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08/06/2008 Archived Entry: "Tavoris Cloud—Pressure Fighter or a Fighter Under Pressure?"
Tavoris Cloud—Pressure Fighter or a Fighter Under Pressure?
Focused contender faces Julio Gonzalez for IBF Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator this Friday!
Photo and story by Juan C. Ayllon
Cloud (left) rolls Mike Wood's eyes back with a vicious left hook to the chin in his one round demolition of Woods in March
CHICAGO—He’s muscular and ripped along the lines of all-time great middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler. With a record of 18-0 with 17 knockouts going into Friday’s eliminator for a shot at Antonio Tarver’s International Boxing Federation Light Heavyweight Title, Tavoris Cloud—like Hagler—declines the label, “knockout artist,” preferring instead to be called a boxer-puncher.
He’s also referred to himself as a pressure fighter, which is correct, but also ironic.
You see, normally before fights, Cloud is easy to get a hold of; I call his cell, he answers, and he talks about boxing like a chef describing a favorite meal. Not this time.
This Friday night at the Aragon Ballroom, Cloud faces Julio Gonzalez, who at 41-5 with 25 knockouts not only was a world champion and fought the best, but also has more knockouts than Cloud has fights. Seems like Cloud is the one under pressure here.
I called and left a message. His promoter’s publicist called several times. No response.
Mind you, that’s not necessarily bad. In fact, maybe it’s a good thing. Such inaccessibility may reflect an extra level of intensity and focus, which he’ll need on Friday.
Sure, in March, Cloud blew out Mike Wood (19-7-1, 11 KO’s) in one round for the USBA, NABA, and WBO NABO Light Heavyweight belts, and before that, he stopped heavy hitter Jose Luis Herrera (16-4, 16 KO’s)—the banger who upset then undefeated prospect Aaron Williams in May–in the fifth round in August 2007. And granted, in both fights (especially against Herrera) Cloud proved he had a solid chin, power and decent boxing skills. However, prior to facing Cloud, Woods was knocked out four times, and Herrera was knocked out thrice.
Friday’s foe is a bit more durable. In Gonzalez, Cloud faces a man who’s fought bombers like Julian Letterlough (UD over a premier banger who was 15-0-1 with 15 KO’s when they fought) and David Telesco (W-TKO 8 over this guy who’d gone the distance with Roy Jones, Jr. with a record of 29-4 with 24 knockouts at the time), and champions like Roy Jones, Jr. (L-UD12), Glen Johnson (W-MD), Dariusz Michalczewski (W-SD), Zsolt Erdei (L-UD), and Montell Griffin (W-TD 6). Yet, Gonzalez has never been stopped.
Granted, he’s 32, and with his last two fights resulting in decision losses—by unanimous decision to then-IBF champion Clinton Woods in September 2007 and split decision to former WBA Middleweight and IBF Light Heavyweight champ Reggie Johnson in February—Gonzalez is arguably on a downward slide. However, over the course of his career, he’s faced harder punchers than Cloud (take Letterlough, for example) and has dealt with pressure (see Glen Johnson for starters) at the world-class level.
That said, esteemed boxing trainer and analyst Teddy Atlas has said that with long in the tooth fighters, constant pressure is an effective way to go. No longer as energetic and resilient as they once were, older more experienced fighters can use guile and moxie to pace themselves and get the job done. That’s where Cloud’s pressure may come in handy. But, most likely, it won’t be enough.
Like Hagler, who blended smooth boxing skills with solid power and an unrelenting pressure, Cloud will have to use his skills and pop and not allow Gonzalez’s aging legs to rest. That stands to reason.
Now, lest you think Cloud’s pro experience is all he stands on, let me correct you.
“I was ‘Under-19 National Champion’ in 2000, fought in the ‘Under 19 World 2000,’ and I was runner-up at the U.S. Men’s National Championship in 2002,” Cloud said in a previous interview. “I fought in the Golden Gloves, I fought in all the national tournaments, [and] I slowly built myself up. When I first started, I wouldn’t advance that far in Nationals, but as I stayed in the game, I started advancing farther and farther. I remember going to the Golden Gloves in Detroit, Michigan and I lost a fight to Allan Green in the National Golden Gloves. It was a controversial decision.”
Not bad, eh? He’s got the amateur credentials. However, boxing is riddled with amateur stars whose credentials failed them at the professional level. So far, so good for Tavoris Cloud.
Still, I’m thinking, Geez, I need a quote. Let me call Tavoris’ number one more time and at least get his voicemail. I’ll work it in somehow.
Ring, ring, ring…
“Hello,” says Cloud.
“Hello, Tavoris?” I say.
“Yeah, who’s this?” Cloud asks.
“It’s Juan Ayllon of the Cyber Boxing Zone.”
“I’m sleeping right now,” Cloud says. “Call me in the morning.”
That’s all right, Tavoris. Get your sleep and save it for the fight. I don’t want to mess with your focus. Let your fists do the talking. Your actions speak volumes.
And there you have it! Tavoris is sleeping, not out partying, and no doubt he’s training as he always does (that’s his full-time job), and obviously he’s focused.
That’s good, because he’ll need his rest, conditioning and his focus on Friday. Pressures on.
