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Andrzej
Fonfara vs. Nathan Cleverly Headlines
Oct. 16 PBC On Spike From UIC Pavilion In Chicago
Bruising Polish star Andrzej Fonfara (27-3, 16 KOs) and
former world champion Nathan Cleverly (29-2, 15 KOs) will
meet in a 12-round light heavyweight battle as Premier
Boxing Champions on Spike returns to UIC Pavilion in Chicago
on Friday, October 16, with televised coverage beginning at
9 p.m. ET/PT.
Fonfara, a fan-favorite in Chicago, will be fighting at UIC
Pavilion for the 14th time in his career and is fresh off a
stunning performance against former world champion Julio
Cesar Chavez Jr. in April of this year. He steps up again to
fight a top light heavyweight in former world champion
Cleverly and if he can get by this stiff test, he will be in
a position to face all of the other top light heavyweights
in this talent rich division.
"I'm excited to return to my hometown of Chicago on this big
fight night against a world class fighter like Nathan
Cleverly," said Fonfara. "This will be a tough fight for
both of us. Cleverly is a solid fighter and it's no fluke
that he was a world champion and that he defended his belt
so many times. Our fighting styles guarantee that everyone
can expect fireworks on October 16th. I want this fight to
be a quick stop on my way to a rematch with Adonis
Stevenson."
"This is a major platform for me to prove that I am more
than capable of becoming world champion again," said
Cleverly. "If I beat Fonfara it's a doorway fight to the
world title and establishing myself as one of the best light
heavyweights once again. Fonfara is a good fighter. He's
tall, has power and has moved up through the levels in his
career. I am looking forward to coming over to Chicago and I
am very confident that our styles will blend well for a
really exciting fight.
"Spike has been the home to some of boxing's most exciting
bouts of 2015 including Marco Huck vs. Krzysztof Glowacki
and Andre Berto vs. Josesito Lopez," said Jon Slusser,
Senior Vice President, Sports, Spike. "We feel this trend
will continue as Andrzej Fonfara vs. Nathan Cleverly is an
equally matched fight that will bring a ton of action."
Born in Warsaw, Poland, but fighting now out of Chicago,
Fonfara will look to take advantage of a supportive
atmosphere on October 16 as he returns to UIC Pavilion.
After racking up victories over Tommy Karpency, Gabriel
Campillo and Doudou Ngumbu, the 27-year-old took down his
biggest name when he stopped Chavez Jr. in the ninth-round
on April 18. With 13 of his last 15 wins coming by way of
knockout, Fonfara will no doubt deliver a great fight for
fans on October 16.
A former world champion with a strong resume that includes
victories over Tony Bellew, Karo Murat, Tommy Karpency and
Nadjib Mohammedi, the Welsh Cleverly hopes to make an impact
in his third career fight in the U.S. The 28-year-old made
five defenses of his light heavyweight crown and is coming
off of an early stoppage of Tomas Man in May.
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