Nathan Cleverly retains Carl Froch light-heavyweight fight hope

Nathan Cleverly remains hopeful that Carl Froch's fight with Mikkel Kessler can be the springboard to an all-British light-heavyweight showdown.

Froch will put his IBF super-middleweight belt on the line in Saturday's rematch with WBA title-holder Kessler at London's O2 Arena.

Should Froch win and decide to step up a weight division, WBO champion Cleverly would be a potential opponent.

"We could potentially fight each other, so really we're rivals," Cleverly said.

"In that super-middleweight division, any one of those guys could potentially move up to the light-heavyweight division, it's only 7lbs difference.

"He's [Froch] just said he's happy staying at his weight and that he's not big enough to move up. That's his choice but obviously it'd be a great fight if it ever was to materialise."

Cleverly has inside information on the build-up to the fight between the two super-middleweight champions, having travelled to Scandinavia to spar with 34-year-old Kessler, and he expects another hard-fought encounter.

The Dane beat Froch in April 2010 by unanimous decision after a memorable battle in Herning.

"People don't know which way to go, it's a 50-50 fight," Cleverly said.

"The first fight was an excellent toe-to-toe battle so this could be very similar.

"I've got quite a strong idea, I've been out in Denmark sparring with Mikkel Kessler, helping his preparation. It was a great experience, we had some good sparring."

Cleverly has set his sights on unifying the light-heavyweight division by beating IBF champion Bernard Hopkins and WBA champion Beibut Shumenov, but a domestic clash with Froch is also an alluring prospect.