Nathan Cleverly may have come up short on the cards against Andrzej Fonfara last Friday, but he made one hell of an impression on American audiences. The former WBO Light Heavyweight champ bagged some strong early rounds and never stopped firing in the action-packed encounter.
Cleverly has said he’d be up for a rematch with Poland’s fast-rising Fonfara, who made a name for himself by Retiring Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in April.
“It was a fan friendly fight, especially in America where they like the aggressive, front foot fighters,” Cleverly told Boxing News. “Albeit it can be reckless at times but it seems to go down well in the States. Hopefully they’ll invite me back and we’ll have another ding-dong.”
It would be a wise bet. Despite suffering a broken nose in the 7th round, Cleverly stayed strong, refusing to let Fonfara smother and score an early finish. At the final bell, scorecards came in at 113-115, 112-116 (twice).
Cleverly may be 3-3 in his last six ring outings, but at just 28-years-old, he should have plenty left in him for a rematch in what would be his second fight on American soil. But not before a much-needed rest.
“I’ll just have a standard bit of time off,” Cleverly said. “Mentally freshen up, physically rejuvenate, alleviate some aches and pains and let the body heal, the nose heal. I’ll just live a normal life for a period, get away from boxing and come back refreshed and ready to hit it hard.”
Following last weekend’s 175lb showdown, Fonfara now stands at 28 wins, 3 defeats, 16 knockouts, while Cleverly returned to Wales with 29 wins, 3 defeats, 15 knockouts.
Andrzej Fonfara vs Nathan Cleverly II, anyone? And who would you be picking in the sequel?
