3. TKO Nathan Cleverly
Photo by Scott Heavey
In 2013, Nathan Cleverly, a fleet-footed 26 year old, could nearly see the pinnacle of the light heavyweight division. He was unbeaten at 26-0 (including 12 knockouts) and a five-time defending WBO champion.
Kovalev was on the hunt for 175-pound glory too. Four years into his professional career, he had knocked out all but one man he had faced.
The two men had nearly 50 fights between them and not a single loss.
The showdown between them drew parallels with fellow Welshman Joe Calzaghe and his upstaging win over Jeff Lacy, touted then as the “Mini Mike Tyson.”
Two knockdowns in Round 3, courtesy of Kovalev’s menacing punching ability, rid any notion of a Welsh victory that night and Cleverly’s claims to the Krusher’s “overrated” power.
The final knockdown in the third stanza was particularly brutal; a right-left-right combination of hooks sent Clev reeling to the canvas face first. He made it to his feet only to eat a volley of hard shots before the bell rang and the defending champion had to be assisted to his corner by referee Terry O’Connor.
The fourth round was no more forgiving to Cleverly. Kovalev lit him up with a sharp two-fisted attack, forcing Clev to touch the canvas one more time and compel the referee to call a halt to the onslaught.
Kovalev made quick work of a top-5 light heavyweight and earned his first world title in the process.
