Former World Cruiserweight Champion Tony Bellew takes on the biggest challenge of his career tonight against Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Described by Bellew as “A Monster”, the Ukranian Usyk has already in just 15 fights captured the WBC, IBF, WBA and WBO titles and is generally acknowledged as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world who has ambitions of moving up to the Heavyweight Division next year in which Anthony Joshua could possibly be a future opponent.
Usyk is the overwhelming favourite to win tonight but this will not be the first time that Bellew will be an underdog having beaten Former Cruiserweight and Heavyweight Champion David Haye twice where he was on both occasions not favoured to win in what was a Heavyweight contest.
However Usyk is very much at a different stage in his career compared to The Hayemaker who clearly in hindsight was a shell of the fighter he once was with the emphatic defeat against Bellew convincing Haye to retire at the age of 37.
When previously facing a fighter in his prime as World Light-Heavyweight King Adonis Stevenson, Bellew was totally outclassed and stopped in Round 6 but it could be argued that Bellew has matured as a fighter since that loss which was 5 years ago and had previously lost only once to Former Light-Heavyweight Champion Nathan Cleverley which he later avenged in the Cruiserweight division.
Bellew wishes to bow out of Boxing in a blaze of glory and should he capture the Undisputed Cruiserweight crown, there will be a strong case for Bellew to go down in history as causing one of the biggest upsets in a British ring.