BELLEW HOPING HIS GOODISON FIGHT HAS HOLLYWOOD ENDING

HOLLYWOOD ending or the same old story? Six months after the release of a film in which Tony Bellew won a world title fight at Goodison Park, he returns to the scene tomorrow in a bid to land a belt at the third time of asking. Quite conceivably it will be the last such shot for the 33-yearold, who supports Everton and will need all the home advantages he can get against Ilunga Makabu when they fight for the WBC cruiserweight strap. In the Congolese southpaw, Bellew faces an opponent who lost his first professional fight and then won 18 of the following 19 inside the distance. The challenge for Bellew is weathering what he admits could be a ‘brutal’ storm and then going better than he did in his last two visits to this level, when his challenges against Nathan Cleverly in 2011 and Adonis Stevenson two years later each ended in defeat. Bellew, the taller man, is convinced his size will be the deciding factor. He said: ‘Makabu has to make it as brutal as possible but I don’t believe he has the size and structure to do it. ‘I don’t think he’s got more power than me. I’m his biggest test and he’s mine. But we have records that suggest we both have vulnerable tendencies so anything can happen.’ Bellew’s fight will cap a significant weekend for British boxing, with Ricky Burns chasing history when he contests the vacant WBA super-lightweight belt against Michele Di Rocco in Glasgow. Victory for Burns would make him the first ever threeweight champion from Scotland and only the second Brit to do so after Duke McKenzie. Meanwhile, Nicola Adams completed her set of major titles by beating Thailand’s Peamwilai Laopeam for the world flyweight crown in Kazakhstan. Her split decision win sees her go to Rio de Janeiro this summer as reigning Olympic, world and Commonwealth champion. Adams, 33, said: ‘Having finally done it is going to make me more relaxed. Everything I achieve from now on will make more history.’