Why all the hate? Tony Bellew explains how the feud with Nathan Cleverly started

Tony Bellew

TONY BELLEW was full of fire and fury when trying to crash the weight as a late notice substitute the first time a fight with Nathan Cleverly was mooted. The two would eventually contest the WBO light-heavyweight title. But it was only after that contest concluded that Bellew began to hate Nathan Cleverly.

โ€œThe words he said to me in that ring were, that was the hardest fight Iโ€™ve ever had,โ€ Bellew insists. โ€œThe comments out of his mouth [later] were โ€˜I never got out of second gearโ€™, โ€˜it was an easy fightโ€™, โ€˜I done it with two cracked ribsโ€™. That just infuriates me.โ€

Bellewโ€™s fighting pride had been stung. โ€œHeโ€™s a lying scumbag,โ€ he said. โ€œI can never forgive that.โ€

Tony continued, โ€œMany fighters have been robbed. Mine wasnโ€™t a robbery, I never said that. What I did say is I thought I did enough to win. It was a close fight it could have gone either way. It should have gone my way.โ€

The Liverpudlian has had to wait for the rematch he craved. โ€œIf Iโ€™m ever in a close fight I agree to a rematch on the telly,โ€ he declared. โ€œIf he really could beat me so easily why not fight an immediate rematch and get better than the best payday youโ€™ve ever had because I was the best payday, bar Kovalev, that heโ€™s ever had?

โ€œHis careerโ€™s built on lies.โ€

Their current promoter Eddie Hearn says Bellew-Cleverly II will take place this year. โ€œWeโ€™ve got November 29 booked [at the Echo Arena in Liverpool]. We could have a big show in October, which could be a monster card [at the O2 in London]. I do take my hat off to Nathan because heโ€™s been here [the Echo Arena] before, he came here again tonight and heโ€™s quite willing to come here again,โ€ Eddie said.

โ€œIt is real and there is animosity and there is rivalry. Itโ€™s like Froch-Grovesโ€ฆ The winner [of Bellew-Cleverly II] I believe probably gets a pay-per-view platform for a world title [fight] as well. Iโ€™m already thinking about if Tony wins, Goodison [Park] against [Marco] Huck. If Cleverly wins, Millenium Stadium against Huck.โ€

For the full ringside report from the Liverpool show donโ€™t miss this weekโ€™s issue of Boxing News

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