Light Heavyweight

Nathan Cleverly faces Andrzej Fonfara in Chicago on Friday in a fight that could have major ramifications for both men in the light heavyweight division.

Although born in Warsaw, Poland, Fonfara now resides in Illinois, which means he will have the crowd on his side at the UIC Pavilion.

The 27-year-old is the reigning WBC international champion and boasts a 27-3 (16 KOs) record. In his last outing, he defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and has only lost once in the last seven years.

Welshman Cleverly (29-2, 15 KOs), meanwhile, is a former world champion at the weight. Sergey Kovalev ended his reign in 2013, and he also lost to longtime rival Tony Bellew last November.

When: Friday, October 16, 8 p.m. local (9 p.m. ET, 2 a.m. Sat BST)

Where: UIC Pavilion, Chicago

TV: Spike (US), Sky Sports (UK)

Live stream: Sky Go (UK; regional restrictions apply)

Career Crossroads

@boxingsocialist Fonfara not a clever choice by Cleverly? Play #fantasyboxing now at http://t.co/u9xIm6pEpo pic.twitter.com/FzTVMuosE3

— Throwdown Fantasy (@ThrowdownFan) October 4, 2015

Cleverly has taken a gamble in choosing to fight Fonfara overseas.

The former WBO titleholder had the chance to challenge current WBA champion Juergen Braehmer, but he instead opted to go down a different route.

The aim is clear—beat Fonfara and move to the head of the queue for a clash with Adonis Stevenson, who holds the WBC belt, or alternatively earn a rematch with Kovalev.

But, while he is only 28, Cleverly finds himself at a career crossroads.

Defeat in Chicago would leave the maths graduate from Cardiff University with no clear path. For that reason, fighting someone of Fonfara's age and ability is a big risk.

Cleverly admits he's in against a tough opponent, per Sky Sports: "I don't think there's many weaknesses with Andrzej but what I can capitalise on I believe is my movement, my speed and my punch variation. I believe the variety will give Fonfara problems and I believe I can pull this off."

Since Kovalev shattered his unbeaten record, Cleverly has struggled to regain any momentum.

There was a brief stint up at cruiserweight, but defeat in the rematch with Bellew, whom Cleverly had previously beaten at light heavyweight, led him to drop down to 175 pounds again.

His first fight back at the limit saw him dismantle Tomas Man inside a round at the O2 Arena, London, in May.

Fonfara will not fold so quickly, but Cleverly, who twice fought Bellew in his opponent's home city of Liverpool, England, is smart enough to know what is at stake. 

Aiming for Superman

Like his next opponent, Fonfara has his sights set on a potential rematch with one of the division's big guns.

While Cleverly fancies another crack at Kovalev, the Pole wants to pit himself up against Stevenson again.

The first bout between the pair saw Superman Stevenson prevail on points. Fonfara, though, thinks he has improved since that meeting last May.  

However, he is keen to take on any of the big names in the division, according to Boxing News 24:

I always say yes. Promoters give me the fighter. Give me the contract and then we will show we aren’t scared of anybody. This is boxing.

That’s why we fight, to get fights with the best guys in the world. And [Isaac] Chilemba, [Artur] Beterbiev and Stevenson are the best ones. 

We mentioned Stevenson because now I think I can win the fight and I want a rematch.

Fonfara was impressive when forcing Chavez Jr. to retire on his stool.

Despite being docked a point for use of the shoulder, he knocked his Mexican opponent down in the ninth round during a dominant display at the StubHub Center in California. 

Cleverly, though, is a talented boxer who can pick his punches, so he will therefore pose a different set of problems.

Fonfara's trainer—Sam Colonna—has made sure his fighter is well-prepared, telling BoxingScene.com's David P. Greisman, "We’re training a little different, working on more speed, more combinations, more moving on our feet, because I know this guy’s not going to stand in front of us like Chavez did."

Prediction

Cleverly should be praised for taking on Fonfara. He believes a win on American soil will open more doors than beating Braehmer for a major belt.

But, while it's the right idea, it remains to be seen how much the Brit has left in the tank. He has never quite been the same since Kovalev stopped him inside of four rounds.

Fonfara will have plenty of support—Chicago is home to a sizeable Polish community—plus his career, unlike Cleverly's, seems to be on the rise.

The champion will successfully defend his WBC international strap, either on points or via a late stoppage.

Adonis "Superman" Stevenson retained his light heavyweight boxing title with a third-round technical knockout of challenger Tommy Karpency on Friday night in Toronto.

With the win, Stevenson improved to 27-1 with 22 knockouts. Of his last 17 wins, 15 have ended with a knockout. Karpency fell to 25-5-1 after the defeat.

It was billed as a bout in Stevenson's favor. The opening promotion even described it as the man with a million-dollar smile against a small-town Rocky, and it was over in a hurry. 

Stevenson is one of the heaviest punchers in the business, and he's an intelligent fighter as well. The huge favorite set up his big left hand throughout the fight.

Karpency wasn't afraid to throw a couple of lefts, though. The boxer from a small town (Adah, Pennsylvania) didn't look tentative on the big stage.

But with his aggression, he gave his opponent a few openings, and Stevenson landed two big left hands in the first round, one of which saw Karpency's knees buckle.

Taking a couple of big punches didn't deter Karpency, though. He even managed to connect with a right hand that looked to stun Stevenson for a millisecond.

The challenger wasn't entirely active, but he was patient, looking to find an opportunity, though it never came. 

Stevenson, out of nowhere, hit him with a combination from the body right to the head with a big lefty blow. Karpency wobbled and fell. His staggering might have saved him, though, as Stevenson couldn't land the finishing blow. Karpency got up at the nine-count and went back to his corner with the end of the second round.

Actress Rosie Perez saw his effort as admirable but knew it wouldn't last:

Was a hell of an effort to get up by Karpency. Too bad it will probably end soon anyway. @spike @premierboxing #StevensonKarpency #Boxing

— Rosie Perez (@rosieperezbklyn) September 12, 2015

He didn't last 25 seconds into the third round. A trio of blows to the head sent Karpency to the deck, and the referee ended the fight.

It didn't look good either, according to the Toronto Star's Morgan Campbell:

https://twitter.com/MorganPCampbell/status/642527122666487808

ZombieProphet provided a look at the knockout:

Adonis Stevenson vs Tommy Karpency #PBConSpike KO, Look at his head bounce!!! https://t.co/KPDL2g4aMe

— ZombieProphet (@ZProphet_MMA) September 12, 2015

It didn't take long for Stevenson to start thinking ahead as he called out the undefeated Sergey Kovalev. "You're easy work," Stevenson proclaimed, per FightNights.com. Kovalev might prove to be a stiffer challenge than Karpency, but with the display Stevenson put on during Friday night's fight, he sent a message to the boxing world.

In many ways, WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (26-1, 21 KO) has lost the respect of the boxing community.

Quite honestly, he won't regain much of it in the next Premier Boxing Champions telecast on Spike against Tommy "Kryptonite" Karpency (25-4-1, 14 KO) Friday night in Toronto, but a loss would be devastating for the champion.

When: Friday, Sept. 11, at 9 p.m. ET

Where: Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto

TV: Spike

Live Stream: Spike.com

Declining Approval Rating

Stevenson has held the title since June 2013, when he knocked out Chad Dawson. However, since then, Superman has seemingly leaped tall buildings in a single bound to avoid facing WBA, IBF and WBO champion Sergey Kovalev.

At one point, both men were signed to HBO, but Stevenson bolted for Showtime as it seemed the two champions were on a collision course. HBO could have done more to try to keep Stevenson under its banner, but it didn't appear as if Stevenson was in any hurry to face the scary Russian power puncher.

Meanwhile, Stevenson is jumping at the chance to take on guys like Karpency. 

That's not meant as a knock on the 29-year-old southpaw from Adah, Pennsylvania. Karpency is a gamer who will give maximum effort in the ring. He's even going the extra mile in his efforts to help promote the fight.

Per Premier Boxing Champions, Karpency took on the moniker "Kryptonite" to combat Stevenson's "Superman" nickname. 

It makes the marquee look better, but not necessarily the matchup in the ring. For what it's worth, Stevenson told fans to prepare for a knockout in this interview with Corey Erdman of The Fight Network:

Tested, but Still Unknown

Most fight fans probably hadn't heard much about Karpency before it was announced that he would be taking on Stevenson. Bleacher Report's Kevin McRae and WildpunchBoxing seemed less than enthused about Karpency in this bout:

Adonis Stevenson actually defended fighting Tommy Karpency by saying he isn't a pizza delivery guy. That should go on the poster.

— 🖤❤️💛KPM❤️🤍❤️ (@KPMWrites) August 20, 2015

#StevensonKarpency is just utter trash pic.twitter.com/Jsb33ghAnz

— Jenko (@jenkhouse) August 27, 2015

The odd thing is that Karpency has taken on several known fighters, including Dawson, whom he beat by split decision in 2014. 

Karpency has also faced Karo Murat, Andrzej Fonfara and Nathan Cleverly. All three of those fights resulted in defeats for Karpency. How could a fighter face fairly well-known competition and still not be more widely known or respected? 

Karpency isn't a huge puncher, and that could explain why he hasn't gained more notoriety or respect. It could also explain why Team Stevenson felt he was the right guy to fight.

Prediction

Contrary to popular opinion, Karpency isn't a stiff. When he moves, his feet are decent, and he has above-average hand speed. You can see all of his win over Dawson in the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkezfBYBh_o

Against Dawson, he stood right in front of his man too frequently. Dawson isn't known as a hard puncher, so that strategy wasn't as ill-advised as it would be against a guy like Stevenson. Dawson also looks like a shell of himself since he went down to 168 pounds and got throttled by Andre Ward in 2012.

There aren't many fighters in the sport with heavier hands than the 37-year-old champion. We've yet to see a fighter who could consistently eat Stevenson's shots without wilting.

Karpency seems to like to stand in the pocket and fire counter power shots. He works behind his jab but can be a little predictable with his one-two combinations. Both of those tendencies are a bad look for a guy with marginal power against Stevenson.

Because Stevenson's level of competition hasn't exactly been up to fight fans' standards, it's easy to forget how good he is in the ring. At one point, he was seen as a one-dimensional slugger. He disproved that concept when he dismantled former champion Tavoris Cloud in 2013.

Cloud quit on the stool, but the submission was brought on by Stevenson's superior boxing skills. Stevenson's weakness is his chin. He was knocked out by journeyman slugger Darnell Boone in 2010 and floored by Fonfara in 2014. 

Karpency doesn't have Boone or Fonfara's power, and that will ultimately be his undoing. Stevenson's jab and power will wear Karpency down and lead to an eighth-round TKO win for the WBC champion.

---

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

North Korea has Dennis Rodman. If Roy Jones Jr. has his way, Russia will soon have him. The boxing great traveled to Russia this week to ask President Vladimir Putin for citizenship over a cup of tea, as noted by Fox Sports Live:

Roy Jones Jr. asks Putin for Russian citizenship over tea http://t.co/MTBmsA8XVT pic.twitter.com/mfE8aYIXx2

— FOX Sports Live (@FOXSportsLive) August 19, 2015

According to a transcript of the conversation released by the Russian government, Jones spoke of his plans to take advantage of his fame in the country via boxing promotion, singing and other endeavors. 

"That’s why I want to come here," Jones said. "That’s why I’m also here. Because I want to ask you about maybe having a passport to go back and forth so that I can do business here. Because all the people here seem to love Roy Jones Jr. And I love when people love me."

OK, two things: First, "I love when people love me" sounds like the most depressing Hallmark card ever created. It might as well say, "I compensate for my loneliness with your adoration."

Second, this is all kinds of amazing. Just take this quote: "And also, I think, sports-wise, it would help build a bridge between the two countries [United States and Russia]."

This is the greatest moment in athlete international relations since Rodman called Kim Jong Un his "dear friend for life" and took credit for the release of a detainee. Anyone looking to defend the bombast of Kanye West will forever and always have Rodman and Jones locked into their holster.

Back to the topic of Jones' citizenship, Putin said, "we would certainly be happy" to grant the former light heavyweight champion a passport. So perhaps there is hope for this world yet. First Rocky IV ended the Cold War, and now Roy Jones Jr. is going to save U.S.-Russia relations one match at a time.

The only question remaining: Which athlete will come to our rescue next? 

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter

When it comes to light heavyweights, Adonis Stevenson is the man who beat the man.

When it comes to the best light heavyweights, Sergey Kovalev has become a little more.

The unbeaten Russian earned the WBO share of the empire 10 weeks after Stevenson erased consensus kingpin Chad Dawson, but the subsequent two years have seen his profile rise to a point where no less an expert than Bernard Hopkins told Bleacher Report that he expects the reign to last indefinitely.

“This is not me being a cheerleader with pom-poms all of a sudden,” said Hopkins, the former IBF/WBA champion who was dropped once and lost all 12 rounds against Kovalev last November.

“He’s not the typical straight-up-and-down European who moves like he got stilts on his legs. That’s the surprising part of fighting him. And he’s going to get better. That’s the scary part for his opponents.

“If he adapts more stuff with that and then learns more with the style that he’s been successful with, he’s going to be a really hard person to beat in years, not fights.”

Both Stevenson and Kovalev have defended five times since their initial title wins in 2013, but the prolonged haggling over a possible unification fight—and the public perception that it’s Stevenson who’s been keeping it from happening—has fueled the 32-year-old’s leapfrog to the top of the charts.

Ring Magazine recognizes Stevenson as its light heavyweight champion, though Kovalev—who’s listed as the No. 1 contender at 175 pounds—is No. 7 on the pound-for-pound list, while Stevenson is unranked.

And presuming he gets past a mandatory defense against top-ranked IBF contender Nadjib Mohammedi on Saturday in Las Vegas (HBO, 10 p.m. ET), Kovalev’s plan is to keep facing all comers, whether that means Stevenson or not.

“I know that Stevenson is a piece of s--t,” he told Bleacher Report.

“All he says is ‘I want this fight. I want to fight this boxer. I don’t want to fight this boxer.’ He’s not a fighter. He’s a businessman. I’m a fighter. I’m going to fight any contender and any challenger who is coming to get my titles. My titles are my babies. I worked a long time to get them, and my goal now is to save them for as long as possible.”

When it comes to long runs in a weight class, Hopkins himself is an authority.

Now 50, he earned the IBF’s piece of the middleweight title as a 30-year-old in 1995, then defended it 19 times while adding the WBA, WBC and WBO belts through 2005.

A split-decision loss to Jermain Taylor ultimately cost him the hardware collection but preceded a reinvention that saw him rise to 175 pounds and win four titles before the one-sided beating by Kovalev.

“The only person who can beat Sergey is him right now,” Hopkins said.

“If you want these fights that might not ever happen, you’ve got to tell yourself that they’re going to happen, just to stay motivated. If it starts getting boring to you and you don’t tell yourself that, you’ve got a problem. At the end of the day, the guy that nobody expects to win is always the dangerous guy.”

Kovalev and Stevenson are the top two fighters at 175, according to the Independent World Boxing Rankings, which rate everyone in division regardless of the sanctioning-body belts they possess.

Of the six others who round out the top eight, Kovalev and Stevenson have defeated four of them, and, presuming the favorite tops the underdog this weekend, Mohammedi would become victim No. 5.

Given that level of dominance, it’s no surprise the most intriguing options come from elsewhere.

Kovalev said two-belt middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin and one-belt super middleweight boss Andre Ward are on his prospective hit list, presuming those foils make the trip to 175 for the showdown.

In fact, Hopkins sees Ward—who returned from a 19-month ring absence in June—as the perfect complement for a near-term mega-event.

“You’ve got to look at the amateur pedigree of Andre Ward. He’s a gold-medal winner,” Hopkins said.

“I don’t see it in a year or two years from now, I see it within a fight or two. I saw (Ward) look great in the last fight and he’ll look better in the next one and his competition is going to step up. That’s a superfight, definitely. As long as both guys continue to win, it’s absolutely a superfight.”

Stone-fisted boxer Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) has not yet tasted defeat as a professional, but that record and his WBA, IBF and WBO light heavyweight titles will be put on the line Saturday evening when he takes on mandatory challenger Nadjib Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round match at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. 

Kovalev's career has been a rather straightforward ascent to the top of the light heavyweight division, and he's looked mighty comfortable in his time there by seemingly improving with each passing bout.

After taking the WBO World light heavyweight title from Nathan Cleverly with a fourth-round TKO in August 2013, Kovalev has defended it five times and since added the IBF and WBA titles with a unanimous-decision win over Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins in November of last year. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXKUKBMmHn4

Mohammedi's last loss came against Dmitry Sukhotsky in October 2011. Since then, he's won 13 fights, ending 11 of them before the final bell with his own considerable power and skill. He's handily beaten most of his opponents and done everything asked of him to reach this point, but it's safe to say Mohammedi's yet to meet a mauler like Kovalev in the ring.

Here's the fight schedule and viewing info, followed by a quick preview and prediction for the bout. 


Kovalev vs. Mohammedi: Fight Schedule, Viewing Info

Date: Saturday, July 25

Time: 10 p.m. ET/PT

Location: Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas

TV: HBO

Preview, Prediction

Kovalev	Tale of the Tape	Mohammedi
32	Age	30
27-0-1 (24 KOs)	Record	37-3 (23 KOs)
8-0 (7 KOs)	Record in Title Bouts	14-3 (9 KOs)
6'0"	Height	5'11.5"
72.5"	Reach	70.5"
Orthodox	Stance	Orthodox
Eighth-round TKO win over Jean Pascal	Last Fight	Sixth-round TKO win over Lee Campbell
WBA (Super), WBO, IBF light heavyweight	Belts/Titles	N/A

Kovalev doesn't waste time in the ring. He possesses devastating power and knows how to use it. Consequently, he doesn't spend all that much time in the ring, not with his fists chewing up his opponent's skull and torso like so many mortar rounds on some desolate battlefield. 

Since his draw against Grover Young in August 2011, Kovalev has won 10 of 11 bouts by knockout. Of those 10 unlucky opponents, seven of them didn't make it past the fourth round. The lone boxer to see out the judges' scorecards in that span was Hopkins, the ageless wonder who seems incapable of succumbing to anything less than a mass extinction event at this point (and maybe not even that, as his other nickname is "The Alien"). 

The 50-year-old Hopkins will be a ringside analyst for HBO Saturday, per ESPN.com's Brian Campbell. Kovalev's 12 rounds against Hopkins were massively one-sided in the Russian's favor, and it was enough for Hopkins to relay to Rafael what makes the titleholder such a difficult opponent to face:

One thing I learned about Sergey is that he's very, very unpredictable. Most of my opponents were predictable -- not all, but most. He has, I guess you could say, the unorthodox European style. We are taught most of the time that they don't have a lot of movement. The European fighters are normally straight up and robotic, yet have every other attribute to compete and also to be great fighters. And this ain't overhyping anything, as his record speaks for itself...

Mohammedi, a French fighter with an Algerian background, has taken on boxers from all over the world, but there's little that can prepare him for what's to come with Kovalev. Hopkins did note he's seen Kovalev get "rocked one or two times," and Mohammedi has shown a knack for overpowering his opponents in recent years. His best bet might be to match Kovalev's aggression early on and try to score points, but he'll have to show great cleverness and agility to come out on top in any exchanges. 

Surprises happen in boxing, and Mohammedi might be able to generate the power necessary to throw Kovalev off his seek-and-destroy tactics, but the 32-year-old titleholder is the pre-eminent fighter in his decision and unlikely to falter in Las Vegas. Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole noted the bout has garnered minimal attention in some circles, possibly due to the reputation, or lack thereof, of Mohammedi:

The fight isn’t resonating with boxing fans. Good seats, as they say, are still (widely) available.

Part of it has to do, no doubt, with the opponent. Mohammedi is one of those nameless, faceless mandatory challengers who hasn’t won any notable bouts and does nothing to drum up interest.

The oddsmakers aren't giving Mohammedi much of a chance in this one, either. As of July 23, the 30-year-old Frenchman is sporting 16-1 odds, via Odds Shark.

Mohammedi has lost by knockout twice in his career; Kovalev should be able to retire him for a third time Saturday.

Assuming Kovalev wins this bout, attention will quickly turn to whomever he might take on next. Bloody Elbow's Fraser Coffeen threw in his two cents in previewing Saturday's bout: "Really, the only interesting name to see paired with Sergey Kovalev these days is Adonis Stevenson, but that's not happening for now. Instead, Kovalev smash. Enjoy."

Iole notes that Kovalev promoter Kathy Duva has had talks with Roc Nation regarding a possible fight between her boxer and Andre Ward. That would be more than a consolation prize for those fight fans who dream of seeing Krusher engage in fisticuffs with Adonis Stevenson. In any case, Kovalev needs to take on a fighter of that caliber to keep his momentum up as a global star.

He's consistently taken care of his part in the ring; hopefully the string-pullers in boxing can keep up their end of the bargain outside of it and get Kovalev marquee matchups.

Prediction: Kovalev cruises to late-round KO

It's been more than a year since Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-1-1, 32 KO) fought. He'll make his return on Saturday against the tough and determined Andrzej Fonfara (26-3, 15 KO) at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. The 29-year-old Chavez was last in the ring for his rematch with Brian Vera. Chavez won both fights by unanimous decision, though the first win came with some controversy.

After battles with his weight, conditioning and promotion, Chavez has moved up to light heavyweight where he could potentially join the title picture with a win over Fonfara. The latter proved his mettle in taking Adonis Stevenson the distance in May 2014. He floored Stevenson in that fight and made a good account of himself.

This one should be hard-hitting and entertaining. Here's how you can watch:

When: Saturday, April 18 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: StubHub Center, Carson, California

TV: Showtime

Transition

There's a lot of new things surrounding Chavez heading into this fight. He's fighting as a light heavyweight, even though this fight is at a 172-pound catchweight, per Diego Morilla of Ring TV. He has a new trainer in Joe Goosen and a new adviser and network in Al Haymon and Showtime after splitting from Top Rank and HBO.

With all the changes, Chavez and his team are hoping the fighter still gets the same result he's earned 48 times in the ring.

Chavez talked about returning from such a long layoff:

“I feel good, I feel fresh again. I stayed in the gym every day, training, working on my skills. I am really confident. I know Fonfara is a tough fighter, but I felt good in training and I am ready.”

He'll need to be. Fonfara is no slouch, and he's more accustomed to fighting above 168 pounds than Chavez, though the Polish fighter will be the one who has to drop a few more pounds for the bout. Chavez also carries the burden of needing to impress in his first fight under Haymon and on Showtime.

With an absence of more than a year, he needs to make his return in style to position himself for bigger fights. A bout between he and WBC light heavyweight champion Stevenson is a very real possibility should Chavez win on Saturday.

That would be the biggest 175-pound fight in quite a while from a commercial standpoint. It's a bout fans would undoubtedly turn out to see, but first, Chavez has to take care of some risky business against Fonfara.

There to Win

Anyone who has ever seen Fonfara fight knows he's not coming to Carson to simply say he stood in the ring with Chavez. The 27-year-old from Warsaw, Poland, is a gamer who makes up for anything he lacks in skill and athleticism with heart, toughness and a pretty decent right hand.

In his bout with Stevenson, Fonfara was getting mauled early on, but he withstood first- and fifth-round knockdowns to come on late in the fight. Stevenson spent a lot of energy trying to finish Fonfara, but he proved to be too tough. Once Stevenson tired, Fonfara came on and dropped the champion in the ninth round.

He didn't do enough to win, but he did impress. His performance in that fight has a lot to do with how he got the opportunity to face Chavez. Stevenson was the champion when Fonfara faced him. However, in some ways, a win against Chavez would be an even bigger accomplishment than beating Stevenson would have been.

Even after such a long layoff, Chavez is still one of the most popular fighters in the world. Beating him would easily be the biggest win of Fonfara's career. 

Prediction

Fonfara will give Chavez some troubles early on with his length. He has a three-inch reach advantage. If Fonfara can stay on the outside, establish his jab and make the fight a boxing match, he has a chance to really cause Chavez some problems.

That's far easier said than done—especially for a fighter who isn't used to fighting that style. Chavez has excellent pursuit—when he's in good shape—and he has one of the most underrated chins in the sport. He wears opponents down with body shots and pressure, and that's what he'll do to Fonfara.

Chavez will be bleeding from somewhere on his face by the fifth round, but at the end of the bout, he'll be the winner after a late-round TKO in a good fight.

---

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

Despite seeing his hopes of becoming Commonwealth champion dashed for now, Bob Ajisafe still managed to raise a smile.

Sitting at the top table for a press conference ahead of Matchroom’s bill at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England on April 11, the light heavyweight found himself on the periphery of proceedings.

Ajisafe will be in action in his home city, turning out in a six-rounder on the undercard to keep himself busy. However, that was not the original plan.

He had been set for a moment in the spotlight, only for a planned fight for the vacant Commonwealth title against Kenyan Daniel Wanyonyi to be called off at late notice due to visa issues.

The postponement was a setback for Ajisafe, but he took it in his stride: “I just have to stay focused. Hopefully in the next month or so we can get something rescheduled. That is the hope.”

Having to be patient is nothing new for the 29-year-old.

Ajisafe started his professional career towards the end of 2007 but has had just the 16 fights in nearly eight years, compiling a 14-2 (5 KO) record.

Along the way there has been several periods of inactivity, something you would not expect when a boxer is looking to make a name for himself.

He had just one solitary outing in both 2010 and 2011, while he was made to wait to get a crack at the British title after moving himself into the position of mandatory challenger.

And yet, despite all the frustrating moments, despite all the bouts that haven't quite happened, Ajisafe is still smiling.

“It’s taken this amount of time for people to see the light, as well as me to get the right fights," he said.

“I was waiting, I think it was over a year, as the mandatory for the British title before the Dean Francis fight (a fight he won on points in March, 2014).

“Then there were other fights made, only for people to pull out. They didn’t want to fight me, they just wanted to avoid me.

“I didn’t have the boost of a big promoter. People didn’t recognise the skill and the talent. Now things have changed."

Ajisafe, who turned down the offer to face Hosea Burton as a late replacement after Wanyonyi's withdrawal, per Boxing News, is determined to eventually claim the Commonwealth title at the second attempt.

His first tilt saw him lose on points to Tony Bellew in 2010, though since then he has been crowned English and British champion at the weight limit.

“People seem to forget I’ve been at this level for a long time,” he replied when asked about that bout with Bellew, who was knocked down in the fourth round but ended up a comfortable winner on the scorecards.

“I’ve already boxed for the Commonwealth title once. I gave a good account of myself on that occasion. But that was (nearly) five years ago now.

“I think I’m the best domestically. I want to move on now and progress. I wanted to add the Commonwealth title and then look at a potential world title shot.

“I want to win things, there’s no need to hang about. If other kids want to test themselves for domestic honours, let them compete among themselves.

“I’ve had stints of inactivity, but now I’m back on top and wanting to establish myself as not just a major player in British boxing but also on the world scene.

“Fighters need to be kept busy. It was frustrating for me, but now I’m trying to make up for lost time.”

Ajisafe—the Lionheart of Leeds—is determined to roar his way to the top and show that good things really do come to those who wait.

Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations in this article were obtained via interview.

For the 11th straight time, WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (25-1, 21 KO) will fight in his adopted home of Quebec, Canada. On Saturday night, Stevenson will defend his title against former super middleweight champion Sakio "The Scorpion" Bika (32-6-3, 21 KO) at the Pepsi Coliseum.

The bout will be the main event and the only televised scrap on the debut of the Premier Boxing Champions series on CBS. Here's how you can catch the action on television as well as via live stream.

Date and Time	TV	Live Stream	Location
Saturday, April 4 at 3 p.m. ET	CBS	CBS Online	Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Canada

Take a look at the tale of the tape for Saturday's championship bout.

Stevenson	Name	Bika
25-1	Record	32-6-3
175	Weight	175
5'11"	Height	5'11.5"
77"	Reach	71"
Southpaw	Stance	Orthodox
37	Age	35

Fighting Bika and Public Perception

Bika is just one of the adversaries Stevenson faces in the sport of boxing.

While he is not a joke of a world champion, Stevenson is not the most respected titleholder. The first thing many people in the boxing community think of when Stevenson's name is mentioned is his perceived unwillingness to face WBA, WBO and IBF champion Sergey Kovalev.

Tweets like this one from TalkinBoxing are common:

Stevenson doesn't want Kovalev the WBC ordered it so he will play it off as if he has been chasing it #Superduck

— TalkinBoxing (@TalkinBoxing) March 29, 2015

With Kovalev having recently dispatched Jean Pascal, another Haitian-born Canadian in his last fight, the pull for Stevenson to face the Russian champ is even stronger.

It seemed the two were on a collision course when both fighters were performing under the HBO umbrella. However, Stevenson bolted to sign with Showtime and Al Haymon, thus complicating the chances of the champions unifying the belts.

Per Marco Villegas of Fight Hub and The Boxing Channel, the WBC has ordered a purse bid for an eventual Kovalev-Stevenson unification bout:

Seems the WBC has ordered a purse bid for a Stevenson-Kovalev fight. Bid to take place April 17 in order to determine the promoter

— Marcos Villegas (@heyitsmarcosv) March 27, 2015

We'll see if it ever happens. Meanwhile, there's a fairly formidable foe on tap for Stevenson in a bout that could be a trap if the champion isn't focused on the task at hand. Stevenson is coming off a fifth-round KO win over Dmitry Sukhotsky in Dec. 2014. It was his fourth successful title defense since winning the championship by knocking out Chad Dawson in June 2013.

Another Chance to Make a Mark

The Scorpion has had plenty of chances to land a signature win over a big-name fighter, but he's failed up to this point in his career. Bika has faced and lost to the likes of Andre Ward, Lucian Bute, Joe Calzaghe and Anthony Dirrell. In fact, Bika hasn't fought since losing his world title to Dirrell in Aug. 2014 in a unanimous decision. 

He had previously kept the title after escaping with a draw against Dirrell in their first meeting in Dec. 2013.

At 35 years old, Bika is attempting to come up in weight and challenge the 37-year-old Stevenson for what would be the Scorpion's second world title. To make matters tougher, Stevenson is a southpaw. Bika hasn't had the best luck against lefties in his career. Three of his six losses have come to southpaws. 

Per Lem Satterfield of PremierBoxingChampions.com, Bika believes he's ready for the challenge: "I have learned a lot fighting the best southpaws in the world. I will fight my own fight Saturday and not be drawn into Adonis' game plan."

Prediction

There's a clear skill, length and athleticism advantage for the champion in this fight. Stevenson is quicker, has a six-inch reach advantage and has better footwork. However, Bika is probably the tougher fighter.

Stevenson cannot allow Bika to draw him into a brawl. The challenger can be wild and unorthodox. He seeks to muck up the action and likes to engage in rough-and-tumble bouts. Stevenson has to remain poised, use his jab and allow his edge in skills to carry him.

If he does that, he'll win an easy decision. There's also a chance he could become the first man to stop the rugged Cameroonian. Bika is not only stepping up in weight, but he's also doing it against one of the more devastating punchers in the sport. We don't know how well Bika will take the punch of a strong puncher at 175 pounds.

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Juergen Braehmer (46-2, 34 KOs) successfully defended his WBA light heavyweight title and unbeaten streak against compatriot Robin Krasniqi (43-4, 16 KOs) in Rostock, Germany, as the challenger retired before the 10th round after a dominant performance from Braehmer.

The 36-year-old won nearly every round and had Krasniqi on the ropes in the ninth, at which point victory seemed all but certain. In the end, the fight was scored as a TKO one second into the 10th.

Nathan Cleverly had been talking about this fight for days and sat in with Sky Sports for the broadcast of the fight, inviting speculation he might be in line to go up against the veteran Braehmer at some point in the future:

https://twitter.com/NathanClev/status/579353070359957504

Braehmer predictably came out firing, using his jab and fantastic footwork well and getting close early. As a southpaw, his left hook got inside easily against the less mobile Krasniqi, who was careful not to over-commit in the first round.

The second round couldn't have been any more different. Twice Krasniqi shocked the Rostock crowd and Braehmer with big shots, a strong left hook and a swinging right to the body. Braehmer answered, however, stunning Krasniqi with a minute left in the round.

Krasniqi survived but his legs clearly locked up, and fightnews.com also noticed he was at the very least staggered:

Braehmer-Krasniqi: Krasniqi landed some good shots in round two, then Braehmer rocked him.

— fightnews.com (@fightnews) March 21, 2015

Boxing360 saw the same thing:

good round 2. Krasniqi stunned Braehmer early and Braehmer came back to hurt the challenger. Close round. even round. #boxing

— Boxing360 (@boxing360) March 21, 2015

The duo slowed down slightly in the third round, but again, with 30 seconds left, Krasniqi rocked Braehmer with a good right hand. This time, the veteran bounced right back and launched his opponent into the ropes, firing a combination at the body.

Boxing Wales noticed the younger Krasniqi had yet to throw a single bomb with his left, using it only to jab and open space for his right:

Notice that Krasniqi is completely right hand happy, his left hand is usually only ever used as a pawing jab. #Boxing

— MasbeMoney (@MasbeMoney) March 21, 2015

Braehmer continued to dominate the exchanges, showing his superior hand-speed, but the big punches all belonged to Krasniqi. The fourth round was a perfect example: One big uppercut and a nice shot to the body visibly shook Braehmer, who landed twice as many punches but hardly registered.

The power didn't seem to bother Braehmer all that much, however, and his feet looked just as fresh at the start of the fifth as they did before. A strong left hook saw Krasniqi back into the ropes, but the following flurry was wild and missed the mark.

Boxing Wales' Dewi Powell reminded fans Braehmer is known for his fast starts, not his strong finishes:

https://twitter.com/DewiPowell/status/579408821522731008

By the sixth round, Braehmer's power punches looked like they were starting to take their toll. Krasniqi clinched every time he got hit, opened up a chasm of space and limited his combinations to two punches to avoid getting hit on the counter.

Krasniqi changed tactics in the seventh, finding some success by going back to the body and getting close to Braehmer. The veteran has naturally heavy hands but is used to having room to swing, and in the seventh, that just wasn't the case.

This fan liked what he was seeing:

Krasniqi making some nice tactical adjustments #boxing #BraehmerKrasniqi

— TheLivingDaylights (@TLDaylightsFS) March 21, 2015

The ninth turned into a huge round. Braehmer pushed the action early before Krasniqi turned it around, landing a few big punches of his own. A right hook threw him into the ropes, however, and the 27-year-old's knees were gone. He somehow survived the count and the round, but after sitting down, he wouldn't get up again for the 10th.

Cameras revealed a big cut, but rather than award the victory through medical stoppage, the official called it a TKO. Fellow light heavyweight contender Enzo Maccarinelli was still very impressed with the Kosovo-born challenger:

Very brave effort by krasniqi

— Enzo Maccarinelli 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇮🇹 (@theRealEnzoMac) March 21, 2015

Krasniqi showed his quality and did excellent work in many of the rounds, but in the end, Braehmer's left shook him up too many times and saw him lose plenty of ground on the cards. Krasniqi couldn't hurt the champ, while Braehmer kept dishing out until his opponent simply couldn't take any more.

In many ways, the fight played out like Braehmer himself predicted, via Sky Sports:

Krasniqi is a young ambitious fighter who wants to take my title away from me, but that’s not going to happen. “As always, I will defeat my opponent and retain my title.

Sometimes a single punch is all it takes. Whether this comes in the first round or twelfth round, it’s impossible to predict at this level. But when the opportunity does come, I will take it.

Boxing writer Ryan Bivins is already thinking of a meeting between Braehmer and Cleverly. Appearing on Sky Sports' official broadcast of the fight, the Welshman confirmed he would take that challenge:

Juergen Braehmer vs Nathan Cleverly for the regular WBA light heavyweight title tentative for September. #boxing

— Ryan Bivins (@sweetboxing) March 21, 2015

Cleverly seems like a logical next opponent for the veteran, who looked just a step slower on Saturday, but speaking to German media after the fight, he indicated talks were already being held with "The WBC champion," meaning Adonis Stevenson. As reported by Spox.com's Bastian Strobl, he also mentioned meeting Carl Froch at a lower weight.

Wales would love nothing more than to see Braehmer and Cleverly in the ring together, although a rematch with Maccarinelli is also an option. A unification bout with Stevenson would undoubtedly be the biggest draw, although punters likely wouldn't venture anywhere near the 36-year-old Braehmer. 

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