IN an exclusive interview with Boxing News, Tony Bellew revealed that he is considering fighting a comebacking Tyson Fury and talks have been held to stage the bout.
Bellew made a surprise move up to heavyweight from cruiser in March and in a shock upset beat David Haye. He will continue campaign at heavyweight as he dreams of an unlikely world title shot. The Liverpudlian suspects Tyson Fury at this point in time might not be beyond him.
“He was considered. My people spoke to his people, so he was an option. I know what you’re going to say, he’s a giant of a man, he’s massive. He is one of the biggest, yes, but he’s not a huge puncher and in the shape he’s in, I’m probably picking on a guy who’s possibly fatter than me. I would take it on board. There are possibilities of that happening, yes there is. I’ll be totally honest. Would I get in with the Tyson Fury that beat Wladimir Klitschko? Absolutely not, no. Would I get in with the 25 stone fella that’s walking around now, absolutely yes. We need to see what he is and what’s realistic. He’s been out the ring so long, he’s going to be ring rusty. It would be one I’d look at. He’s a brilliant fighter. Do we still class him as the lineal heavyweight champion of the world? I don’t know, he’s been out the ring so long,” Bellew explained.
But he would only consider it as Fury’s first fight back after his long absence from the ring, in other words if Fury took Bellew as a tune up. “I’d want him straightaway, first fight back. If I give him a fight and he has a camp and he’s 18stone, I’m in a world of s***. I’m not going to lie to you. I’d want him first fight back, if he’s going to come back,” Tony said.
He added, “I hope he does come back because he would be great for the heavyweight division, he would be great for world boxing. There’s nothing more I’d like to see than Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua and if that’s not going to happen then Tyson Fury and ‘Fat Boy’ Bellew is a possibility.”
His main two options are a rematch with David Haye or a shot at WBO world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker who is “not the biggest but he’s 17½ stone, he’s six foot four. I just need to get him up close and see what he’s like. I’ve spoken to him personally. He likes the fight too. He probably looks at me as an easy touch, as everybody else does”.
He knows he is taking on much bigger men in this new division. Bellew maintained, “All these heavyweights will look at me as a soft touch. It’s only when they get in the ring with me they find out I’m technically superior to them. I’ve been in this game a long time and technically the heavyweight division is poor, barring Anthony Joshua. Deontay Wilder is only where he is because purely his size. If Deontay Wilder was six foot he would have been picked up, chewed up and spat out in four fights. Because he’s six foot seven and he’s got arms the length of an octopus, he’s massive and he’s got arms that are about five foot long. That’s why Deontay Wilder is where he is. He’s got freaky advantages in a boxing ring. Don’t get me wrong, he is a fantastic athlete but from a boxing perspective, he’s absolutely dreadful, his technique is just ridiculous, he doesn’t own a jab, he doesn’t own any defence whatsoever. Let’s be totally honest, Eric Molina shook the s*** out of him and Eric Molina is crap. Anthony Joshua’s shown Eric Molina exactly what he is.
“I’ve had one fight at heavyweight and I’ve got a better resume than Deontay Wilder has in 40 fights. Nobody called David Haye’s name until I’ve just beaten him. Now all of a sudden he’s s***, or he only lost because he was injured or whatever. There’s a reason no one wants to face David Haye in the heavyweight division and the reason is he’s very, very fast, very powerful and very, very dangerous. So he poses maximum risk for very little reward because he has no belt. Whereas I wanted to face him because I’ve always known I could beat him and I’ve always looked at him as the best cruiserweight this country’s ever produced and I wanted to beat the best cruiserweight this country’s ever produced.
“And if people don’t really believe I did beat him, well I’ll prove it again. The deal has to be reversed and then I’ll do it again as soon as he’s ready.”
