Could it come down to the coaches

Nathan Cleverly always mentions that Bellew carries more pop in his punches, and Bellew always says Cleverly punches are more pitter, patter. But with an added two stone being thrown around, could Bellew be overlooking the power of Cleverly. Brudov had only 3 TKO's since 2008, and he had Bellew in serious trouble.

 

No mate, Clev is a one dimensional pressure fighter, his footwork looks poor at CW, is easy to hit. Bellew can fight on back foot or on front foot, is a massive puncher at CW, we know that 100%. We know that Clev has fought and beat with ease two journeyman at weight who he could walk right up to, without being in much danger. He has not prepared for a fight of this magnitude at this weight, and just like my predictions for Froch and Kell Brooks ppv being spot on I will be again on this, Tony Bellew will flatten Cleverly.

 

Bellew's time at CW is two fights against two guys that had gone nowhere, one being 36, the other 37 at tail ends of their careers. So from two fights Bellew is suddenly a massive puncher, fair enough he stopped them, but the power of Bellew is mythical, the mouth creates more power at the press conferences.

 

For me, the fight will be won or lost on Bellews ability to either fight with his head or his heart.

In the first fight, its hard to disagree that Bellew convincingly won 5 (poss 6) of the opening half of the fight. He negated pretty much everything Cleverly did with a simple double jab. He outworked him, out-jabbed him and basically outboxed him. Cleverley's (very underated) fitness carried him well throughout the latter rounds and he came back into it very well. You can argue quite easily about a one round swing for either fighter in terms of the outcome, it genuinely was close.

If Bellew can keep his head, work behind the jab and BOX his way into those big shots (rather than looking for them) for me, he'll do the damage early and eventually a worn down Cleverly will be dispatched in bad fashion at around the 8 mark.

If Bellew lets the anger inside of him dictate how he starts off, and he goes looking to hurt Cleverly with bombs from the get go, Clev could easily sit, make him miss, pick him off and take a big lead into the latter rounds. Clev's great workrate and a tired Bellew (from exerting as much energy fruitlessly early on) could see Clev getting a stoppage vie referees intervention in the 'Championship Rounds'.

In my opinion, the former will happen. With the added weight, the massive desire (and subsequently Cleverly's lack of desire - I do wonder if Kovalev took something from him that night in the same vein a determined Gomez seemed to take something Alex Arthur could never find again) I see Bellew's good early work, really taking the steam from Clev and him producing a hurtful stoppage :good

Just my opinion mind

 

Bellow was very lucky v Brudov i think that kinda went under the radar for some reason??

Cleverly looks like his physique has matured into a CW ,i reckon he will carry a lot more power now with the muscle he has gained

 

A nice, well constructed intelligent post, and view point. I totally agree with you. I would add, has Clev got the same workrate and fitness after putting on nearly 2 stone of unnatural weight? I have big doubts

 

Without going into any ****ysis, I believe Clev stops bellew this time and at 5-1 I think that is a massive price.

 

Yeah thats the thing. Seen lots of people commenting on Clevs appearance and how he looks suited to it. He may have filled out well but IMO it isn't his natural weight, where as everyone will surely agree this is where Bellew should've been a couple of years back.

Interesting fight nonetheless

 

Which fighter is in their primes???

 

Cleverly's boxing is so badly overrated. He's got no boxing IQ and that's his fundamental problem.

He has no idea how to intelligently close distance without being hit on the way in, or when to throw punches. He's not a clever come forward fighter in that respect. He's shows no head movement, he doesn't feint, he doesn't mix up his timing, he doesn't mix up the shots he throws. He's a one dimensional predictable fighter.

He's got a big advantage over Bellew in fitness and stamina, which could be a deciding factor. I think Brudov had Bellew all over the place because by rnd 6 at CW Bellew looked gassed.

The physical aspects of the cruiser step up are really interesting in how they change the dymanic of this matchup vs the first time, because I think If Cleverly stands in front of Bellew like he did in the first fight, there's a chance he'll get whacked early and put to bed. That extra weight must surely translate into power and if he plods forward into punching range like he's always done, trying to absorb shots instead of avoid them, it could be a bad night for Nathan.

But... if he can see the first 6 out, I think the fight changes massively because from what I've seen of Bellew at cruiser, and for all his talk about being dead at LH, I think the easier weight making has translated into a lack of fitness & stamina. Either that or he just struggles to carry the extra weight through a fight, because he looked dangerously gassed in that Brudov fight to the point where if he'd been in with anyone with a bit of fire he'd have been put to sleep.

 

My same thoughts.

 

:deal

 

Limited but in last Four so called close ppv fights in UK I have picked Froch x2 and Brook and Bellew, and I know u have got at least the last two fights wrongs lol, so if u want me to research your fighters opponents just ask mate