Light Heavyweight

Bernard Hopkins holding a major title belt in boxing makes no sense. You know it. I know it. Hopkins knows it. 

At age 48, boxers are usually beginning their slow decline to an applesauce diet, not stepping on a scale looking like 172 pounds of chiseled rock, as Hopkins did on Friday in preparation for his IBF light heavyweight title defense against Karo Murat.

They say 40 is the new 30, but that shouldn't apply to a man who has been paid to get punched in the face since Ronald Reagan's last year in office. Hopkins lost his first professional bout, going down in a majority decision to Clinton Mitchell. He took more than a year off before his next fight.

In a sport where young boxers often fight upwards of four times per year, his lengthy break was an outlier. 

It seems only right in retrospect that the beginning of his career is nearly as weird as his unending victory lap. He won his next 22 fights after taking that early hiatus. He reinvented his technique, becoming a more intuitive fighter and polishing the genetic gifts that made him so intriguing all the way back when. 

Reinvention. That's something that Young Hop and Old Hop have in common. The concept has become ever clearer in the lead-up to Saturday night's festivities at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Hopkins seems more comfortable with his legacy now than ever. Nowhere is that more obvious than in his decision to change his longstanding nickname of "The Executioner" to "The Alien."

"I'm happy to be here, but that's where 'The Alien' comes in," Hopkins told ESPN's Dan Rafael. "You won't hear 'The Executioner.' You won't see me with my hands crossed. 'The Executioner' is retired. I'm an alien because I am of this world, but I'm not from this world."

No, I did not mistakenly pull a quote from Kanye West's interview with Zane Lowe. Though I did have to check twice (or six times) just to make sure.

Like West, Hopkins sees himself as an extraterrestrial being. Someone brought on this earth to be damn good at what he does and to break down barriers.

In many respects, neither man is wrong. West is the most important figure in hip-hop of the past decade, just as Hopkins continues to push the boundaries of logical comprehension within boxing.

I'm not all that concerned with that. What's more interesting is how Hopkins' move from Executioner to Alien signifies an in-ring self-awareness.

It's been nearly a decade since Hopkins has lived up to his moniker. When he knocked out Oscar De La Hoya on Sept. 18, 2004, 32 of his 45 victories had come via knockout—not a bad rate. He's now gone 14 fights without knocking another man unconscious. 

Instead, he has adopted a Mayweather-type style as he's inched closer to Social Security. Boxing fans will not be watching Hopkins vs. Murat looking for a Fight of the Year candidate. Unless Murat gets lucky and ends Hopkins' career with a thumping punch, the bout will have all the excitement of a Low Winter Sun plot line.

The Alien will clinch, jab, poke, prod, shuffle, duck and jab again on his way to victory. 

Those looking for sports entertainment would be best served flipping over to Game 3 of the World Series or one of the many good college football games on the slate. This is in no way a criticism.

Hopkins fights in a non-appealing way because he has to. Because his right hand doesn't carry the wallop that it did a quarter-century ago or even last week. Humans age, and what has made his run so special is that he's been able to recognize his shortcomings and stay relevant. 

Now, if you want to poke holes in his renaissance, it starts with the men standing across from him in the ring. His resume since the last Antonio Tarver fight (2006) is filled to the brim with second-tier opponents, although it's admittedly difficult to find many first-tier light heavyweights. Chad Dawson is by far the most talented fighter he's gone against since, unless you have an affinity for 2010-era Roy Jones Jr. 

Hopkins is essentially the Kansas City Chiefs of boxing. He's winning, and begrudging respect comes with that. But he's nowhere near pound-for-pound lists for a reason. He is the King of the Undercard. He'll be fighting on Showtime on Saturday—not Showtime pay-per-view. 

And Murat, while a fine fighter, is just another pawn in the game that Hopkins is playing with Father Time. At 25-1-1, the German holds just enough respect within boxing circles to create intrigue but is just vulnerable enough to make him easy Hopkins bait. Murat is small for the light heavyweight division, lacking the type of one-punch threat that could end Hopkins' career for good.

While prefacing his statement in a way to avoid outward disrespect, Hopkins illuminated who Murat is and what this fight means, per Rafael:

I know that there's light at the end of the tunnel. In this case, there's what I consider a super-fight at the end of this, whether it's my division or some other division. But I know one thing—before you get to the Tootsie Roll, you've got to do a lot of licking. That's not in a disrespectful way, but it's in a way of knowing that you got to get down into that box of the Cracker Jacks and you get the prize.

He seems to fashion that prize as a bout with Floyd Mayweather. He told the Daily Mail's Martin Domin he'd like to fight "Money May" next year, eyeing a 160-pound catchweight. Mayweather prefers fighting at 147 pounds, but he did come up to a 152-pound catchweight for his bout against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in September.

Could Mayweather add even more weight to take on Hopkins? It seems unlikely.

Adding that much weight in such a short amount of time is a massive undertaking for the diminutive Mayweather, and his representation can negotiate from a position of power after the record-setting Alvarez numbers. There's no way he would pack on the pounds to take on a 49-year-old man whose peak coincided with the popularity of taking a bottle of bleach to your hair. 

It would defy logic. 

But, then again, isn't that exactly what Hopkins has done his whole career?

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Adonis Stevenson may have found a way to dip his toes in the same fountain of youth Bernard Hopkins has kept hidden from the rest of the world for all these years, because at 36 years of age, Stevenson seems to be only getting quicker and better.

This colossal-hitting pugilist successfully defended the WBC light heavyweight title Saturday night when Tavoris Cloud failed to make it out of his corner for the eighth round.

Fully living up to his “Superman” moniker, Stevenson (22-1, 19 KOs) dominated Cloud (24-2) for seven full rounds, stopping Cloud for the first time in his career in the process and dispelling any claims that his 76-second knockout victory over Chad Dawson in June was a fluke.

Stevenson’s feet looked quicker than ever before and his hand speed was simply out of this world.

“Thunder” Cloud, a former IBF champion, had nothing to offer Stevenson. He loves making fights ugly on the inside but he was never able to close the distance with his swift opponent. Stevenson sprung from corner to corner maintaining optimum distance to uncork his cataclysmic left hand.

And Cloud’s truly freakish ability to take a punch was on full-display as Stevenson landed punches at will.

Remarkably, out of the southpaw stance, the Haitian-born champion led with his left hand for almost the entirety of the fight. Round after round, Stevenson relied on his simmering hand speed to punish his opponent, hardly setting his punches up with a right hand, as one would traditionally see with a southpaw.

Instead, Stevenson led with a variety of left handed punches, including a rear uppercut—a punch that even the world’s most blistering of punchers seldom throw for the risk of being brutally countered that comes with it.

But this night belonged to Stevenson. And now, the entire light heavyweight division does too. 

Everybody knew Stevenson was a puncher. But Saturday night, he became a boxer. He broke the unbreakable Cloud, a former champion and top-10 light heavyweight, and looked brilliant doing so, setting himself apart from the rest of the division, until proven otherwise.

Bernard Hopkins has been the best 175-pound fighter in the world as far back as 2006 when he outpointed Antonio Tarver. And despite Stevenson’s one-round demolition of Dawson, some will maintain that “The Executioner” still is today.

But Hopkins’ light heavyweight track record isn’t nearly as impressive as one might think. He has had nine fights and five wins above the super middleweight limit since defeating Tarver in 2006 but only two of those can truly be considered quality light heavyweight victories—those being against Roy Jones Jr. and Jean Pascal.

He lost to Joe Calzaghe; beat Ronald "Winky" Wright, who outside of his fight with Hopkins would never weigh more than 160 pounds in his career, destroyed Kelly Pavlik, another middleweight, and dropped a decision to Dawson in 2012, removing him from the light heavyweight throne.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU5ARBzZgCg

So when Dawson fell at the hands of Stevenson, many felt Hopkins should retake his place amongst the 175 pounders, on account of Stevenson’s weak résumé.

Which might be the case if Hopkins’ light heavyweight ledger was stock-full of quality wins or if maybe Stevenson managed to just sweat out a close decision against Dawson—but neither is the case.

Where Hopkins came out on the wrong side of a 12-round decision, Stevenson obliterated Dawson in 76 seconds. Now that “Superman” has added another win over a top-10 light heavyweight (who had never been stopped, no less) he has just as many quality victories as the 48-year-old all-time great—except in far more destructive fashion.

Stevenson is the world’s No. 1 light heavyweight. And the world better take notice.

As for what’s next, there’s only one fight that matters. It involves the Russian bulldozer that recently flattened the formerly undefeated Welsh star, Nathan Cleverly.

Witness: Adonis Stevenson vs. Sergey Kovalev.

May your past transgressions be pardoned. Because when these two weapons of mass destruction square off, there is no promise humanity makes it out alive.

"Every act of creation is first an act of destruction" —Pablo Picasso

Don't tug on Superman's cape and beware of his vicious straight left hand. Chad Dawson learned both lessons the hard way in June.

Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (21-1, 18 KO) scored one of the most exciting wins of the year when he scored a first-round KO over Dawson to capture the WBC light heavyweight title. 

Take a look at Stevenson's championship moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU5ARBzZgCg

In his first defense, he will take on former IBF titleholder Tavoris "Thunder" Cloud (24-1, 19 KO) on Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the same arena where he defeated Dawson. Cloud is coming off a loss to the legendary and ageless Bernard Hopkins in March.

He lost his title in that bout and is now looking to regain a share of the crown in the 175-pound division. 

The bout is the first half of a split-site doubleheader that will be televised on HBO. The second fight features the return of former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who will battle the rugged Brian Vera.

Here's how you can catch all the action.

A Closer Look at Both Fighters

Image from ESPN

The Book on Stevenson

Better Late than Never

Attaining glory in the sport took awhile for Stevenson. He was 35 when he defeated Dawson and just turned 36 on Sept. 22. Most champions reach their peak in their 20s, but Stevenson's route to this level hasn't been a normal one.

He began his professional career at the age of 29 after he served four years in prison for pimping and assault, per Herb Zurkowsky of The Gazette. Needless to say, his life has turned around significantly.

Upon turning pro, he went on a 13-fight win streak before being knocked out by journeyman Darnell Boone in April, 2010. He rebounded and even avenged the loss against Boone with a sixth-round KO win in March.

Still riding substantial momentum, Stevenson hopes to keep rolling right over Cloud.

The Book on Cloud

Is There Any Kryptonite in This Cloud?

Cloud hasn't been effective in his last two fights. Many believe he deserved to lose to Gabriel Campillo in February 2012, and "B-Hop" did defeat him in their meeting. Hopkins is an ageless wonder, but it doesn't help the reputation of a 31-year-old fighter to lose to a 48-year-old opponent.

Cloud can't afford to lose this fight. He's fortunate to receive another title shot this early. The 175-pound division isn't brimming with big names, so Cloud still makes the most sense as an opponent here.

The question is: Can he outbox Stevenson and avoid his substantial power? Only one man has found the champion's kryptonite. Will Cloud be the second?

Fight Analysis and Prediction

Stevenson is raw, but he's an underrated athlete with long arms, a decent jab and lights-out power. There isn't a light heavyweight in the world he can't put to sleep if he connects. That said, if Cloud can control the distance, he has a chance to outbox him.

The challenger must get on the inside of Stevenson's length. Using lateral movement to throw off Stevenson's timing would be the best way to get into the champion's chest. If he accomplishes that goal, stamina could be a huge issue in this fight.

Stevenson has only gone the distance in a 10 or 12-round bout once in his career. Cloud does have an impressive KO percentage, but he has also proved he can win a decision. He outpointed former champion Glen Johnson and Clinton Woods earlier in his career.

The champion is built to seek and destroy; he may not have a Plan B. Even if he does, he may not have the stamina to execute it.

We also have to acknowledge that Stevenson's vulnerability to the KO has already been exposed. Despite his journeyman status, Boone is a very good puncher. He once dropped Andre Ward early in his career as well.

That said, Cloud has never been stopped, and per BoxRec.com, he has never been down. It stands to reason he is the more durable fighter. Also, despite Stevenson's slight height advantage, Cloud has the longer reach.

Can Stevenson land the type of shot early on that throws all of this out the window? I believe he can. Cloud has the ability to outbox Stevenson, but he can't afford to slug with him early. In an effort to erase the images of his last fights from fans' memories, I predict he'll look to make this an exciting bout.

That will lead to him running into a hard right hand from Stevenson and a third-round KO win for the champion. 

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Nathan Cleverly, the WBO light heavyweight champion from Britain, lost his title in devastating fashion over the weekend with a knockout loss to Russia's Sergey Kovalev. In the wake of that loss, fellow British boxer Amir Khan suggested through BBC Sport that Cleverly would be wise to align himself with the trainer he recently split from, Freddie Roach. Is that the best option for Cleverly? 

The loss to Kovalev was the first of Cleverly's professional career, and it was a truly devastating loss. Not only did Kovalev knock Cleverly out, but the stoppage was the third knockdown he inflicted on the champion inside four rounds of boxing. To add insult to injury, Cleverly had never even felt the mat on his back prior to this bout.

Following the loss, an understandably emotional Cleverly appeared to be questioning whether he would even return to boxing, stating that he would take a holiday to recover and see if he missed boxing. At the age of 26 and with just one professional loss, even given the manner of the loss, talk of retirement may surprise some people. Cleverly, however, has seemingly planned for his future outside boxing and holds a degree in mathematics.

Time heals wounds, however, and talk of retirement immediately following a loss is something you hear often in combat sports. After taking a break and evaluating his options, I don't anticipate any more retirement talk from Cleverly, but a change in trainer is entirely possible.

Currently trained by his father, there was always the possibility that a day may come in which Cleverly had learned all he can within the family confines. This brings us back to Khan's suggestion that Cleverly should turn to Freddie Roach in a bid to revive his career.

Roach, a five-time Trainer of the Year winner, helped Khan reboot his career following his own harrowing knockout loss at the hands of Breidis Prescott.

Khan's association with Roach led him down the path to world title glory, helped him regain his confidence following his first professional loss and helped turn Khan into a world-recognized figure in boxing. It was not all a one-way street, as Khan's success helped cement Roach's place amongst the elite boxing trainers in the world.

Their professional relationship came to an end following back-to-back losses by Khan, losses that raised questions as to whether Roach had been able to help, or even attempted to help, Khan's defensive deficiencies. Following his knockout loss to Danny Garcia, Khan left Roach's guidance and signed on to train under Virgil Hunter.

It seems that in spite of their professional split, the affinity Khan holds for the man who helped him reshape his career is obvious through his glowing open reference for Cleverly. I don't think it would be a wise choice.

Roach has worked wonders with many boxers over the years, with his prized pupil being Manny Pacquiao. The majority of the success Roach's fighters have, however, is based around his ability to develop their offensive talents and teach them to fight to that strength. Defensively, I don't see any change in those he trains.

This is where my problem with an association on a full-time basis between Roach and Cleverly comes into play. Cleverly was hurt by Kovalev when he dropped his hands, which ironically happened just as he was beginning to find his range with his jab. Did Cleverly see the success he was beginning to have with his jab and allow complacency to creep in?

A fighter like Cleverly, who has great offensive tools at his disposal with his hand speed, ability to throw combination punches, tidy jab and athleticism to move around the ring, would be encouraged by Roach to use those tools to become the ultimate offensive fighter.

The trouble with that fight strategy is that Kovalev is the first fighter to truly give Cleverly's chin a stern test, and it was found wanting. While Cleverly had never hit the deck before as a professional, he also hadn't ever faced a true power puncher.

If Cleverly aligned himself with the master offensive trainer in Roach, he would have some immediate success. Everything Khan said about Roach rebuilding confidence and redirecting, even revitalizing, a mindset and career path is true. However, that success would be short-lived.

When Roach retools a fighter's offensive tools, he masterfully teaches them how to essentially hide their flaws rather than correct them. 

Khan was extremely successful in the short term, as his blistering speed and footwork papered over the fact he was incredibly easy to hit with hard, clean shots. Cleverly has been relatively easy to hit in his career to date, and to move forward he needs to figure out a way to improve his defense so he is hit less.

Roach will not teach him this. After the initial success, a fighter will figure out the new puzzle Cleverly provides, and those old defensive issues will be exposed once again.

At the end of the day, we are talking about one loss in 27 professional fights. Whatever the circumstances of the loss are, it is not necessarily time to begin discussing retirement or even changes in trainers. It is time to watch the tape, see where the mistakes came from and work toward a solution to correcting those areas to stop the same mistakes from happening again.

The boxing world has become so obsessed with the perfect, undefeated record, when in reality, it is a rarity that an elite fighter achieve such a thing. How many of the fighters who are in the conversation for best fighter of all time carried an undefeated record? Unless you consider Floyd Mayweather worthy of that discussion, there isn't a single one.

Cleverly needs to evaluate whether he wants to continue in the fight game or not. He has a fall-back option that many fighters do not posses. Changing trainer may not help address any issues, but changing to an offensive trainer who doesn't improve your defense is not a smart move after a knockout loss.

Sergey Kovalev’s nickname is “The Krusher.”

According to FightNews.com, he lived up to his moniker on Saturday. He pummeled the will out of previously undefeated WBO titleholder Nathan Cleverly, to prove he’s clearly the best up-and-coming light heavyweight in the division, as he bludgeoned the poor slickster down to the canvas three times in just four rounds, as he obliterated the hopes and dreams of a fellow unheralded competitor – well, it was easy to see why.

Really, really easy.

Still, there is something more to this Sergey Kovalev than just crushing things, more than the simple use of brute force. He is not just a man cracking eggs ruthlessly with a hammer.

No, Kovalev is more akin to a butcher. Yes, that’s it. To uninitiated eyes, he swings hard and wide. But to those that know the science of slicing, he’s an artist with a paintbrush, a surgeon with a scalpel.

But when he’s done, instead of a beautiful painting or a well-healed patient, Kovalev's masterpiece is devastation.

Cleverly was dead meat from the beginning. He just didn’t know it.

During the pre-fight buildup, he told the media he was seeking respect. He said it has been extra hard for him to land fights against top contenders, despite the alphabet trinket he lugged around his waist. In fact, he said a fight against Kovalev would finally give him the opportunity to show the world what he was truly made of.

In an interview posted on The Sweet Science, he said:

We’ve tried making the big fights but the names have avoided me. It’s been frustrating but this is a massive breakthrough fight me. I’m fighting the most dangerous [man] in the division - Sergey Kovalev. The Russian is building a big reputation in America, and his punch is even bigger. Nobody else wants to say Kovalev’s name, let alone fight him but I will beat him to show I am the best light heavyweight in the world, and I will force the big names to fight me.

From the opening bell, Cleverly tried his best to not be made of meat. He took the fight right to Kovalev, but “The Krush—err—Butcher” easily exercised his authority over the Wales native. While Cleverly was peppering Kovalev with a high but soft volume punches, Kovalev was content to rain heavy-handed blows down upon him that did real and serious damage.

The lesson? Do not start a fistfight with a man carrying cleavers.

By the end of Round 1, Cleverly knew he was out of his depth. This Kovalev was different. This Kovalev was a beast.

For his part, Kovalev had told the press beforehand that he had started his career as an 11-year-old street fighter. He credited time spent in the Russian amateur system with his transformation to what he is today. He left country and family in 2009 to “make it big as a professional fighter” in America, per The Sweet Science. His wife Natalia joined him three years later.

He said, "It's hard to be away from our families and friends in Chelyabinsk but we've found a nice group of friends here."

As he was pillaged from pillar to post on Saturday, Cleverly probably wished he was part of that nice group of friends, too.

Rounds 2 and 3 were all Kovalev. He battered his helpless opponent around the ring. Cleverly hit the deck twice in the Round 3, but it might as well have been 100 times.

The brave Cleverly was helped to his corner at the end of the third round and came out for the rest of his beating in Round 4. Kovalev dropped the Welshman one final time at the start, and the contest was wisely halted at 21 seconds of Round 4.

It was another huge win for Kovalev, who burst onto the world boxing stage in January when he dismantled veteran Gabriel Campillo in just three rounds.

It was a fantastic victory over someone who had fought at the highest levels possible. Campillo was quality. And Kovalev demolished him.

And now he has demolished Cleverly. The talented titlist looked the part. He has appeared solid in his run as the WBO champion. While power wasn’t his strong suit, the upstart made up for it with grit, determination and volume. His style was both effective and pleasing to the eye. He appeared to be the future.

But he wasn’t, because that is what Kovalev is.

Whatever you want to call him—The Krusher, The Butcher or any other name that captures his brand of destruction—be sure to recognize what you are witnessing: the rise of the best light heavyweight in the world.

Boxing is all about opportunities. On Saturday, WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12 KO) and Sergey Kovalev (21-0-1, 19 KO) will both make their HBO debut in a major clash in the 175-pound division.

Fighting in front of a national audience on HBO in Cardiff, Wales is the grandest stage either has performed on. Despite the fight being shown via tape delay prior to the Daniel Geale-Darren Barker main event, the winner of Cleverly-Kovalev could establish himself as a star.

This is an intriguing and important matchup with major implications on the future of the light heavyweight division.

Tale of the Tape

The Book on Cleverly

Having already defended his title five times, Cleverly is not new to the world title scene. His list of opponents don't read like a who's-who of the top light heavyweights in the world, though.

There are no Chad Dawsons, Jean Pascals, Adonis Stevensons or even Tavoris Clouds on his resume.

Instead, Cleverly's biggest wins have come over veteran Tony Bellew and most recently Robin Krasniqi in April. Because he hasn't fought fighters who are known stateside, he hasn't attained massive popularity outside of the United Kingdom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-ewmdVVmTE

He's had just one fight in the United States. He was impressive in stopping Shawn Hawk in the eighth round of their Nov. 2012 bout from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Cleverly possesses the skill level to reach the next level of stardom, but he must up the ante in regards to his competition. He's still just 26 years old, but time is running short on referring to him as an up-and-coming fighter.

Taking on a fast-rising power puncher like Kovalev is a smart but dangerous move for Cleverly. While this bout will land him on HBO, it isn't going to bring the type of payday a fight with Hopkins would. Kovalev is a big-time puncher with an aggressive style, and he's receiving a solid push from HBO.

He'll present a significant challenge for the champion because of his explosiveness.

Cleverly's boxing prowess, length and athleticism gives him some advantages, but he doesn't bring the game-changing power that the challenger does. Though Cleverly is younger, he is far more experienced in terms of total fights, total rounds and situations.

He'll need to use those skills and intangibles if he hopes to defeat Kovalev.

Cleverly's solid jab and footwork will be the key early. If he can get Kovalev frustrated, he may be able to open his opponent up for counter power shots that score. 

The burning question on the Cleverly side is: Can the champion make the challenger respect his power? If he can't, keeping him at bay becomes all the more difficult.

The Book on Kovalev

There aren't many fighters in any weight class that have Kovalev's punching power. His 86.36 percent KO rate is impressive. He's just recently turned up the level of his competition, scoring consecutive wins by third-round TKO over Gabriel Campillo and Cornelius White in January and June, respectively.

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

If Kovalev can defeat Cleverly in Wales and win the title, he'll be a dark horse candidate for Fighter of the Year. 

Kovalev has scored five-straight wins by stoppage, including a win over Russian compatriot Roman Simakov in Dec. 2011 that resulted in Simakov's untimely death from a brain injury. Questions about the effects of that tragedy aren't new for Kovalev. 

In the hype leading up to this fight, he was asked about the Simakov fight by Wales Online's Phil Branche. Kovalev simply replied "No comment."

Pressing for an answer, Branche asked: "You don't talk about that at all?" Kovalev replied: "No. Bless him. He is sleeping up there now.”

Per Blanche, Kovalev had attempted to reach out to Simakov's family after the tragedy but was shunned. He also said he would dedicate the fight and his winnings from his subsequent bout to the victim's family.

With aspirations of attaining championship glory in his sport, Kovalev can't allow this tragic event to derail him. His game is all about power and aggression; if he loses the latter, he isn't in the position to face Cleverly in the biggest fight of his life.

Overcoming the speed and experience of Cleverly will be Kovalev's biggest impediment. Kovalev has never been beyond eight rounds in his career. If Cleverly can extend him, he'll have a better chance to retain his title.

That will be easier said than done because of the pressure and power Kovalev brings. 

Prediction

Boxing fans should prepare for an excellent fight. This mix of styles should provide an exciting bout with momentum shifts and a thrilling finish.

I expect Cleverly's boxing skills to reign supreme early, but somewhere near the middle rounds, Kovalev will hurt the champion and take the momentum.

Cleverly is tougher than he's given credit for, and he won't just fade away, but ultimately the Russian's power will be too much. Look for Cleverly to hit the canvas at least twice. He'll lose by late stoppage or hang on to finish, but still lose by decision.

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WBC and The Ring light heavyweight champion "Bad" Chad Dawson will defend his titles in enemy territory on Saturday night as he takes on Adonis "Superman" Stevenson in Montreal. The Canadian crowd will be firmly in Stevenson's corner, but Dawson is favored heading into the bout nonetheless.

Even so, it won't be an easy fight for Dawson. He is coming off a tough TKO loss to Andre Ward, and it's possible that his confidence is shaken. Stevenson has big-time punching power in his own right and is well aware of what happened in Dawson's last fight, so the champion must approach this contest carefully.

Here are the biggest keys to Dawson outlasting the upstart Stevenson when they go toe-to-toe at the Bell Centre on Saturday.

Go the Distance

With only 21 professional fights to his credit, stamina could potentially be an issue for Stevenson. He is 20-1 with 17 knockouts, so he isn't used to going 12 rounds. In fact, Stevenson has never completed a full, 12-round fight during his career, as his three unanimous-decision wins were shorter fights.

Of Stevenson's first eight fights, seven of them ended in the second round or earlier. He has gone a bit deeper in his latest fights as the competition has heated up; however, he doesn't have Dawson's extensive big-fight experience. The incumbent champion is 31-2-2 with 17 knockouts, so he is familiar with competing for 12 hard rounds.

Dawson has beaten some big names by decision, including Bernard Hopkins, Glen Johnson and Antonio Tarver. He is in spectacular shape and is built to last 12 rounds. Unless a knockout is there for the taking, Dawson's best strategy is to go the distance.

Avoid Stevenson's Punching Power

Dawson appears to be a more complete fighter than Stevenson, but the Haitian-Canadian star has him beat in the power department. Stevenson has prolific power and has made a name for himself with highlight-reel knockouts. Dawson has underrated pop, but he cannot afford to get involved in a slugfest with Stevenson.

Dawson's last fight was a loss to Ward, as the rising star won via technical knockout in the 10th round. Fittingly enough, Ward offered a scouting report for Dawson vs. Stevenson as a part of HBO Boxing. Ward maintained the biggest key for Dawson is to prove that he can handle Stevenson's fists of fury.

A guy like Stevenson always has a chance because he can end a fight with a single punch. That is why Dawson needs to make sure that he doesn't put himself in a precarious position. Stevenson has taken advantage of unsuspecting opponents before, and Dawson doesn't want to end up on that list. As long as Dawson plays it smart, he should be fine.

Use His Experience to His Advantage

At 35 years of age, Stevenson is actually five years older than Dawson, but he got a late start as a professional boxer. Stevenson has been boxing for a long time; however, this is by far the biggest fight of his career. Dawson has had plenty of big fights already, so he won't let the big stage faze him.

Stevenson has a lot of pressure on his shoulders. Not only is he fighting in front of his hometown fans, he has a chance to launch his career to new heights.

Dawson fought and defeated one of the greatest fighters of this generation in the form of Hopkins, and he definitely won't be flustered. Dawson needs to exude confidence in this fight because that will make Stevenson even more nervous.

Experience is an important intangible in boxing because it can only be gained over time. Stevenson's big-fight track record will look a lot better after this fight, but that won't help him on Saturday. Dawson knows how to handle these types of situations, and he will handle his business in Montreal.

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"Bad" Chad Dawson (31-2, 17 KO) returns to the 175-pound division to defend his WBC light heavyweight title against Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (20-1, 17 KO) on Saturday night from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

This is an intriguing matchup of southpaws, yet there is a boxer vs. puncher dynamic.

We could see fireworks or a dominant boxing performance that many may find boring. Either way, this is a major fight on the calendar that boxing fans will want to be plugged into.

Here's how you can catch the action and some deeper analysis into this matchup of contrasting styles.

When: Saturday, June 8 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

TV: HBO

Live Stream: HBOGO (Replay only - Pay Service)

Here is HBO analyst and super middleweight kingpin Andre Ward breaking down the bout:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h91Dfgs8E4

The Book on Dawson

Back in His Comfort Zone?

Dawson was dismantled in his last bout by Ward. The 168-pound champion's speed and punching accuracy befuddled Dawson.

In a stunning event, Dawson quit in the 10th round after being dropped for the third time in the fight. He was clearly outmatched, but it was surprising to see him forgo the rest of the bout—especially since he didn't appear to be badly hurt.

The fight took place at 168 pounds, and perhaps for the first time in his career, Dawson was the slower man in the ring. That probably has a lot to do with why Bad Chad is happy to be fighting at 175 pounds again.

In an interview with ESPN's Brian Campbell, Dawson said:

In the Ward fight, it took a lot out of me and I got to see how physically strong I was at 175 as opposed to being at 168. It was kind of a blessing in disguise to show me I shouldn't have taken the fight at that weight, but I did.

It was my error and Andre Ward took advantage of it. Now I'm back at light heavyweight and I'm looking forward to continuing to be the best in the world.

There is likely some validity in what Dawson said, but the ordeal creates a question for Dawson moving forward: Will being forced to quit make pushing the panic button easier for him the rest of his career?

We could find out if he gets into trouble against Stevenson.

In the Ring

As pure, skilled boxers go, Dawson is among the best. He's 6'1", has a 76" reach and uses both to his advantage. He isn't a hard puncher, which can allow an overmatched fighter to stay competitive with him.

Against Ward, Dawson landed some hard counter shots early, but they seemingly had no effect on Ward. If you look at his modest KO total and the fact that he hasn't stopped an opponent in almost six years, the knockout probably isn't even part of Dawson's thinking anymore.

Against Stevenson, he may not need it to be. Dawson is longer and more skilled, but the challenger is explosive. If Dawson felt zinged by Ward's punches, he doesn't want to taste Stevenson's power.

Using his jab and employing lateral movement are key for Dawson to retain his title.

When he's right and in control, Dawson can make things look easy with his combination of punching accuracy, speed and defense. Take a look at him against veteran Antonio Tarver in 2009.

The Book on Stevenson 

At 35, Superman Is Getting His First Shot at the Big Time

Stevenson is originally from Haiti but lives in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada now. His current residence will make him the clear favorite amongst the crowd in the Bell Centre. The popular Canadian venue is Stevenson's home away from home.

His last five fights have taken place there. Even though he'll be in familiar surroundings, this fight is still bigger than any other he's had.

Stevenson did destroy Noe Gonzalez Alcoba for the WBC Silver super middleweight title in April 2012, but that fight was broadcast on ESPN Friday Night Fights.

It paled in comparison to the opportunity he has on Saturday. Stevenson is facing a respected world champion in a main event on HBO. This is as big as it gets—except for headlining a pay-per-view event.

At 35 years old, Stevenson has taken awhile to get this opportunity, but he'll be looking to capitalize on it and make a statement.

In the Ring

Though he's a good athlete with decent boxing skills, he'll be looking to finish Dawson the first chance he gets. He's making his debut at 175 pounds, but I don't think moving up in weight will have an impact on his power.

Stevenson is one of those fighters who would probably keep his power at any weight class. Take a look at this devastating one-punch KO of Jesus Gonzalez in February 2012:

Superman's biggest issues against Dawson will be in the speed department.

He could have issues finding the champion. Beyond the speed, Dawson also has the superior jab and the length to maximize the effectiveness of his punches.

To win this fight, Stevenson needs to touch Dawson early to shake his confidence. If he can do that, he'll have a shot at scoring an exciting KO victory. If he can't, Dawson will pick him apart all night from a safe distance.

Prediction

This is a tricky prediction. Dawson is the better boxer by far, but Stevenson isn't a complete brawler devoid of any boxing skills.

Combine that with the fact that he has pure dynamite in his gloves, and I predict an upset win for Superman. He'll stop Dawson around the fifth round with a barrage that begins with a massive straight left hand.

Stevenson's explosiveness is difficult to contain, and Dawson may carry some of the effects from the loss to Ward into this fight.

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