If something has been evident with Tony Bellew throughout his career, it is his insistent pursuit of big things in boxing. With his ups and downs, the British fighter has never rejected a challenge and that is why he has earned the respect of the world of sports.
Before Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev met in the final of the World Boxing Super Series, the Englishman had already highlighted that he wanted to face the winner of that fight. Usyk won and challenged him, a situation with which Bellew was very comfortable and accepted at once.
Another important challenge in his career will be to measure himself to the champion of the four most important world organizations, to fight for the Super Championship of the WBA and to try to break the strength of a fighter like Usyk, who is one of the best pound for pound in the world.
The 35-year-old was an ABA champion in his apprenticeship for amateur boxing and debuted in the professional arena in 2007. He has fought in three weight classes. First he carried out his career in light heavyweight, but his best achievements were in cruiserweight, where he won a world championship in 2016 by beating Congolese Ilunka Makabu. Bellew defended his crown against BJ Flores and retained it, but decided to go up a weight class when he was champion.
In the heavyweight rankings, he took the risk of facing David Haye and beat him by technical knockout in 11 rounds in March of 2017. Doubts and criticism were not long in coming because Haye suffered a leg injury that limited his mobility in that fight.
Bravely and honorably, Bellew decided to give him the rematch to clear the doubts and on the second chance in May of this year, he won again, but in just five chapters to silence mouths to the unbelievers.
Even though Usyk said he was willing to take on heavyweights, Bellew decided he wanted the fight in the cruiserweight class to be able to hold the WBA title and the rest of the stakes in play. For that reason, he returned to the lower weight to measure himself to the king of the division.
The Brit has lived great experiences in the ring and outside of it, as he had the opportunity to play Ricky Conlan in the first installment of the film Creed. As always, he is ready for a new challenge and will take it head on this Saturday at the Manchester Arena.
