By Scott Gilfoid: Liverpool challenger Tony Bellew (20-1-1, 12 KO’s) is under the impression that WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson (22-1, 19 KO’s) is getting old and will be feeling the affects of having had two training camps back to back for their fight next month on November 30th at the Colisee de Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
The 36-year-old Stevenson annihilated Tavoris Cloud by a 7th round stoppage last month on September 28th in an easy fight for Stevenson.
Bellew said this – “His body will feel it. And let’s be honest; he’s no spring chicken. I don’t believe he wants to face me. Why face a 6’3” guy who can box and who can fight? It’s a bit of a dangerous thing…He fights off fear himself. He doesn’t want to get hit. He has felt what it’s like to get knocked out.”
I can see this about Bellew: He talks a good fight. It’s just too bad that he doesn’t have the kind of talent to back it up, because it’s going to be kind of sad once Stevenson connects with his first big left hand and Bellew ends up on the canvas wondering what happened to him. Boxing fans want this to be an entertaining fight, but Bellew doesn’t have the kind of track record, experience or hand speed to make this bout an interesting one. You have to remember that Bellew was beaten by former WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly by a 12 round majority decision in October 2010. That was the best opponent that Bellew has ever faced, and he flat-out last that fight. Now can anyone picture Cleverly beating Stevenson? It would be a slaughter along the same proportions as Sergey Kovalev’s 4th round destruction of Cleverly.
Bellew has bounced back from the Cleverly loss in beating Danny McCintosh, Edison Miranda, Roberto Felicano Bolonti and Isaac Chilemba. I thought Bellew should have lost in his first fight against Chilemba in March of this year, but the judges scored it a 12 round draw in a fight that took place in Bellew’s home city of Liverpool. In their second fight, Bellew clinched his way to a 12 round decision. It was like watching the Wladimir Klitschko vs. Alexander Povetkin fight with the way that Bellew was holding onto Chilemba and not letting go. To say it was a boring to fight to watch is putting it lighting. That one just begged to have a disqualification of Bellew for all the holding he did.
Bellew was stunned by Chilemba in their first and perhaps that’s why Bellew made sure not to give Chilemba any punching room in their rematch.
There’s some questions about Bellew’s chin that need to be answered in the Stevenson fight. If you look at Bellew’s only fight of his career in facing a puncher against Ovil McKenzie in December 2010, Bellew hit the deck twice in the fight in getting dropped in the 1st and 2nd rounds. In their rematch, Bellew played it safe by staying on the outside for 12 rounds to make sure he wasn’t hit too much.
Bellew also tasted canvas in his win over Bob Ajisafe in September 2010. Ajisafe dropped Bellew in the 4th round.
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