Win over Cleverly has Bomber ready for world title shot
Tuesday 25 November 2014 13:39, UK
Tony Bellew may have only given his performance a six of 10 after beating Nathan Cleverly but he is happy to take on champion Marco Huck next.
The 31-year-old won the WBO cruiserweight eliminator showdown at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday night on a split decision.
It means he is one of the top challengers to Huck, who has equalled Johnny Nelson's cruiserweight world title defence record of 13 and who could face face the Sky Sports pundit next year.
But Bellew, who was only fighting as a cruiserweight for the third time, is ready to take on the WBO champion in his next fight. He believes it is now the biggest fight in the division and is also one he can win.
I will come to fight Huck, don't worry about that. People avoid him like the plague but I will fight him head-on, don't worry about that
"For me now it is where I go next and which world champion I face next," he told Sky Sports.
"I'm not being big-headed but I am a pretty big draw in this division. I bring an awful lot of plusses to the table and I do think every cruiserweight world champion wants to fight me now.
"If it's for the fans to watch then there's no doubt, me and Huck is an absolute cruncher of a fight. It makes so much sense. Business-wise it is, in my opinion, the biggest fight in this division.
"And I will come to fight Huck, don't worry about that. People avoid him like the plague but I will fight him head-on, don't worry about that. I will beat him and it will make for an absolutely fantastic spectacle."
Bellew was expecting Cleverly to fight like Huck, coming forward and constantly exchanging punches as soon as he got in rage.
But the Welshman spent the entire fight on the back foot, leaving his opponent frustrated that he could not gain revenge with a "conclusive knockout" - or even come close throughout 12 rounds.
Cleverly, who beat Bellew three years ago at light-heavyweight before losing the rematch, has said moving up to cruiserweight means he is carrying anything up to an extra 25lbs in the ring and was not as sharp or as well-prepared to last the distance as he was in the first fight.
Bellew's win was his third at the new weight and even though he gave himself such a low score in what was a possible make or break fight, he insists he is finally at the right level.
"One thing I definitely feel now is I am a true cruiserweight," he said.
"I am a cruiserweight make no mistake about and I am ready for the best in the world. At the end of the day I won and Huck could be next - or someone very similar to him, it doesn't bother me.
"All I am saying is I am ready now so if Huck wants to do it now we can do it. I saw that picture he (retweeted) on Twitter, that had been digitally remastered and had us going at it hammer and tong, and all I can say is I hope to see you soon. Very soon."
Tony says: "Are the other three easier than Marco Huck (WBO)? Maybe but what I will say about this division is they're all very good champions. There's Yoan Pablo Hernandez (IBF) who I think is technically the best fighter in the division, then there's Marco Huck who brings the excitement to the division then there is Denis Lebedev (WBA), a short power-punching southpaw, who is very, very strong and then we have the newly crowned Grigory Drozd (WBC) from Russia. He is tall and very accomplished as a boxer.
"There are just good fights out there. I think Drozd is the most inexperienced out there but Lebedev is the slowest but probably the most powerful. Hernendez is the best technically in my opinion and Huck might as well come into the ring wearing a cape because he is Mr Excitement, he really is.”
To hear more from Tony Bellew download this week’s Toe 2 Toe podcast on Wednesday afternoon…
