When Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew first clashed in the autumn of 2011, both fighters appeared to have the world at their feet. Not only were they unbeaten, but Welshmen Cleverly also seemed destined to attain status as a multiple world champion, while Bellew seemed he could knock out some of the sport’s biggest names. While Cleverly prevailed in a tense and hard-fought encounter, neither fighter has managed to dominate or achieve their goals in the three years since. Now the two will clash again in the Liverpool Echo on Saturday, with a potential world title fight in the cruiserweight division awaiting the winner.
Cleverly, who has won 28 of his 29 professional fights, has struggled to rebuild his career since been comprehensively beaten by Sergey Kovalev in the summer of 2013. Bellew suffered a second setback after Cleverly had handed him his first loss, being stopped and outclassed by Adonis Stevenson.
Facing insurmountable opposition at world level at light heavyweight, both have moved to cruiserweight. There is certainly no love lost between the two pugilists, however, Liverpudlian Bellew has appeared to be a bit more relaxed, if still fierce, as he seeks to avenge his previous defeat in front of his adoring fans.
One of the main reasons for Bellew’s quiet assurance is his recent improvement in the ring, where he has narrowed the gap on Cleverly in terms of skill and technique. Additionally, there’s no doubt that he has the strength and power for this weight, yet there are doubts in terms of Cleverly’s physical capabilities within the division.
The majority of pundits are expecting the Welshman to prevail in a tight encounter, yet, this is a fight which has fans split, and could potentially go to either man. One also wonders whether a win for Bellew would signal a rubber match on the horizon, or if these two have simply had enough of each other and would let things stand at an even one fight apiece.
A dominant win for either could propel him towards instant big-fight status in the division, while a one-sided loss could mean permanent banishment from the upper echelon of the sport. The stakes are high — not to mention the pride on the line with these two.
The bookmakers are certainly torn, with Cleverly marginal favorite at 5/6 betting odds and Bellow priced at an average of 11/10. Not surprisingly, the draw represents excellent value at 25/1 especially when you consider how close the previous fight was between the two.
