World Boxing Association (“WBA”) and International Boxing Association (“IBA”) light heavyweight World champion Beibut Shumenov is encouraged by media reports and quotes from World Boxing Organization (“WBO”) titlist Nathan Cleverly claiming he is agreeable to a unification fight in Las Vegas versus Shumenov.
Shumenov (12-1, 8 KOs), a 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian, and former European champion Cleverly (23-0, 11 KOs) would match, respectively, a lawyer against a mathematician.
One potential obstacle for any unification bout has been averted because Shumenov is once again promoted by KZ Event Productions, which he owns and operates with his brother, Chingis.
“Both of us are world champions; Cleverly in the WBO and me in the WBA,” Shumenov said. “I tried to unify against a WBO champion before but it didn’t work out. This fight should happen for boxing fans all over the world and we, as fighters, need to make sure that it does happen. I am sure Cleverly would prefer to fight at home in the UK, as I would love to fight in Kazakhstan, but this fight belongs in the boxing capital of the world, Las Vegas. I’m ready and, if Cleverly is really willing and able, let’s make it happen and get a deal done. My goal has always been to unify the light heavyweight world title.”
Shumenov’s trusted advisor, Hall of Fame promoter Don Chagrin, recently reached out to Cleverly’s promoter, Frank Warren, after reading stories that the WBO champion was interested in a unification fight against Beibut. Chargin has since received two calls from Warren’s matchmaker, Dean Powell. “They want the fight in Wales or London, Beibut would like to have it in Kazakhstan,” Chagrin reported. “I asked if they’d be interested in Las Vegas and he said that was something that could possibly be arranged. I’m still waiting to hear back from them about fighting in Las Vegas.”
Shumenov set a light heavyweight record for capturing a world title in the fewest career fights, 10, when (Jan. 29, 2010) he won a 12-round decision against Gabriel Campillo in Las Vegas. In three successful world title defenses, Shumenov won a unanimous 12-round decision versus No. 1 mandatory challenger and previously undefeated Viacheslav Uzelkov (UDEC12), followed by a six-round knockout of three-time world champion William Joppy (KO6), and then his victory last July by ninth-round TKO versus three-time world title challenger Danny Santiago.
In only 13 pro fights, Beibut has defeated four world champions (Campillo, Joppy, Byron Mitchell and Montell Griffin), as well as three world title challengers (Uzelkov, Santiago and Epifanio Mendoza
Cleverly captured the Interim WBO title a year ago, when he won a 12-round decision against Nadjib Mohammedi, after WBO champion Juergen Braehmer was stripped for pulling out of his title defense against Cleverly. Braehmer had done the same thing against Shumenov, only days before their scheduled unification fight last January in Kazakhstan. Cleverly was named the outright WBO champion and he has since successfully defended his title against Aleksy Kuziemski (TKO4) and Tony Bellow (DEC12) this past October.
