Monday 26 September 2016 10:24, UK
British boxing has lost two of its world titles in as many weeks so as the new fight week begins, can Nathan Cleverly pull one back in Germany live on Sky Sports?
On September 16, Liam Smith dropped the WBO world super-welterweight title to Mexican hero Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and on Saturday, the Liverpudlian's stable-mate Anthony Crolla handed over the WBA world lightweight belt to the great Jorge Linares.
At the start of September, Kell Brook was brutally ousted by middleweight sensation Gennady Golovkin and Charlie Edwards was similarly unsuccessful in attempting to relieve John Riel Casimero of a world flyweight title on the same card.
So with the UK's world title hoard depleted, all eyes fall on Cleverly's bid to upset WBA world light-heavyweight champion Braehmer.
The veteran German has fought outside his homeland just once in a 50-fight career - and that was in Hungary. He is unbeaten since 2008 and has turned cities such as Hamburg and Neubrandenburg (where Cleverly will take him on) into boxing fortresses.
Cynics assert that Cleverly will have to knock his southpaw opponent out to leave the Jahnsportsforum with the gold but there is a sense that he may be catching Braehmer at the right time. Youth is on his side and he was far from disgraced in his last defeat - a points defeat to Andrzej Fonfara.
Cleverly's performance against the highly-rated Pole, who had stopped Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in his previous bout, suggested the Welshman has regained the speed and desire that his brief stint up at cruiserweight seemed to deprive him of.
At his best, Cleverly is an exciting boxer to watch. While Tony Bellew remains adamant that boiling down to 175lbs severely hampered his performance in their first meeting in 2011, Cleverly was all action on the night; his flashy combinations and shrewd movement rubber-stamping his reputation as one of Britain's best boxers.
A fourth-round stoppage defeat to light-heavyweight overlord Sergey Kovalev was the first disappointment and he spent the next three fights up at 200lbs; a spell ended by the worst night of his career - a split decision defeat to Bellew in November 2014.
One swift knockout victory and a thrilling clash with Fonfara later and Cleverly has the bout he's been chasing for a long time.
Some say Braehmer has a padded record and is yet to face anyone truly world class. Others say he's a champion reliant on home advantage. His supporters claim he's the only light-heavyweight capable of conquering Kovalev. The winner of this bout, incidentally, may find themselves in with the winner of Kovalev versus Andre Ward. A poisoned chalice, perhaps...
Regardless, Cleverly can arrest the slight slide in the fortunes of British boxing on Saturday night. He'll hear the first bell as an underdog but stands a good chance of preventing Braehmer's reign stretching into a fourth year.
Watch Braehmer v Cleverly plus David Price, Anthony Ogogo and Ohara Davies live on Sky Sports 2 this Saturday from 8pm
