TAVORIS CLOUD vs CLINTON WOODS

Tavoris Cloud, although an unbeaten and exciting light-heavyweight, so far has not attracted a huge amount of attention. He gets the chance to put this right on the Friday Night Fights season-ender when, boxing in his home state of Florida, he meets British veteran Clinton Woods for the vacant IBF championship.

This show, which also features the junior welterweight title fight between Juan Urango and Randall Bailey, is probably the strongest double-header ever presented by ESPN — certainly I can’t think of a better one. Shows of lesser quality than this have been offered on pay per view. ESPN is going out with a bang, and of course there is likely to be some serious banging in the two title bouts.

Cloud, of course, is the favourite in the light-heavy title bout. At 27 he is the younger man by a decade and he looks the stronger, fresher, more powerful fighter. His trainer, Miami veteran Al Bonnani, likens Cloud to Marvin Hagler for work ethic and determination.

Woods, though, is the vastly more experienced fighter, having boxed in numerous 12-rounders, including nine world title fights. He has boxed professionally 47 times, against just 19 bouts (all wins, 18 by KO) for his opponent.

The question mark over Woods is how much he has left after a 15-year career. He boxed well in his last fight, a comfortable decision win over Elvir Muriqi, but, while capable, the “Kosovo Kid” doesn’t bring Cloud’s brand of firepower and aggression.

Woods told his hometown Sheffield Star newspaper that he “feels great, feels hungry again”. He also said that if he loses he will retire, and it always concerns me when the “R” word crops up in fighters’ pre-bout comments.

In two previous title-fight appearances in the U.S., Woods was stopped in the sixth round by Roy Jones Jr., and outclassed by Antonio Tarver 16 months ago in a tepid display in Tampa.

It does seem to me that Woods is the type of fighter who performs at his best in familiar surroundings. With a Yorkshire crowd roaring encouragement, Woods fought three tough bouts with Glen Johnson and won the third meeting, while in what many considered an unexpected show of punching power he hammered Rico Hoye into defeat in the fifth: “He has never boxed better, he has never fought better, he has never punched harder — he has never produced a performance like this in his entire life” the BBC commentator Jim Neilly delightedly exclaimed.

Some might see a parallel between the fight with Hoye and the one with Cloud. Hoye, like Cloud, was an unbeaten puncher (14 KOs in 18 consecutive wins) but Woods hammered him.

There are differences, though. Woods was at home for the Hoye fight, and he was five years younger then. Hoye had shown limitations in a struggling — and perhaps fortunate — win over Montell Griffin. Additionally, Hoye’s vulnerability had been exposed when he was dropped early by Prince Badi Ajamu, although he came back to win comfortably.

It is well-known, too, that Hoye struggled to make weight for the Woods fight.

Cloud, though, has shown no apparent weaknesses and is known for his dedication to his profession — and he has been steaming through everyone. He gave an almost frightening display of punching power in his last fight when demolishing Julio Cesar Gonzalez in 10 brutally one-sided rounds. True, Gonzalez was a fighter at the end of his career, but he had never been stopped before — and he twice went 12 hard-fought rounds with Woods.

In an interview for Boxing Monthly, Cloud told me that he admires the toughness and commitment of the old-school fighters. “They was real determined,” he said. “They stayed hungry. They was real fighters. I just take that and I keep rolling with it.

“I see myself as just as determined as Marvin Hagler — I’ll move on you like Aaron Pryor and knock you out like Mike Tyson.”

Hagler, Pryor, Tyson — Cloud sees himself as having the qualities of great fighters. On Friday we’ll find out a bit more about him because Woods is his sternest test yet. Woods has the height and reach advantages, the experience and the reliable chin to make this a long, difficult night for the younger man. I believe that Woods is much better than he looked in the lacklustre showing against Tarver. He has sound boxing ability and he punches hard enough to get respect. Although he boxed poorly against Tarver he came back with a much sprightlier effort against Muriqi. I believe he feels he has something to prove after virtually surrendering the title to Tarver, and I don’t see Cloud simply rolling over him. I do believe that Woods will put up the sort of fight that will win some respect, no matter the result.

It does seem to me, though, that this is Cloud’s time. He has the look of a special type of fighter. Woods, meanwhile, has probably done better than many people in the U.K. boxing trade expected, and I think his time has passed — he has had some gruelling fights and I view Friday’s contest as something of a last stand for the veteran.

“I don’t want to make a specific prediction,” trainer Bonnani said over the phone from Florida this week, “but I feel very confident, and I will say that whether the fight goes one round or 12, Clinton Woods is going to get hurt.”

My main concern about Cloud is that this will be his first bout since stopping Gonzalez a year ago and if he takes a few rounds to get started he could fall behind, because Woods knows how to box, move and block punches.

I do expect Cloud to come on strongly, though, once he gets going, and I think that Woods will be struggling to keep him off in the second half of the fight. I don’t make this the one-sided fight that some believe it will be, but I can see Cloud breaking through Wood’s defences and overpowering the gallant veteran in about 10 or 11 rounds.