PROMOTER Eddie Hearn would like to see Tony Bellew fight Andre Ward, but after Bellew’s May 5 heavyweight clash with David Haye.
Ward’s trainer, Virgil Hunter has told Boxing News that the American star would consider coming out of retirement to step in to fight Tony Bellew.
Hearn said, “I spoke to Virgil about it and I just said keep him ticking over, which is easier said than done. But I think he’s training anyway. He’s flirting with the idea of a comeback already. But I would like to see Tony fight him after this fight. It’s a great fight. I know everyone always writes off Tony but at cruiserweight, it’s a tough fight for Andre, a very tough fight for Tony. So we’ll see. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Andre Ward come back.”
Bellew believes that after Haye his heavyweight dream is over, now that Joseph Parker is fighting Anthony Joshua for three heavyweight world titles. Bellew had eyed a Parker title fight but expects Joshua to win and has no intention of challenging “AJ”. That means Bellew, who was the WBC cruiserweight champion, is likely to move back down a division. He’s expressed an interest in boxing unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, if the Ukrainian comes through the World Boxing Super Series.
Hearn would prefer the option of Andre Ward for Bellew. “It’s a less dangerous fight [than Usyk] because Ward isn’t overly dangerous or a huge puncher but he’s technically excellent. I think he’d get more credit, Tony, beating Ward than someone like a [Murat] Gassiev, who’s very well known in the fight community but not the wider audience,” the promoter said. “[Ward] is a big fight.”
