WBC international light heavyweight champion Andrzej Fonfara - 27-3, 16 KOs - is making sure not to overlook his next opponent, the No. 12 ranked Nathan Cleverly - 29-2, 15 KOs. He might not have much convincing to do, as oddsmakers aren’t making him much of a favorite so far in the sportsbooks.
CURRENT ODDS
With the fight just a few weeks away, Fonfara has opened as a -162 favorite. Cleverly is a slight underdog at +125. Totals are generally released a bit later, but I’d expect it to be set at 11.5 rounds, with the over being the more expensive bet. Check back here on fight night for prop bets, which are usually released on the day of the event. After the fight starts, live betting is also available who like to hedge their bets.
AT STAKE: THE WBC BELT
Coming off a nine-round thrashing of Julio Cesar Chavez this past April, Fonfara arguably has more hype than ever has. He needed a big win over Chavez after losing to WBC world champion Adonis Stevenson a year ago. To his credit, Fonfara fared decently in that match, knocking him down in the later rounds and ending his ten-fight knockout streak.
Now, he’ll face contender Nathan cleverly, who he considers a more dangerous opponent than Chavez.
“I believe that Nathan Cleverly is a better fighter than Chavez Jr. More experience, better amateur background, defended his WBO title five times,” said Fonfara. “It was hard not to hit Chavez Jr. sometimes. Cleverly is an all-around better fighter with fast hands and good ring movement. I expect him to be the best Nathan Cleverly ever.”
Cleverly is looking at the fight as a doorway to a major world title. With a win, he would earn a title shot against WBA light heavyweight champion Juergen Braehmer. While it’s likely he would’ve have gotten it anyway, beating Fonfara, ranked No. 2 WBA, No. 2 WBC, No. 5 WBO and No. 6 IBF would put a stamp on his status as a deserving challenger.
FIGHT ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
I’m not sure if I agree with Fonfara’s assessment that Cleverly is a better fighter than Chavez Jr. Although he held the WBO title for nearly two years, he fought weak competition like Tony Bellew, Tommy Karpency and Shawn Hank before losing his belt to Sergey Kovalev.
Fonfara is the much harder puncher, and that’s going to give Cleverly problems all night. While Cleverly has only been TKO’d once in his career, he’s been staggered quite a few times. If Fonfara can apply a lot of pressure, he should be able to easily win this fight.
In fact, the under on total rounds might be a sneaky good play as well. Fonfara has never looked better, and I could see blitzing Cleverly and ending this within eight rounds. If you can get a big payout, a small bet on the under might pay off big.
HOW TO BET
Sign into BookMaker Sportsbook and get all the latest Andzej Fonfara vs. Nathan Cleverly boxing odds, including moneylines, totals and prop bets. The fight takes place on Friday, October 16, 2015 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois. Spike TV will televise the edition of Premier Boxing Champions live starting 9 p.m.
Make sure to check in during fight night and get the latest live betting updates. You can bet on real-time odds during the bout, allowing you to hedge your bets or even make new ones as you watch on live television. And with multiple reliable payout options, collecting your earnings is always quick and easy.
