AT first glance the fight record of Robin Krasniqi is enough to make Nathan Cleverly fans exceedingly worried ahead of their world title showdown tonight (10.15pm start).

With a record of 38 successive victories spanning seven years, the Germany-based boxer appears to be at the top of the class in terms of the calibre of opponent faced by university graduate Cleverly.

However, in boxing some CVs tend to get massaged more than a pulled muscle on a Champions League footballer and it is arguably that Krasniqi is in possession of such a record.

Of his 38 wins only 15 have come against fighters with winning records and seven were making their professional bows.

And despite the fact Cleverly has boxed marginally fewer rounds than his Kosovan opponent – 159 to 190 – it’s also easy to make the case that this is a fight that will suit Cleverly the longer it goes.

It was Chris Eubank who famously once warned a young Joe Calzaghe that he was “taking him to the trenches, where you’ve never been,” and Cleverly can do the same with Krasniqi who has never once boxed the full 12 rounds.

That’s incredibly surprising for a 26-year old with 40 fights under his belt, but less so when you learn he’s only had eight fights scheduled for more than six rounds.

In contrast, Cleverly has enjoyed 17 of 25 career fights scheduled for eight rounds or more and he’s won three of his last five at the 36-minute mark.

Which is not to dismiss Krasniqi as a threat outright, 15 of his wins have come by way of KO and he’ll concede neither a height nor a reach advantage to Cleverly.

He’s highly motivated and largely seen as a stepping-stone for Cleverly, a means to an end of securing a super fight and an even better payday against Bernard Hopkins.

Krasniqi’s bangers’ chance is enhanced by Cleverly having an arguably susceptible defence, a trait currently harming him in the ‘let’s compare Nathan to Joe Calzaghe’ stakes.

Calzaghe had once in a lifetime skills, his hand speed and combinations a joy, but he also loathed being hit and had an extremely underrated defence.

Cleverly has perhaps more bravado than Calzaghe at a similar age and has shown a real propensity to fight on the inside with his hands low, which is always a worry.

He’s got away with it against fighters of the calibre of Karo Murat and Tony Bellew, but Krasniqi’s camp will take heart from it.

However, Cleverly the light-heavyweight as opposed to the super-middleweight has heavy hands of his own and buoyed by a big crowd and the tantalising promise of what is to come, I’m expecting to see Cleverly break down his visiting foe.

Cleverly is especially adept at delivering booming body blows and I can see him grinding down Krasniqi for either a late stoppage or wide points victory.

l Swansea’s former cruiserweight world champion, Enzo Maccarinelli, now also campaigning as a light heavyweight and training with Cwmbran’s Gary Lockett, features on a packed undercard with 14 bouts in total.

He takes on campaigner Carl Wild.

Londoner Dereck Chisora, who sparred with Cleverly last month, makes his return to the sport after a British Boxing Board of Control ban.