Fight Pick & Preview – Stevenson vs. Cloud:
On Saturday, September 28, Adonis Stevenson defends his WBC light heavyweight belt against former IBF champ Tavoris Cloud in Montreal. Stevenson, a Quebec resident should receive vociferous support against his American opponent. The Haitian-born Stevenson won the title with a shocking first-round knockout of defending champion Chad Dawson in June. Cloud, meanwhile, is coming off a loss, dropping a wide decision to Bernard Hopkins in March.
- Date: Saturday, September 28, 2013
- Site: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Titles: WBC Light Heavyweight Championship
Adonis Stevenson, 21-1 (18 KOs), Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, WBC Light Heavyweight Champion
Vs.
Tavoris Cloud, 24-1 (19 KOs), Tallahassee, Florida
Stevenson really did a number on Dawson, blasting him out of the fight with a single shot in 76 seconds. Not all that shimmers is necessarily gold, however. While Stevenson scored an emphatic win over a longtime top 175-pounder, Dawson seems to be at least a tad past his expiration date. Coming off a woefully-one-sided stoppage loss to Andre Ward, “Bad” Chad was ripe for picking. Hats off to the 35-year old Stevenson for getting it done.
At the same time, we’re talking about a guy who has landed one punch, a single blow, to graduate to the status of world champion. It’s not as if he has an extensive body of work to justify his world class billing. One punch. Not to minimize his accomplishments. Blasting out a reigning champion is no small feat. It’s just that it’s safe to say Stevenson’s standing is not yet totally cemented.
In his favor for this fight is the fact that he is drawing another opponent whose best days might be behind him, as well. Tavoris Cloud, 31, is a good fighter, a physical presence and a big, tough guy. It’s been a while since he has looked good in the ring. His best outing was probably a rough-and-tumble decision over still-dangerous Glen Johnson in 2010. Since then, he defended his IBF belt against lower-end contenders Fulgencio Zuniga and Yusaf Mack, received a gift decision against Gabriel Campillo, and a disappointing loss to a 76-year old Bernard Hopkins.
Watching him get schooled by Campillo and Hopkins was ultra-alarming. Campillo went on to twice get stopped in future bouts and really deserved the decision against Cloud. It seems like Cloud never quite learned the finer points of the game. A menacing physical presence, he’s not very cerebral. He just gets in there and throws punches and hopes his superior strength and physicality will win the day.
So while Stevenson benefits from catching a slumping Cloud, Tavoris may benefit from not having to face an opponent who is particularly “cute” in his fighting style. Stevenson is no dummy in the ring, but he relies on the physical far more than the mental, as does Cloud, so maybe this matchup will be more to each man’s liking.
One thing about Cloud is that he’s exceptionally durable. He’s faced a pretty decent roster of 175-pound talent and a time where he was in trouble doesn’t immediately come to mind. Stevenson might not be quite as rugged. It’s unfair to keep bringing up his one loss, but he was stopped by Darnell Boone in the 2nd round in 2010. The late-blooming Stevenson avenged the loss and has been seeing his power taking over–with 8 straight knockouts coming into the fight.
In Cloud’s favor, he is facing a guy in Stevenson who was a super middleweight until the Dawson fight. A guy who landed one punch to be labeled as world class and a guy who can be gotten to, who has been stopped before. And Tavoris Cloud hits a lot harder than Darnell Boone.
Working against Cloud is that Stevenson seems to be blooming, whereas Cloud has receded. It’s been over 3 years since Cloud did anything good in the ring against an opponent that is in Stevenson’s class. Cloud is fighting in Montreal, where any number of hometown factors could work against him. He’s facing a limited fighter in many respects, but he is also limited and the other guy has wind in his sails, while Cloud has seen his career and reputation sag in the last few years.
Even with all that being said, this matchup is not so bad for Cloud. If he were to ever make another run at the top of the division, this is the perfect opponent to fight. Hopkins is too educated for him. Kovalev is too everything for him. Stevenson is probably the only guy in the upper reaches of the division where Cloud would stand a good chance.
Stevenson vs. Cloud Prediction
These are two guys who rely on offense very heavily. Stevenson has more of the equalizer in his arsenal with his crunching power, but I’m going to go with an upset. At this point, it’s not easy to back Cloud on the heels of two subpar performances. It’s just that he’s the bigger, more durable guy who is probably feeling a greater sense of career urgency. In a bout that will be devoid of some of the sport’s finer points, that might be enough.
Pick: Tavoris Cloud by unanimous decision.
