Bellew vs Usyk. Pick Em!

Bellew does have fast hands otherwise he wouldn’t have had any success at light heavy. Yes, Usyk schooled Gassiev but as good as Gassiev is, he was stylistically suited to Usyk. He did not adapt, he carried on doing the same thing and it got silly. He pretty much accepted defeat. He acknowledged his lack of amateur experience, which is something you couldn’t say for Bellew who does have that experience. The Gassiev performance was sublime, but you only have to go to the Briedis fight to see that Usyk can be hit. Fighters less rated than Gassiev have took rounds off Usyk.

One more thing, Bellew has sparred Usyk. He said it himself, he knows how brilliant Usyk is but also that nothing Usyk will do will surprise him.

 

The only chance Bellew has is if he got lucky and caught Usyk but saying that Gassiev caught Usyk and he didn’t move him Bellew doesn’t have fast hands just watch the way he loads up on his shots Usyk will school Bellew believe me this fight will show people what level Bellew is at

 

when Did he spar Usyk. First I've heard that.

 

We know he’s not on Usyk’s level. Usyk is pretty special, he’s absolutely brilliant. I love watching him.

What I will add though is that Bellew is still criminally underrated. Despite not being blessed with natural athleticism and not getting much respect for any of his attributes in the ring, he’s had a pretty good career with 33 fights, 2 defeats and 1 draw. 10 fights at 200ib+ with 10 wins...unbeaten in 5 years. Won a world title. Each win getting barely any credit from the vast majority of boxing fans. How is this possible...how can he have had the success he’s had if he’s simply no good?

It’s this imo. He’s a clever lad in the ring but so divisive out of it that many can’t bare to give him any credit and want to see him get knocked out.

He really is a very good technical fighter. His footwork is subtle but very good, his jab is really good...strangely, people on here cannot seem to give him credit for this but he is genuinely heavy handed. He is coming in at 15 stone, he’s a small heavyweight, if anyone over 15 stone hits you clean you’re in trouble no matter how good your chin is.
His movement is deceptively good and he does have the speed to slip shots. To be contradictory (like Bellew) for a moment, he does also have that vulnerability where he can look wide open but it’s happened throughout his career where this has enticed his opponent into throwing shots with him and that’s when they’ve come come off worst and ended up on the canvas.

Or maybe he’s just lucky...

 

He reckons it was in 2006/07 during an amateur training camp. By the sounds of it, Bellew came off a lot worse.

 

My video analysis will be up tomorrow evening so I'll post it here then.

Here's the short-short version.

Bellew has never beaten a champion to win any belt, as I posted before he's always picked up vacant titles.

Go to eyeonthering website.

Check the user scorecards for his fights against Brudov, Cleverly II, Masternak and Haye 1.

People in general gave Brudov 3 rounds against him. In general they gave Cleverly 3 or 4 rounds against him. Masternak in general 4 to 5 rounds against him. Haye 1 up until round 6 its generally 4-1 or 3-2 to Haye on the cards.

He dropped Brudov 3 times, stopped him in round 12 (Brudov got up at count of 9).

He nearly got stopped in Round 7 vs Brudov. Watch the Stevenson fight and see how Bellew reacts very similar when against the ropes in both fights when hurt, head comes up and looks gone / badly hurt for a couple of seconds. Watch round 7 vs Brudov.

Now I discuss his power.

Stopped Brudov as stated above but he got up everytime. Brudov european level at best btw back then.

Couldn't knock Cleverly down or out and he was on the ropes for 3 and a half rounds. I discuss and show in my video all of the above and below.

Didn't drop Masternak - Fringe world level at best.

Dropped Haye twice in first fight, both after his leg went. Haye got up from first knockdown.

Took him 5 more rounds to stop Haye after his leg went. Knocked him down in 11th, Haye got back up from outside of the ropes, foot caught on ropes, BACK into the ring until Mcguigan threw the towel in.

Knocked down Haye with completely knackered leg in fight 2, three times. He got up everytime.

Haye had 2 fights before there first fight in 5 years was 36-37 years old when they fought both fights.

BJ Flores fight - he is now 37 yrs old at the time of this fight. Bellew floored him at least 3 times. First time Flores caught off guard by a ridiculous low blow, expecting IJL to step in and stop the action. Watch the fight, IJS couldn't of been any closer when it landed.

Floored 3 times, got up three times.

Makabu - Never won a world title, got knocked out in round 3 on feet (he was out cold). Knocked bellew down once before then.

So out of all those fights he has knocked someone clean out ONCE. Just once, yet meant to be some huge puncher. Every other time the opponent got up!!

Masternak is his only proven fringe world class opponent nearly 4 years ago at Cruiser and lost 4-5 rounds to him.

Cleverley took 3 to 4 off him before completely gassed, was never a cruiserweight and never fought at the weight again.

Bellews accuracy against people on the ropes is literally horrendous. Watch last 3-4 rounds of Clev II fight. Watch Haye 1 fight after his leg goes. Where is his vaunted power there in those situations??

Watch Brudov fight after round 7, Cleverly II after round 8 and Haye 1 after round 7. Why you ask?

Look at the tempo of the fights, look at Bellews output, really poor. Fights in bursts, very smart he goes for 'walks' against Brudov, particularly rounds 8 and
9. Why is this important you ask?

Now go watch Usyk rounds 8-10 against Huck. Watch the accuracy, volume, tempo of Usyk in comparison. Watch as soon as the bell goes of each of those rounds.

Do the same for Bredis and Gassiev fights. See same patern and tempo, particularly Bredis fight. Compare against Brudov, Cleverly 2 and Haye 1 rounds in same situation.

Consider Bredis and Gassiev considered top 3 cruiserweights at time.

Consider they are/were in there natural weight division.

Consider they were all champions and Usyk didnt pick up any vacant titles.

Check scoring on eyeonthering for Huck, Gassiev, Bredis and Glowacki fights.

Come to the realisation how much better they all are then BJ Flores, Cleverly at Cruiser and Masternak.

Come to the realisation Usyk hardly dropped rounds bar the Bredis fight.

Come to the realisation of tempo, accuracy and relentlessness of Usyk in this fights compared to Bellewa tempo, accuracy and lack of relentlessness against much worse opponents.

Realise Gassiev was 24, Bredis like 30, Huck like 30 and Glowacki like 30 and none had injuries or had been retired previously circa 5 years.

Bellew is circa 36 years old and hasn't fought at cruiser in 2 years.

Realise odds of 2.02 for Usyk via KO/TKO are available at BF exchange (value for me, should be more like 1.5x).

Not saying Bellew can't win. Just don't fall for sky hype and what Bellew says. Just be realistic!

P.S. No problem if you want Bellew to win. Just be realistic.

 

He is disliked because of his obvious insincerity, double standards and blatant biased. I think the Cleverly 2 fight showed his level, fringe world. Lets face it he may have been rated at the time but Makubu is absolute trash. He has had a great career and could have been a cult hero if he kept his mouth shut but ultimately he is a conman and a charlatan who choose make a few quid out of PPV casuals. It's funny how he completely swerved the WBSS tournament and now Usyk's got the belts it's all about boxing 'legacy'. You should hear some of the trash he has come out with in his recent interviews, my favourite was in the back of the tour bus with Ward on the set of Creed (pre Makubu) when Ward said to him "you know one thing I respect about you about you, you fight anyone" another gem "I never abused my body, never took a drug in my life" and him mugging off ADONIS STEVENSON a man who decimated him beyond doubt. If he wins on Saturday it will be a dark day for boxing. What a mug.

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Really enjoying how Matchroom and Sky are still trying to paint the narrative using YouTube.

They uploaded a Usyk fight from a couple of years ago with Bellew commentating where Usyk has a couple of shaky moments. Then they upload Bellew vs Haye 2 where obviously Bellew looks great.

That’s before the countless interviews with Bellew where he gets really weird and intense and says things like ‘I just KNOW I can beat him’ and all the narrative about him being a perpetual underdog.

People are buying it though.. they’re excellent at building narrative like this.

 

I don't begrudge him of what he's achieved, got a world title in a fairytale way, been on PPV, fighting for all the belts etc.

Been main event on what's about to become his 4th PPV event.

When you consider he has never beaten a champion for any belt and swerved the WBSS its a ludicrous feat.

The face anyone part... Who would turn down the chance to fight for all the belts and to become classed as undisputed champion? Which is even more ludicrous when you consider he has the potential to become it, having held a world title without ever beating a champion!

I pretty much agree with everything you said.

I wish he would just be honest because I'd appreciate him a lot more as a person.

 

It seems that some people are determined to p**s all over my chips with their facts and evidence (yes i’m looking at you @kojak ). Ordinarily I despise all the sky narrative nonsense they churn out, however, up until 11.30pm on Saturday night i’m a matchroom fanboy.

 

To be fair he's had success because he's had one of the easiest routes I've ever seen to titles.

He's had PPV success because he's been able to generate a story/rivalry out of pretty much nothing - that takes some doing.

His best wins at Cruiserweight are Makabu, Masternak and Cleverly (who was never a real cruiserweight anyway).

When you've had the success he's had and there your best wins at Cruiser and you've managed to dodge the WBSS tournament as a belt holder where the best fight the best - then get a chance to fight for all the titles without doing that, then yeah you've been very lucky.

I know you like Bellew, I also know your sensible but I think what I've wrote above is what most people see.

When he comes out with some of the stuff he does, people end up disliking him. If he cut the rubbish out and was, dare I say it, a bit more humble, he would go down a lot better.

Personally with what he's achieved, he's had a fantastic career, no one cam deny it. Has he been lucky though, boy has he!!

 

This is it for me. He is a good technical boxer I just wished he had put his talent to better use rather than let his mouth compensate his shortcomings.

Compare him to Murray, not the best in his division but a genuine warrior who has fought them all. Tony has the money but Murray has the respect.

 

Why do you think most people on here don’t rate Bellew it’s because he’s not a great fighter he’s fringe world level nothing wrong with that you will see a great fighter on Saturday when Usyk stops him

 

I’d personally love Bellew to win and prove me wrong (again) but I see a conclusive stoppage win for Usyk, he might even catch Bellew early. I hope not, but going with the Usyk master class

 

He looks in great shape Tony.

Usyk is gona give a masterclass to the best Tony Bellew we’ve ever seen or he’s gona get stopped by him.