Team Shumenov Dispute Cleverly Fight Offer Claim

Hall of Fame promoter Don Chargin, advisor for WBA and IBA light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov, has responded to a press release issued by Frank Warren Promotions that claimed Shumenov turned down a unification offer to fight WBO titlist Nathan Cleverly.

The press release announced that Cleverly will be defending his WBO title February 25 against Tommy Karpency in Wales. It also claimed: An offer went to WBA title-holder Beibut Shumenov to face Cleverly, but he said he would not be ready in time – although it could happen later this year.

Back in November, Chargin reached out to Warren, after reading stories that Cleverly was interested in a unification fight against Beibut. Chargin spoke twice to Warren’s matchmaker, Dean Powell, but Don didn’t hear back until he received an email yesterday.

“I thought that it was strange to get an email just yesterday asking what it would take to get Beibut to come to the UK, especially where we had been talking by phone, and they never responded to our offer weeks ago for Cleverly to fight Beibut in Las Vegas,” Chargin said.

“The next day they announce a fight between Cleverly and Karpency? The truth of the matter is Beibut never turned down any fight against Cleverly because they didn’t make an offer to us. We offered them a fight against Shumenov in Las Vegas and they never even responded to that offer, which, to me, means they turned it down.

“To say Beibut wouldn’t be ready in time to fight Cleverly in two months is quite amusing. Beibut’s been ready to unify since he first won the WBA title. I am terribly disappointed that they would make false statements like that.”

Shumenov (12-1, 8 KOs), a 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian, set a light heavyweight record for capturing a world title in the fewest career fights, 10, when (Jan. 29, 2010) he won a 12-round decision against Gabriel Campillo in Las Vegas.

In three successful world title defenses, Shumenov won a unanimous 12-round decision versus No. 1 mandatory challenger and previously undefeated Viacheslav Uzelkov (UDEC12), followed by a six-round knockout of three-time world champion William Joppy (KO6), and then his victory last July by ninth-round TKO versus three-time world title challenger Danny Santiago.

In only 13 pro fights, Beibut has defeated four world champions (Campillo, Joppy, Byron Mitchell and Montell Griffin), as well as three world title challengers (Uzelkov, Santiago and Epifanio Mendoza).