Bellew to fight Stevenson


Mofo2

Recommended Posts

48590.3.jpg
 
Tony Bellew will take on WBC light-heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson on November 30 in Quebec City. The 30-year-old from Liverpool has only been beaten once in his career, where he lost out on a points' decision to Nathan Cleverly in October 2011.

Bellew since then has recorded four wins and a draw, picking up a victory in the rematch with Isaac Chilemba in May.

 

Stevenson has also been defeated once, and the 36-year-old defended his WBC crown after overcoming Tavoris Cloud last month - when his opponent retired in the seventh round. Stevenson collected the WBC belt in June. Bellew took to Twitter to reveal the news of having a shot at a world title for a second time.

Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/sport/story/248575.html#sdssV0SdBHVAKLId.99

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bellew takes on Stevenson in Quebec next month and he talks a good game

 

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Boxing+Bellew+takes+Stevenson+Quebec+next+month+talks+good+game/9050180/story.html

 

They all talk a good game — all these pretenders to Adonis Stevenson’s throne. And perhaps one, eventually, will prove prophetic.

And, if nothing else, Tony Bellew talks a good game and is believable.

“I don’t believe he wants to face me. It doesn’t make sense,†Bellew said during a Thursday afternoon news conference at a downtown Montreal hotel. “Why face a 6-foot-3 guy who can box and who can fight? It’s a bit of a dangerous thing.â€

Englishman Bellew, a native of Liverpool, will attempt to take the World Boxing Council’s light-heavyweight title from champion Stevenson, Nov. 30 at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City in the 12-round main event. The bout will be televised in the U.S. by HBO.

The co-feature that night will see World Boxing Organization light-heavyweight champ Sergey Kovalev defend his title for the first time against Ismayl Sillakh.

Bellew, 20-1-1 with 12 knockouts, is a former British Commonwealth champ who became the mandatory challenger in the 175-pound division last May, when he captured a unanimous decision against Isaac Chilemba, the two having fought to a draw two months earlier.

Bellew, who will be fighting outside the United Kingdom for the first time in his career, lost his only other world-title opportunity in October 2011, dropping a 12-round majority-decision to then WBO champ Nathan Cleverly.

Stevenson, who now fights out of Blainville, is 22-1 with 19 KOs. He captured the title last June, stopping Chad Dawson in 76 seconds, defending it against Tavoris Cloud on Sept. 28, Cloud failing to answer the bell for the eighth round.

Bellew was at ringside that night at the Bell Centre and, while he respects Stevenson’s punching power, isn’t in awe of the southpaw.

“They have him down as some kind of a new Mike Tyson,†said Bellew, who turns 31 the night of the bout. “He’s the total opposite. He’s an out-and-out counter-puncher. He fights off the fear himself. He doesn’t want to get hit. He has felt what it’s like to get knocked out. That’s something I’ve never felt.

“I know he can punch. I won’t be foolish enough to say I won’t show him respect. But I don’t think he’ll do the same with me. He’s going to think who’s Tony Bellew?â€

Bellew believes his considerable height advantage, about four inches, will prove too much for Stevenson. But Stevenson has fought taller opponents before — Aaron Pryor Jr. and Dawson.

Against Cloud, Stevenson managed to put on a boxing clinic, displaying skills, finesse, speed and defensive ability. Stevenson has stopped his last nine opponents, since Darnell Boone scored an upset second-round technical knockout victory in April 2010.

“Chad Dawson was 6-foot-3, and he went down. Pryor was 6-foot-5, and he went down. It doesn’t matter,†Stevenson said. “He (Bellew) is orthodox. It’ll be more easy.

“I’ll use my ability. As soon as I touch him it’s going to be (no) different.â€

Stevenson’s 36 and has been on a feverish pace of late. And Bellew’s aware of the toll that can extract. Between July 2011 and last May, he fought seven times — five of the bouts going the 12-round distance. He fought Chilemba twice in seven weeks.

“I know what it’s like to do two training camps, back-to-back. It’s not good, not fun,†Bellew said. “His body will feel the effects. He’ll feel it midway through his camp.

“I fought five 12-round fights. His body will feel it. And let’s be honest, he’s no spring chicken.â€

Stevenson and his trainer, Jovan Hill, maintain the frequency won’t be telling since the fighter hasn’t been in wars, either in the ring or while conducting camp.

“The only way you over-extend yourself is if you’re fighting gruesome battles. Clearly, Adonis isn’t,†Hill said. “You can fight more in a year if you’re not taking punishment. He’s always in shape, always in the gym, running. He’s not having wars in the gym.â€

Nonetheless, Bellew believes Stevenson can become discouraged and frustrated the longer a fight proceeds. Pryor did it for eight rounds, while Don George took Stevenson to the 12th in October 2012 before being stopped. And, of course, there was Boone.

“I’m under no illusions. He’s the man of the moment with HBO,†Bellew said. “But look past all the hype. Look deeper into the record and study the fights. George is a run-of-the-mill fighter, and he has been knocked out by a journeyman.

“If Darnell Boone can do it, so can I. I’m better than Darnell Boone.â€

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You would expect Bellew to have confidence but he is also showing respect to the power Stevenson possesses, this is a tough tough fight for Bellew!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i figured Slayer will be up in arms once he reads this and then you 2 will lob more sweet nothings at each other :coffee  

Slayer tends to be full of shit and little sense when it comes to fighters he hugs :coffee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.