Wednesday 28 September 2016 10:20, UK
Tony Bellew is backing his bitter enemy Nathan Cleverly to become a world champion again.
The Welshman challenges WBA light-heavyweight title holder Juergen Braehmer in Germany on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports, five years after their initial proposed fight fell through.
Braehmer's withdrawal in the week of the WBO light-heavyweight title fight saw Bellew try to step in and fill the void and while he failed to make the weight, it sparked one of British boxing's most spiteful feuds for years.
'Bomber' and Cleverly are still anything but friends following two subsequent fights between them, but the Liverpudlian and new addition to the Sky Sports Boxing team admits he still wants his old enemy to become Britain's latest world champion.
I hope he beats Braehmer because I do believe if he'd have fought him when he should've fought him all those years ago, he would've beaten him then
"I wish him good luck and I hope he pulls it off," he told Sky Sports.
"I hope he beats Braehmer because I do believe if he'd have fought him when he should've fought him all those years ago, he would've beaten him.
"I am just not sure about the miles on the clock and how much desire he's got left in him. Only Cleverly will know himself.
"One thing I will say is the money won't be great going over to Germany that's for sure, so that won't be an issue and you can't say he's just going out there for the money.
"He is the challenger and he's not the mandatory challenger either so he must be going out there with the belief that he can beat him. And as I said, depending on how much he wants it, he has the capability of beating him. He can definitely out-work him."
Bellew lost the first fight with Cleverly at light-heavyweight in October 2011 but redressed the balance when the Welshman stepped up to cruiserweight in the rematch in November 2015.
The recently-crowned WBC world champion at 200lbs still labels his opponent's performance in their second fight as "ridiculous" but believes boxing back down at light-heavyweight could bring the best out the best in Cleverly.
"The second time he didn't freeze, he just knew what was coming," he said.
"I thought he was playing possum in all honesty but when I look back on that fight he was physically tired, blowing out of his backside. But in the first one he did go to the body quite well for a light-heavyweight and he does throw clusters of punches well.
"He is definitely world-class, there is no debating that. He's beaten some really good fighters, so he is a world-class fighter. He's not an elite level fighter but he has got the tools to beat Braehmer but whether he's willing to put it on the line is another story."
Cleverly will not be the first British fighter to challenger for a world title on German soil in recent years but while Peter Fury, whose nephew Tyson was the last Brit to win a world title out there says the judging is not a problem, Bellew has warned his foe.
"The big, big thing could be the decisions in Germany," he said.
"I obviously won't be the one who is whinging or complaining but we have seen some ridiculous decisions out there, we really have. We have had our fair share of bloopers over here but out in Germany? He's going to have to avoid the worst."
Watch Braehmer v Cleverly live on Sky Sports 2 this Saturday from 8pm.
