By Terence Dooley
Liverpool's Tony Bellew, 22-2-1 (14), and Wales's Nathan Cleverly, 28-1 (14),
have both vowed to produce fireworks in their cruiserweight non-title fight at
Liverpool's Echo Arena on
Saturday night.
Their grudge rematch will be shown on Sky Sports Box Office and today's final
press conference was carried live by Sky Sports News.
"It's going to be déjà vu," said Cleverly, referring to his
successful WBO light-heavyweight title defence against Bellew in October 2011. "I've
beat him once, I'll just press the repeat button and shut this guy up once and
for all. I was walking around Liverpool today, it felt like my home town because people were asking for photos and
telling me they want me to silence this guy.
"The first fight was excellent. This will be a replica, but it will be
more explosive. My game plan is to break him down and take him out late. He
won't take me out, unless he's become King Kong overnight, because he caught me
clean in the first fight and I brushed them (the punches) off. I'll brush them
off again, come back and take this guy apart."
The 27-year-old was uncertain about his future after losing to Sergey Kovalev
by fourth-round TKO last year, but he insists that his hunger is back and that
the move to 200lbs has rejuvenated him. He said: "It hits you hard, but I
freshened up, found my new weight and feel great. This is the acid test against
a proper cruiserweight. He was trying to rattle me (during the head-to-head),
but he's tried it all before and failed.
He added: "Let's see who performs when it matters. I can handle it (the
pressure) better than him."
Bellew, 31, denied that there is pressure on him when promoter Eddie Hearn
asked how he is dealing with the pre-fight hullabaloo.
"No pressure," he insisted. "The pressure
is to come out without getting hurt. He comes to fight the same way every
single time, I hope he does that and exchanges. I expect a nice win, a
devastating win and to look good doing it. I'm a fighter, I just get in and
fight. We'll find out who breaks who on fight night."
"It's just another day in the office," added Bellew during a
post-presser one-to-one with Sky Sports. "A few home truths got told. Reality
will hit him on
Saturday. I've just told him the truth. Where's his
mind at? Maybe at one of those AA meetings he attends every now and
again."
Bellew also reiterated his belief that he carries genuine power now that he is
no longer boiling himself down to 175lbs following his decision to move up in
weight after losing to WBC boss Adonis Stevenson by sixth-round TKO last year.
"I've been able to iron people out with either hand since I was a
kid," he insisted.
The fight has generated a lot of debate due to its PPV status, but BoxingScene
understands that the pre-order figures have been very healthy and that the
event is on course to be a success despite the claims from boxing's hard-core
fans that it was a PPV too far. Either way, the return has generated a lot of
debate, but the talking is over now, bar the weigh-in, and the fight itself is
starting to hit the headlines, as opposed to the decision to put it on Sky Box
Office.
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