DeGale, Groves and Joshua all feature on a packed bill in Liverpool…
Why Bellew will beat Cleverly: ‘Bomber’ has the power to knock rival out.
Why Cleverly will beat Bellew: Welshman has the skills and speed to break Bellew down.
Cleverly vs Bellew 2 weigh-in: (Video) Talking is almost over as pair come face-to-face for last time.
Where: Echo Arena, Liverpool.
When: Saturday November 22, 23:00 (Expected ring walk time)
Watch live: Phoneline – call 08442 410888
Online – go to sky.com/orderboxoffice
Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew will finally settle their differences in Liverpool on Saturday night after over three years of animosity between the pair.
Bellew insisted after the weigh-in on Friday that he would end his rival’s career by beating him as he looks to avenge his loss back in 2011 after which he felt disrespected by the Welshman.
The 31-year-old’s hatred for Cleverly stems back earlier than that as the pair were involved in a heated press conference in London in May 2011, but after Clev claimed that their fight was an easy win for him and that he would not be giving Bellew a rematch, their rivalry was taken to a new level.
With both men stepping up to the cruiserweight division, this fight promises to be much more explosive as they insist that they are carrying more power, more durability and more desire.
Bellew is arguably better suited to the new weight, but Cleverly insists that he is ready both mentally and physically to go back into Liverpool and silence what will undoubtedly be a hostile crowd.
“On the face of it, this fight seems to boil down to the method of victory. If we go the distance you’d tilt towards a Cleverly repeat, but any form of stoppage can be strongly argued only going one way, the way of ‘The Bomber’ – making this fight the classic 50/50,” boxing expert Lewis Watson suggested.
“Despite Cleverly getting the nod in Liverpool last time, Bellew wins the rematch for me, with an emotionally charged late knockout. Critics fear that Bellew’s pre-match pent-up aggression towards the collected Cleverly will be his down-fall – for me, that’s Bellew, and without that emotion you’d only see half of his potential.”
You can watch the fight and the likes of James DeGale, George Groves and Anthony Joshua live on Sky Sports Box Office from 6pm, with the running order as follows:
Doors open at 5pm. The first fight is at 5:15pm
- VINCENT FEIGENBUTZ v OLEGS FEDOTOVS 8×3 super-middleweight contest
- BRADLEY SAUNDERS v IVANS LEVICKIS 8×3 light-welterweight (live float)
6:10pm (live on Sky Sports Box Office)
- JAMIE McDONNELL v JAVIER CHACON 12×3 WBA world bantamweight title
- CALLUM SMITH v NIKOLA SJEKLOCA 12×3 WBC International super-middleweight title
- SCOTT QUIGG v HIDENORI OTHAKE 12×3 WBA world super-bantamweight title
- JAMES DEGALE v MARCO ANTONIO PERIBAN 12×3 International super-middleweight contest
- GEORGE GROVES v DENNIS DOUGLIN 12×3 WBC Silver super-middleweight title
- ANTHONY JOSHUA v MICHAEL SPROTT 10×3 British heavyweight title eliminator
- NATHAN CLEVERLY v TONY BELLEW 12×3 WBO world cruiserweight title eliminator
To be scheduled
SCOTT CARDLE v ABOUBEKER BECHELAGHEM 6×3 lightweight contest
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