Tony Bellew slated the absent Danny McIntosh before admitting it was 'brilliant' to be fighting live on Sky Sports again.
Liverpudlian slams 'pathetic' McIntosh for no-show
Tony Bellew slated the absent Danny McIntosh before admitting it was 'brilliant' to be fighting live on Sky Sports again.
Bellew will defend his British light-heavyweight title against McIntosh, who failed to show at Wednesday's press conference citing travel problems.
However, the Liverpudlian was having none of that, and substituted 'Big Mac' with a hamburger from the down the road.
"It is total disrespect from Danny to the press, Sky Sports and to me - it's pathetic really," said Bellew. "I know what he's trying to do and there's no point trying to play mind games with me.
"I don't eat Big Macs but I'll make an exception on Friday night - he's getting chewed up and spat out. The problem is that he's only coming for the cheque, he might walk off with a good payday but he'll have a big defeat and a bust up face to show for his night.
"It's great being back on Sky Sports, it's a dream. There are great fighters out there that are dying because they don't have a profile and when you are on Sky Sports, that's what you get, and you need that to fight for the big titles and money, which is where I think I should be."
Punished
Bellew lost his unbeaten record in a brave world title challenge against Nathan Cleverly last October, but said that was his best performance of his career so far and looking for a quick return to a higher level.
"I'm coming off the back of my best performance and I feel that I have been punished for fighting so well," said Bellew. "I've been left on the shelf for way too long and I'll take it out on Danny on Friday.
"Cleverly is the weakest world champion, there's no doubt in my mind about that. But he doesn't want it (a rematch), so let's move on and look at better fighters.
"The fact is that he is not fighting the right fighters - if I was fighting carpet fitters and plumbers I wouldn't be happy and there's something wrong there.
"Danny is a bigger threat than Tommy Karpency, a guy who went back to his corner and wanted out after the third round - that's not right. But there's more out there than Nathan for me, I will fight anyone and I guarantee excitement, bums on seats and TV viewers."
