clash is just entertaining viewing.

For Cleverly, the win couldn’t come at a better time. The 29-year old has struggled since a thrashing loss to Kovalev and he needed something of note in his win column. Braehmer has been the sort of steady presence in the top ten that puts him right back in the mix below the elite level.

Braehmer, who has long held a version of the WBA title without fighting the sanctioning body’s top champion, Kovalev, has a long road back here. At 37 and getting older, he won’t find Cleverly any easier the second time.

It doesn’t mean it won’t be fun to see him try.

There’s nothing wrong with boxing just being fun sometimes.   

Report Card and Staff Picks 2016: 35-12

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