Cunningham all the way for me. Though I've flittered in equal measure between liking and disliking Bellew's persona, I have to take my hat off to him unreservedly in one regard, because he's one of a very few who can say in retirement that he got the better of boxing, rather than boxing getting the better of him. The sport has a way of making sure that fighters often receive purses, exposure and fanfare way below what their talents would merit in a fair world, and in retirement usually leaves them on top of a directionless slag heap, soon to be forgotten, totally disposable to most people and unsure of what to do next or how to make ends meet. With Bellew, it's the complete opposite. He managed to achieve a level of financial success, fan base (not just confined to the sport) and rating amongst some fans which are all far greater than his talents or achievements in the ring justify. But you know what? Good on him for that. He was very well managed and promoted by Hearn once he'd switched to Matchroom, and very well promoted by himself, too. His charisma and penchant for talking a good fight seemed to cause amnesia for a lot of fans, who were quick to forget or write off his dull or poor performances and who never seemed to notice the disparity between what he promised outside the ring and what he delivered in it. He had very few risky fights in which he had much to lose or where his reputation could be tarnished be defeat, yet he somehow cultivated an "I'll fight anyone, any time, anywhere!" image. His marquee win, Haye, was a faded force, riddled by age, inactivity and injury. He had two Cruiserweight title fights in 2016, sat out the division for two years while an outstanding fighter in Usyk wrapped up all the belts, yet was still considered the money man in the division in 2018, to the point where Usyk had to travel and the fight was referred to as, 'The Biggest Event in the History of the Cruiserweight Division'. He even landed a pretty big part in a Hollywood blockbuster for good measure! All this by a man who, in my opinion, was never anything more than an average or serviceable fighter at world level (it's all relative of course - he was obviously excellent at British or Commonwealth level, which is nothing to be sniffed at). Cunningham to me is the much more skilled, much more durable and beat better opponents much closer to their primes. He often had to do this as the away fighter, too. And while Cunningham might have just as many losses against the best Cruisers and Heavies he's faced as he has wins, I can't remember ever seeing him as comprehensively outclassed and bullied as Bellew was against Stevenson and Usyk. I'd take Cunningham to figure Bellew out and take stop him around the 9th or 10th round.
