Q&A: Cloud discusses Hopkins, Campillo, light heavyweight division

RingTV.com caught up to IBF light heavyweight titleholder Tavoris Cloud in advance of his title defense agaisnt former WBA beltholder Gabriel Campillo on Feb. 18, which headlines a Showtime-televised triple-header that will include former two-time welterweight beltholder Paul Williams and heavyweight contender Chris Arreola.

Cloud expressed his thoughts on why WBC beltholder Bernard Hopkins told RingTV.com that he would fight unbeaten WBO titleholder Nathan Cleverly, of the United Kingdom, or once-beaten WBA beltholder Beibut Shumenov, of Kazakhstan -- but not Cloud.

Cloud (23-0, 19 knockouts), who turned 30 on Dec. 10, also shared his feelings about why a proposed fight with former WBC titlewinner Jean Pascal never came to fruition.

Cloud is after his fourth defense of the crown he earned with a unanimous decision over Clinton Woods in August of 2009, and is coming off an eighth-round stoppage of Yusaf Mack in June.

Campillo (21-3-1, 8 KOs) has split victories with Shumenov, winning a majority decision in August of 2009 before losing their return bout by controversial split-decision in January of 2010. He is 2-0-1, with two knockouts since falling to Shumenov, and is coming off October's draw with Karo Murat, whom he had lost to by majority decision in September of 2008.

RingTV.com: What sort of problems can Campillo pose for you?

Tavoris Cloud: This guy doesn't pose any problems for me. He's just another chump that's going to get his a-- whooped.

RingTV.com: What is your perspective on the fact that he split wins with Shumenov?

TC: I saw both of the fights with Beibut Shumenov, and I just think that Shumenov fought him the wrong way. Campillo, he never has fought a fighter like me. My thoughts are, when it comes down to fighting him, is that he has never fought anyone like me and he's in trouble.

I'm the type of fighter who fights to the death. So if it was a fight where we fought to the death, then he would die. I don't see him as a threat. I know that he's a good fighter, but I'm just prepared. I'm confident. I respect all fighters, but this is not Campillo's time.

RingTV.com: Your perspective on why the Pascal fight didn't come off?

TC: My real feelings about Pascal and all of these light heavyweight fighters and the so-called "marquee name" fighters is that they don't want to fight me. They don't want to fight me because they know that I pose a serious threat.

Promoters don't want their fighters to fight me because we're in a recession, and their fighter could be hospitalized. So, not only do they lose a world champion, but they could also get stuck with a huge hospital bill.