By Cliff Rold
The last time the world saw him, Tavoris Cloud looked like a serious comer in the Light Heavyweight division. One year later, it’s hard to remember what he looks like. That’s how long Cloud has been out of the ring, a lengthy stretch between being the only man ever to stop former Light Heavyweight champion Julio Gonzalez and earn his first shot at a major belt.
The key is he never lost this shot and, with a big performance, can ensure layoffs need not be an issue any longer. Across the ring, he’ll face one of the most consistent faces of the division over the last decade, a man on the other side of his prime but still game and with a wealth of experience on his side.
This won’t be the main event on Friday’s ESPN2 card (10 PM EST/7 PM PST), but it’s the best fight on the night and one of the best of the month on paper. The vacant IBF belt is on the line.
Let’s go to the report card.
The Ledgers
Clinton Woods
Age: 37
Titles: None
Previous Titles: IBF Light Heavyweight (2005-08, 4 Defenses)
Height: 6’2
Weight: 173 ½ lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 174.6 lbs.
Hails From: Sheffield, Yorkshire, U.K.
Record: 42-4-1, 24 KO
Record in Title Fights: 5-3-1, 2 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 2 (Julio Gonzalez, Glen Johnson)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 3 (Roy Jones Jr., Glen Johnson, Antonio Tarver)
Vs.
Tavoris Cloud
Age: 27
Title: None
Previous Titles: 1st Title Shot
Height: 5’10
Weight: 174 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 175.6 lbs.
Hails from: Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
Record: 19-0, 18 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 1 (Julio Gonzalez)
Pre-Fight Grades
Speed: Woods B; Cloud B
Power: Woods C; Cloud A
Defense: Woods B; Cloud B
Intangibles: Woods A; Cloud B
Woods used to have deceptively fast hands but his speed has eroded over the last couple years. It makes sense it would have. In a gutsy showing against Roy Jones in 2002, it was Woods’s speed which made the fight entertaining while it lasted and allowed him to at least compete, for a few rounds, with a still razor sharp Roy. In the years since, he has waged three memorable battles with Glen Johnson (going officially 1-1-1 though many felt he could have gone 0-3), a pair of distance wins over Gonzalez, and a long night against Tarver. At 37, wear and tear is to be expected but, against Tarver, he looked flat and barely found a round to call his own. In his only fight since against Elvir Muriqi, Woods was still moving his hands in combination but the step which appeared lost versus Tarver was not found.
Woods can at least know he won’t be facing a speed demon on Friday night. Cloud is not slow by any stretch but his approach can be observed as contained. He sticks a hard, straight left jab and follows with a hammering right. His timing is excellent and, so far, Cloud has shown he knows how and when to use the jab to create openings. It could serve him well because his hands are obviously heavy. While his competition hasn’t been world beating to date, Cloud has been the distance only once, and in a four rounder at that. Prior to the Gonzalez win, a TKO in 10, his longest bout was five rounds. Woods has scored knockouts of his own over the years, against the same caliber of foes as Cloud for the most part, but most came via accumulated punishment. Cloud has the sort of power fighters can’t afford to let accumulate.
In terms of defense, Cloud hasn’t given much to go on. Fundamentally, he keeps his hands high, gloves ever in position. Woods has always been someone who can be found but he’s not a punching bag. He steps in and out at angles with his gloves up to both block and turn over into short, quick hooks.
Intangibles make this fight compelling. Woods has seen so many looks, logged so many rounds with the best of his time, we literally know almost everything which can be known of his character. He’s been on the floor and got up to win. His chin has been impressive and, even in fights with Jones and Tarver where he was clearly being outclassed, he continued to press forward. Cloud is an enigma because he’s been so consistently devastating so far. To his credit, in his first major step up, he mangled Gonzalez with little concern for the experience of his foe but, if Woods takes his big shot and has enough to push back, how will Cloud react? We won’t know until, unless, it happens.
The Pick
Almost overnight, an infusion of youth and excitement is settling on the Light Heavyweight division. Cloud looks like he could be a major factor in that. With titlists in place like Chad Dawson and Jean Pascal already, fans can hope so. Both of those men have shown a willingness to war paired with outstanding athleticism, but they lack a boogeyman. Cloud can fill the void. Look for Cloud to score an early knockdown only to find Woods on his feet, still willing and still punching through the first half. Unfortunately, being up will mean being caught by a lot of right hands before Cloud steps up to finish sometime around the seventh or eighth round.
Report Card Extra
Woods-Cloud will not be the only action between young and old this Friday, though the experience gap will not be as pronounced in the main event. 28-year old Jr. Welterweight Juan Urango (21-2-1, 16 KO) is attempting the first defense of his second run as IBF titlist at 140 lbs. One thing is certain: this fight will end in a knockout. It really can’t end any other way. Urango comes looking for one every time out.
His challenger, 34-year old Randall Bailey (39-6, 35 KO), has always been the sort of fighter who can cause such an end by accident as often as intent. His most recent bout, a frightening knockout of the year candidate against Frankie Figueroa, could almost make on think Bailey is live here.
He shouldn’t be but with hands one never knows. Urango has shown a solid chin so far, and has youth and power of his own, but he’s never been hit by anyone like Bailey and his aggressive style win give chances. The safe bet is for Urango to simply strike more often and get before he can get got, sometime in the first four rounds of a blazing affair.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com