Did Watt, McCrory, Nelson, Moore or Smith get the right result?
Sunday 23 November 2014 15:42, UK
With fight night almost upon us, we asked The Panel who would prevail when Nathan Cleverly took on Tony Bellew at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
Paul Smith: It all depends on Cleverly and how he chooses to fight. If he turns up and boxes on the back foot he is in with a good chance. Boxing with pressure, by overwhelming his opponent with fast punches and a fast work rate, won Cleverly a world title at light-heavyweight – but at cruiserweight it is a different fight.
I think Bellew is going to be looking for him, trying to stand with him. If Cleverly obliges early by going forward – and I think it would be stupid of him – then I think he’ll get caught and Bellew will knock him out.
If he doesn’t then I think Bellew will conserve his energy but will stalk him and still catch him later on. Both fighters have said they can’t see it lasting the distance and I can’t see it myself. I’m going for a Bellew KO.
All the talk from Bellew about how much he loves to fight, he says it in a showman way but he actually does love fighting. Billy Graham once said to me: "You know you’re going to hurt someone, and you like it, so you want to do it all the time". That’s Tony to a tee, but the only problem is he can’t just go out looking for it, he’s got to be smart.
Jamie Moore: If you go back to the first fight, Cleverly was world champion at the time and had more experience than Bellew – and Bellew was struggling to make the weight too. Even then it was still a close fight. For this fight, they’ve both gained experience at a higher level but I think Bellew comes in with more cruiserwight experience than Cleverly. Bellew also has a stone and 10lbs added onto his frame, which is more natural on him than it is to Cleverly.
The two main factors for Bellew’s loss in the first fight – weight and experience – are no longer an issue, which is why I think he’ll win.
Cleverly’s best chance is to stay close to Bellew’s chest, away from the end of those punches, and just try to outwork him. Bellew is a bigger puncher, and a better technician, but Cleverly has a better engine and is a busier fighter. If he’s able to work Bellew’s body and wear him down over the course of the fight then you never know. However, winning fights by being busier is usually the tactic of a young fighter, so I’m not sure he can and will successfully train for the fight in that manner.
I am going for Bellew by knockout, probably around the halfway mark.
Glenn McCrory: The first round is very, very important because I think we will be able to see who is going to win. It's all about territory, being the boss, making a statement and not only grabbing the centre of the ring, but the fight itself.
I am going go for Nathan Cleverly to do that - and win on points. I think Cleverly has found it hard to be motivated for the last couple of fights since the Sergey Kovalov defeat, but Tony Bellew has done just that. Unintentionally, his chat and his in-your-face approach are just what Cleverly needed to get his fires burning again.
I still think Bellew will try and land those bombs and I do think there will be some explosive patches, particularly early on. But they both know there is nothing left for them if they lose so they will both try and be sensible... for once!
The fact that at crusierweight either can knock the other one out with one punch means it is going to be intense and it is definitely going to be better than the first one, that's for sure.
I think Cleverly will ride the storm early on and do it on points – again.
Jim Watt: Both tested each other in the last fight, albeit at the different weight, so there will be no scouting missions or trying to work each other out. On top of that I always feel I know what I am going to get with Nathan Cleverly; as soon as that bell sounds he gets right down to business, he's aggressive, punches in bunches and he is exciting to watch. I think we will see that again.
Tony Bellew is a different kettle of fish and we are never sure what we're going to get. His two performances at cruiserweight have been great. He is on home soil and he's is a natural puncher whose power will increase at the weight... they are the pros for him.
But Cleverly has beaten him before and he looks the part at cruiseweight, so it really is a pick-em fight and the most even fight we've had in ages. I am slightly leaning towards the big-punching Bellew, boxing in his own backyard.
I do think it will go the 12 rounds and the is one thing I am confident about and that is that it is going to be a great one to watch.
Johnny Nelson: Even up in Liverpool this is not a given by any means for Tony Bellew. Nathan Cleverly sets a great pace and if this fight goes into those late rounds, I can see him coming away with anther win on points.
But I don't think that will happen this time around. I am picking Tony Bellew to level it at 1-1 – with a stoppage. I think his style will be the difference. We know he can punch – even more so at cruiserweight – and I think we will see Cleverly walk onto them.
If Cleverly can adapt his style and change – and I am not sure he can – I think he has the stamina and the pace to go the full 12 rounds. He will try and do it at a high pace - but that also means Bellew can catch him at any time and we know he has got those bombs firing again.
It could go either way in the opening rounds but I just fancy Bellew knocking Cleverly out, probably after the midway point, around the 9th or 10th.
