I’m fired up for my biggest test, says Bellew
TONY Bellew will challenge Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed world cruiserweight title at Manchester Arena on November 10.
Former WBC cruiserweight champion Bellew is stepping back down a division after his two heavyweight victories over David Haye.
And he accepts he will start as underdog against the 2012 Olympic gold medallist who has taken the professional ranks by storm.
Bellew said: “I’m going into this fight with absolutely nothing to lose because the whole world thinks I’m going to get smashed.
“There is no greater test than Oleksandr Usyk, one of the most feared men in boxing.
“I have everything to gain. On November 10, I’m going to do something that no-one has ever done before — I’m going to knock out an undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world.”
Usyk won the WBO title in his 10th fight before adding the WBC with victory over Mairis Briedis in the World Boxing Super Series semi-final.
He added the IBF and WBA crowns by beating Murat Gassiev in the final.
Usyk said: “I’ve been preparing for this fight for a long time and I’m delighted that we’ve got the venue and the date finalised. I cannot wait to fight in the UK.”
Meanwhile, Gennady Golovkin will be fuelled by a desire for justice when he puts his world middleweight titles on the line against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in their eagerly-awaited rematch in Las Vegas tonight.
Golovkin was left stunned when their first bout in September last year was declared to be a split-decision draw — then kept waiting for his second shot after Alvarez failed a drugs test.
All of which has led the big-punching Kazakh to lose respect for his middleweight rival, adding further spice to a contest which is regarded as one of the biggest in the sport.
Golovkin said: “I have lost respect for him. It changed after the doping scandal.
“After the first fight I said, ‘thank you for the fight, it was a great fight’. He said the same. We were friendly. But after doping? No. This is a terrible situation.”
Alvarez’s six-month ban after testing positive for clenbuterol — he claimed the positive test came from eating contaminated meat — scuppered the first prospective rematch earlier this year.
Golovkin marked time with a stoppage win over Vanes Martirosyan.
Alvarez said: “I am bothered by all the stupid things (Golovkin’s team) have been saying and I have been using it as motivation for this fight.
“Maybe they believe what they say, maybe it is to get me mad — but it has worked.”