By Scott Gilfoid: WBO International cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew (21-2-1, 13 KO’s) will be in the ring tonight defending his WBO strap against big punching Brazilian Julio Cesar Dos Santos (26-2, 23 KOs) at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, UK.
For Bellew, 31, this will be his second fight in the cruiserweight division after moving up in weight recently following a 6th round knockout loss to WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson last November.
Bellew said that it was too difficult for him to make weight for the 175 pound division, and that cruiserweight was more of his natural weight class. However, since moving up in weight to cruiserweight, Bellew has looked visibly flabby around the midsection area, and the weight that he’s put on to fight at cruiserweight doesn’t appear to be useful muscle.
In other words, Bellew has gained 20+ pounds of weight in moving up to cruiserweight, but it looks to me to be 20 pounds of fat or close to that.
At Friday’s weigh-in, Bellew weighed in at 198.8 pounds compared to the 197.76lbs for his opponent Dos Santos. But the difference between the two in standing side by side was light night and day.
While Dos Santos actually looked like a cruiserweight with him looking trim, muscular and very much in shape, Bellew resembled an out of shape light heavyweight. I mean, Bellew looks like he ate his way to cruiserweight instead of worked his way up by putting on useful muscle that will help him in the division.
In just looking at Bellew’s new square-shaped physique, I think it’s painfully obvious that he belongs in the light heavyweight division, and not the cruiserweight division. The sooner that Bellew figures that out the better it’ll be for him.
Bellew could actually be a factor still in the 175 pound division with his punching power if he were to go after someone like WBA champion Jurgen Braehmer. But at cruiserweight, Bellew doesn’t appear to have enough real muscle to compete against the best in this division. To me, Bellew looks like a light heavyweight that has had few too many pies and cakes.
What Bellew needs is a good conditioning coach like Alex Ariza to burn off the 23 pounds of excess weight that he’s put on since moving up to cruiserweight, and bring him back to light heavyweight where Bellew has a better chance of capturing a world title.
Both Cleverly and Bellew arguably made a mistake in moving up to cruiserweight, but I think Bellew made the bigger mistake because he at least has the power to make something happen at light heavyweight. At cruiserweight he doesn’t appear to punch hard enough to make things happen in the division.
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