By Scott Gilfoid: Tony Bellew (18-1, 12 KO’s) figures he’s got the right guy facing him on Saturday night in Argentinian Roberto Bolonti (30-1, 19 KO’s) and he thinks he’s going to beat him to snatch the vacant WBC Silver light heavyweight title in Nottingham, UK. The Bellew-Bolonti fight is the co-feature on the Carl Froch vs. Yusaf Mack card.

Bellew said in an interview with Kugan Cassius at IFilm London “I’ve studied him. I’ve watched him. He’s a very good fighter. He’s heavy-handed but he’s got a few technical frailties. His defense is kind of leaky…There’s more of an emphasis of me moving forward [compared to in his last fight against knockout artist Edison Miranda], and I plan on going and doing a destruction job on him. I don’t believe he’s seen anyone like me before.”

That’s not exactly saying a whole lot, is it? I mean, look at Bolonti’s pitiful resume. It’s filled with little known 2nd and 3rd tier opposition from top to bottom. Of course he’s never fought anyone like Bellew, because he’s been fighting in his own backyard in Argentina virtually his entire seven year pro career since 2005. There might be some talented fighters in Argentina around 140 to 147 lbs, but the talent pool thins out dramatically one you go to 168 and above.

There’s just not a lot of talent in those weight classes. As such, you get a plodder like Bolonti, who probably should be ranked closer to 60 or 70 instead of #5 by the WBC at light heavyweight. As far as I’m concerned, he belongs in the 2nd tier around of the pack. I don’t understand the World Boxing Council’s ranking of fighters.

It seems like that sanctioning body has a lot of dead weight in terms of contenders they rank and I see terrible mismatches all the time involving guys that they rank highly.

Bellew will win this fight, but big deal! It’s not as if he’s beating a talented fighter like like Ismayl Sillakh, Denis Grachev, David Kostecki, Gabriel Campillo or Jurgen Brahmer.