Nathan Cleverly says he'll KO Karo Murat in the first round - just like fellow Welshman Joe Calzaghe did to Mario Veit, in 2001.

 

Cleverly hopes to follow in the footsteps of Calzaghe by lifting a WBO world title against the Iranian based German Murat, live and exclusive on Sky Box Office.

 

He'll be gunning for the Interim Light-Heavyweight belt on September 18 on Frank Warren's Magnificent Seven event at the LG Arena, Birmingham, against his unbeaten opponent.

 

And the 23-year-old says he has taken inspiration from a one-round blitz by Calzaghe nine years ago at the CIA in Cardiff.

 

Cleverly was a teenage schoolboy watching that show in the crowd, but will never forget the performance.

 

"Joe was great that night," said Cleverly.

 

"It was occasions like that that made me want to become a professional fighter.

 

"It was a pretty miserable night to be German, and I'll make sure Murat gets the same kind of treatment.

 

"My power has been improving with every fight as I begin to grow up. When I started out as an 18-year-old professional I was a gangly super-middleweight who didn't really punch.

 

"Now I'm a big light-heavyweight and I've got the tools to take anyone out.

 

"I've got a lot of respect for Murat, because anyone who is undefeated is going to be dangerous and is going to coming thinking they can win.

 

"But I'm going to be so positive right from the start because I remember how the crowd got behind Joe when he tok it to Veit all those years ago."

 

Tickets for the Magnificent Seven are priced at £40, £50, £80, £150 and £200 and are available from:

 

LG Arena

0844 338 8000

 

Ticketmaster

0844 844 0444


 

See Tickets

0871 220 0260