Andrzej Fonfara vs. Nathan Cleverly: This week's boxing scheduled is jam packed with quality fights. There are three PBC cards this week and the last of the bunch will air on Friday on Spike TV. The main event of that card will be a light heavyweight battle between Andrzej Fonfara (27-3, 16 KO) and Nathan Cleverly (29-2, 15 KO). The bout is scheduled to go 12 rounds and the winner could go on to some very big fights. Of course Fonfara has already had some big fights in his career. In 2014 he took on the lineal light heavyweight champion of the world Adonis Stevenson and even though he lost that fight he was able to drop Stevenson and gave him a tough fight over their 12 rounds together. It is no secret that Fonfara would like another crack at Stevenson. His last fight came in April of this year when he dropped Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, for the first time in his career and forced him to quit on his stool. That performance took Fonfara's career to new heights and seemingly out of nowhere he can lay claim to being one of the best light heavyweights in the division. Cleverly has also had some big fights in his career, the biggest coming against the man most consider to be the best light heavyweight in the world, Sergey Kovalev. That fight was a disaster for Cleverly who was dropped twice in the 3rd round before Kovalev finished him off in the 4th round. Following that defeat Cleverly worked his way back with a few low level fights before stepping in with Tony Bellew. The fight with Bellew which was a rematch did not go Cleverly's way and a loss to Fonfara would really hurt his career. Fonfara hopes a win against Cleverly will force the best of the division to fight him, and in Stevenson's case, fight him again. Fonfara is an orthodox fighter with good pop on his punches. He isn't a one-punch knockout type guy but he can break down an opponent over the course of a fight. Fonfara's jab is a good weapon and it is a very stiff punch that he will often bring a powerful straight right hand behind. While his left hook isn't deadly it is dangerous as he showed against Chavez Jr., but the straight right is his best punch. Despite being down in fights Fonfara is able to recover quickly and his excellent physical condition helps him stay fresh late in fights. Cleverly is also an orthodox fighter and he flashes a pretty good jab and a nice left hook that he turns over quickly. Cleverly will also throw a straight right hand but that punch isn't of the same caliber that Fonfara's is. In this fight Cleverly is probably the one with the better boxing skills but Fonfara seems to be tougher and more powerful. Also, Fonfara has been fighting a higher level of opposition as of late and his current form should allow him to win this fight by the way of 9th round stoppage.
Kohei Kono vs. Koki Kameda: Friday's fights will take place in Chicago. It is no secret that Chicago has a huge Polish population so usually when a fight card is held there it is packed with Polish pugilists. That is why it is strange that the co-feature for Friday's card will feature two Japanese junior bantamweights. Those fighters are Kohei Kono (30-8-1, 13 KO) and Koki Kameda (33-1, 18 KO) and they are scheduled to go 12 rounds for Kono's WBA junior bantamweight title. Usually fighters who come over from Japan aren't the most skilled but many of them seem to love to stand and trade heavy leather and put on a good show. Kono is an orthodox fighter who has a pretty weak jab but he does turn over that jab into a left hook very quickly. He does his best work on the inside where he can throw his crooked punches but from the outside he has shown a strong straight right hand. Like many Japanese fighters defense doesn't seem to be a priority for Kono and he takes a lot of clean punches upstairs. While that may not be good for Kono it does give the fans plenty of excitement. Across the ring will be Kameda who fights out of the southpaw stance. Just like Kono, Kameda takes a lot of clean punches to the head so this fight should be an exciting one. Kameda also likes to fight on the inside and he drops a good looking right hook to the body nicely. It is rare that Kemeda throws a straight punch, he doesn't jab often he usually he is throwing an overhand left or an uppercut so his straight left hand is nothing Kono needs to worry about. However, on the inside Kemda does a great job of landing uppercuts with both hands. This fight has draw written all over and and head clashes could really come in to play since it is an orthodox fighter against a southpaw and both men like to work in close. If this is a barn burner the younger Kameda should be fresher late and that will help him squeak by Kono for the majority decision victory.
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