Cleverly to face big punching Corbin on cruiserweight debut

Welsh star back in action in Cardiff against Guyanese puncher

Nathan Cleverly will face Sean Corbin in his debut at Cruiserweight at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff on May 17, live on Sky Sports.

Cleverly steps up a division and returns to the ring for the first time since August as he aims to get back on the World title trail, this time in the 200lbs division.

Guyana-based WBC Caribbean champion Corbin brings 17 wins with 12 KOs to Cardiff, and has travelled to Europe before to face Cleverly’s former foe Karo Murat, European champion Mateusz Masternak for the WBC International Silver title and Dawid Kostecki for the WBC Baltic title, promoter Eddie Hearn says that Cleverly begins life at Cruiserweight with a crunch battle to prove he’s ready to land big fights later in the year.

“I can’t wait to see Nathan back in action at Cruiserweight,” said Hearn. “Corbin has only been beaten when he has stepped up to top level and will come into the fight with plenty of size and ambition. Nathan must win and look good doing so with so many huge fights just around the corner.”

Cleverly’s clash with Corbin is part of a huge night of boxing in Cardiff as Lee Selby faces Romulu Koasicha in an official eliminator for the WBC Featherweight title with the International belt on the line.

There’s a rematch between Welsh Lightweights Gary Buckland and Gavin Rees who served up a Fight of the Year contender in the same venue in February, and Liverpool’s Super Middleweight star Callum Smith defends his WBC International Super Middleweight title against Swansea’s Tobias Webb, plus action for Chris Jenkins, Dale Evans, Mitch Buckland, Robbie Turley and Alex Hughes.

Tickets are on sale now priced at £30, £40 and £60 ringside available from www.livenation.co.uk or by calling 02920 22 44 88, and from Sanigar Events on 0117 949 6699.

VIP Packages priced £120 are available from www.matchroomboxing.com or by calling 01277 359900.

pic by Al Stevenson