Sunday 13 July 2014 13:37, UK
Carl Froch says Tony Bellew will knock Nathan Cleverly out in their highly-anticipated rematch.
The pair both won their respective fights at Liverpool's Echo Arena on Saturday night with Bellew making his second fight at cruiserweight against Julio Cesar Dos Santos a successful one with an explosive fifth round finish, following up his win over Valery Brudov in fine style.
Cleverly had earlier defeated Alejandro Valori in a fourth round stoppage on the same bill with both victories pointing to a rematch between the two foes.
Welshman Cleverly successfully defended his WBO light-heavyweight title against Bellew in October 2011, before losing the belt to Russia's Sergey Kovalev last August.
Watching the fight for Sky Sports was IBF & WBA world super-middleweight champion Carl Froch, who believes Bellew will knock Nathan Cleverly out in their 'collision course' rematch set to happen before the end of the year.
Froch said: "After tonight's performance, and I'm a big friend of Tony Bellew anyway, I'm not going to sit on the fence, I think Tony Bellew knocks out Nathan Cleverly
I'm not going to sit on the fence I think Tony Bellew knocks out Nathan Cleverly
"He's a vulnerable man now Cleverly. I think that loss took a lot out of him and he doesn't seem to have that air of confidence about him that he had before getting beat by Kovalev.
"I think the Kovalev fight, has not destroyed him, but it's got him thinking and not got him thinking in a positive way.
"When he gets in there with Bellew, when he starts getting clipped, I think he's going to go over.
"But, it's not by any stretch a foregone conclusion, it's a close fight it could go either way.
"I'm picking Bellew to knock him out."
Confident
On the prospect of another fight against Cleverly, Bellew said: "I'm fat, ready and handsome... We both know deep down that I was dead on the scales (in 2011). The tables have turned," and Froch agreed that his sparring partner is more suited to the heavier weight.
"When he's in the ring at cruiserweight he's happy, comfortable and confident. He produced an unbelievable finish there against a guy who has never been stopped," said Froch.
"You've got to give him credit for that performance and that knock out. Tony Bellew has shown he's a massive puncher, he's very confident at cruiserweight.
"Cruiserweight is a totally different fight. You can disregard the first fight totally.
"I've sparred many, many rounds with Tony Bellew and I know what his punches feel like at light-heavyweight a week before he's about to box, and I know what they feel like two months before he's about to box when he's a little bit heavier.
"Trust me; I don't enjoy sparring with him when he's heavier. I'm cagey; I keep out his way because he punches hard.
"If Nathan Cleverly gets caught by them he's getting knocked out. Tony Bellew is going to win by KO in my opinion.
"But it's boxing and Cleverly is great fighter, he can box and move. He's beaten him before but I'm disregarding that and that's why it's an exciting fight."
