The entire British public are shaking with anticipation towards Saturday night’s fierce grudge rematch between hothead Tony Bellew and his arch nemesis Nathan Cleverly at the Echo Arena in ‘The Bomber’s’ hometown of Liverpool, live and exclusive on Sky Box Office.
Ever since their close encounter back in 2011, which saw Cleverly outpoint Bellew in an exciting battle, the two fighters have continued to verbally spar and fire insults at one another, culminating in this inevitable but fascinating return.
A lot has changed though since Cleverly and Bellew last shared a ring, with both men suffering devastating knockout losses. This has prompted a move to the Cruiserweight division for the feuding rivals, who are seemingly reinvigorated by the change in weight.
As ‘Clev’ aims to defeat his motormouth opponent in front of his hometown supporters for the second time, the Liverpudlian is looking to claim revenge for a loss that he believes was unjust. Therefore, will the increase in weight suit former WBO Light Heavyweight king Cleverly who is renowned for his high work rate or will it suit the self-proclaimed heavy hitter Bellew who is adamant his power will be the key on the night?
Read on for RBRBoxing’s preview and prediction for Nathan Cleverly vs. Tony Bellew 2. Let us know who you think will win this Cruiserweight clash!
Tale Of The Tape
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There is very little difference between these two warring Cruiser’s records, just a slight advantage to the man from Cefn Fforest who, along with having an additional four pro bouts and boxing an extra 26 rounds, also holds a win against his Saturday opponent.
Despite this, many critics feel that although Nathan Cleverly was a reigning world champion for almost three years, Tony Bellew has fought at a higher level throughout his career. This has been disputed however, since both men moved up in weight, it is clear that Bellew has had sterner tests at Cruiserweight than the seemingly unmarked Cleverly which may, in the end pay dividends for the determined Bomber.
And it is the 31 year old who holds the edge in power, with an impressive 56 percent knockout percentage compared to ‘Clev’s’ 48 percent, so Bellew will be aiming to expose the 27-year-old Welshman, claiming that definitive knockout victory he has craved since 2011.
All stats courtesy of BoxRec.com
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Main Storylines
The bitter rivalry between the two combatants has dominated the headlines since the fight was announced. The hatred has been bubbling under the surface from the final bell of their first fight, making Nathan Cleverly versus Tony Bellew one of the hottest tickets in town.
Under all the insults though, there is actually a very interesting matchup taking place on Saturday night, and the jump to Cruiserweight only makes the fight even more intriguing. Bellew is a man desperate for redemption, eager to make a gigantic statement against Cleverly, who in turn is quietly confident the fight will in no way be revenge, but in fact repeat.
The man from Liverpool proves he wears his heart on his sleeve after being incredibly vocal in the build up to Saturday’s showdown. Nevertheless, Bellew must not let his heart rule his head or he could find himself on the end of another Cleverly beating. On the other hand, is Cleverly relying too much on his previous victory against The Bomber?
If so, will Bellew finally attain the elusive win that has haunted him for three years?
Strengths for Each Man
Tony Bellew
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe
The 31-year-old Bomber’s best asset is most definitely his punching power, but to rely on that alone would be a fatal mistake. A former ABA champion, Tony Bellew has copious amounts of boxing ability and when he puts his punches together it can be very impressive.
Therefore, Bellew must fight intelligently, setting up those big shots rather than just going gung-ho, hoping he can land the perfect knockout punch, because to just say “I have power” is simply not enough.
Nathan Cleverly
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe
The man from the valleys is known for his great inside fighting, high tempo and fast hands. Nathan Cleverly boasted a granite chin, claiming he could not be knocked out, until his chin was exposed by Sergey Kovalev.
Nevertheless, he has taken Tony Bellew’s punches before without effect so he does have a good chin. But just like the last fight, the 27 year old will have to try to keep the fight up close where he is comfortable and Bellew isn’t.
Also, the former world champion must keep his work rate up; if he can sustain a high tempo for the full 12 rounds then he has an excellent chance of repeating his 2011 feat.
Weaknesses for Each Man
Tony Bellew
Photo by Lawrence Lugtig
Undoubtedly, Tony Bellew relies too much on his punching power as he stands by the fact that he is a heavy hitter. Clev was able to take all the Liverpudlian had in their last encounter, which proves that his punching power may not be as hard as he once envisaged.
Also, Bellew’s raw emotion means that he may choose to try and knock his enemy’s head off with everything he throws, which can become extremely taxing on the mind as well as the body leading to the 31 year old running out of steam early, then becoming a sitting duck for Cleverly.
Nathan Cleverly
Photo by Action Images
If Nathan Cleverly was not obliterated by Sergey Kovalev then it would be save to say that he would be the favorite going into Saturday night’s showdown.
However, after being shockingly knocked out by the Russian freight train, questions remain. What state of mind will Cleverly be in? Will he try to trade with Tony Bellew, neglecting his defense to prove that he still has a good chin?
If so, he may find himself looking up at Bellew from the canvas.
The Winner and Why
Photo by Getty Images
Saturday night’s clash will be a very close, nip and tuck battle, with the winner being the one who can control their emotions in the ring along with controlling the high profile occasion. I believe that fighter will be Nathan Cleverly.
Clev’s calm demeanor will pay dividends on fight night because the emotional Tony Bellew will succumb to the pressure he has put on himself, increasingly hyped up by the buildup while Cleverly will be quite the contrary, picking the unpredictable Bellew off as he sails to a close, but definitive points victory.
Needless to say, Bellew is quality entertainment. Still I think everyone in boxing would agree that he is a better talker than he is a fighter, and even though I still do rate him as a good boxer, Cleverly’s high work rate along with his mental toughness will be the reason why his hand will be raised after the final bell sounds, calling an end to the bitter, long standing Bellew vs. Cleverly saga.
If it goes the other way though, then the third chapter of this exhilarating feud may be right around the corner because let’s face it, they will never be on each other’s Christmas card lists. Will they?
