Tony Bellew gets a headstart on WBO champion Nathan Cleverly

[Darcy Delaney]

TONY BELLEW headbutted Nathan Cleverly yesterday and warned: I'll happily do it again.
Bellew made his move when he posed for pictures ahead of his attempt to snatch Cleverly's world title next month at Liverpool's Echo Arena.

He steamed into the WBO light-heavyweight champion but the fierce exchange was stopped from being a lot nastier by the intervention of a burly bodyguard who dragged them apart.

Liverpudlian Bellew has been at loggerheads with Cleverly ever since he was forced to pull out of an earlier fight against the Welshman when he failed to make the 12st 7lb limit.

The 28-year-old blasted: "Cleverly just got a bit too close to my face so I butted him. I won't have any of that rubbish.

"I intimidate him and he is trying to come across like I don't. If he comes too close I will punch his face right in.

"He was lucky I had two belts on my hands because I butted him and he stepped back. I will not be moved — that is me and what I am about.


FULLY FOCUSED ... British and Commonwealth champ Tony Bellew
"The one thing he can't do me is manhandle or bully me like he has 22 other fighters.

"He is going to get the fright of his life when my gloves touch his face and body."


Unbeaten Cleverly, 24, laughed off the attack and believes Bellew, the British and Commonwealth champ, poses little threat to his dream of unifying the division.

The maths graduate is already doing retirement sums and plans just six more fights before quitting.

And he admits a big fight against American veteran Bernard Hopkins is definitely on his radar.

Cleverly added: "I am in the sport short term, but while I am in boxing I am going to be exciting, remain unbeaten and get out at the top.

"I see myself having another six fights because the way I fight and train is very intense.

"I take risks when I fight, but I am in boxing to be a winner and will give my best shot, have big fights and get big money."

[Bomber 1]

Lies! He stood in front of me and walked closer and closer! He put his nose in my face so I shoved my face right back at him! He'll soon understand he can't bully me! If people wanna see what happened just look on here...

http://t.co/ozlE8Ze

[Darcy Delaney]

i only copied what is in the paper tomorrow mate it aint as bad as they make out lol

[wrimc]

Seems to me like Cleverly instigated it and Bellew just reacted fair play nothing that bad in it anyway not a proper butt just a shove of the head. Stand your ground Tony

[allahsnackbar]

clev is so confident

[IRLangmaid25]

Sounds like we might have a fight of the year candidate on our hands gentlemen with the amount of needle in this one and there is part of me that thinks Bomber could actually beat Nathan Cleverly as Bomber is going to be very motivated to show that he can be a force on the world stage in what is his first title opportunity in his home city which is an additional spur for him.

[bigh]

Tony bellew wat a wanker..hope clev knocks the pudendum out!!

[jizzle]

GWAN CLEV

[Londonirish]

Looking to be a Good Fight.... If Tony had Headbutted him which would of been on the Bridge of the nose it would of been Lights out for any man....
But that WASN'T a Headbutt...

[Londonirish]

Looking to be a Good Fight.... If Tony had Headbutted him which would of been on the Bridge of the nose it would of been Lights out for any man.........
But that WASN'T a Headbutt...

[twenty six]

Hype it up all you want, but I can only see one outcome - a win for Cleverly.

[Deserter]

clev is so confident

Having watched the video I'm almost wondering whether he's over-confident. I remember him walking through Danny Mac in what I thought beforehand would be a close and competitive bout, so he could well be thinking he can do exactly the same here, as the pre-fight build-up is similar (in terms of his opponent's confidence etc). I think that would be a mistake though.
Cleverly has to be favoured, but if he tries to win by walking Tony down it could be his undoing.

[Manchester Massive]

Tony bellew wat a wanker..hope clev knocks the pudendum out!!

What's not to like, I'm a Manc and I like Bellew, comes on here and doesn't hide regardless of performance and he comes to fight, I'm not sure he'll win this but he is a genuine live opponent for Clev

[dondada]

That story is very misleading. Fact is, he didn't headbutt him.

All helps sell the fight though, I suppose...

[kamicazze]

This fight excites me just because of the needle between the 2. Bellew seems such a nice bloke on here and in casual interviews but in the lead up to the fight he has this scary look about him. Although i believe that Cleverley will win, something tells me that Bellew's style will cause him great difficulties in the same manner as Enzo Maccarinelli's style would. Mainly they can box, brawl and bang. Clev is quite easy to be hit and despite having good boxing skills he macho's it out by walking in straight lines which plays in to Bombers hands if he chooses to do something similar to the 2nd Ovill fight but sit down on his punches.

[Gazmac81]

it was the old Reverse Headbutt

actullay aggresivly pulling your head away from the other persons while snarling and

throw in a couple of Baldy dudes to pull you away and the hype is generated even more

should be good fight

think Clev on points for me but hes there to be Hit and Bomber can certaily hit hard

That story is very misleading. Fact is, he didn't headbutt him.

All helps sell the fight though, I suppose...

[dbf]

This fight is too soon for Tony. I think Cleverly will stop him, but Bellew will no doubt give it a really good go.

[Bob & Weave]

Yeah the way Bomber pulled away there, there was some intent to it.. but it was a nothing really.

I'd love to see Bellew pull this off.

[MightyWarrior]

Clev does look very confident, he probably thinks his chin is bomb proof. At least Tony knows he can be put over, so he might be the more cautious of the two....to start with at least.
Because while Clev is rightly the favorite, Bomber can really hit some, and looks a good outside bet. Really looking forward to this one

[twenty six]

x2

[JamesH]

Why does everyone keep saying 'Tony can hit'?? Where has this power come from?

He stopped opponents early in his career that were put in front of him to make him look good and then when he stepped up to British level against McKenzie there was a premature stoppage (albeit following a decent knock down) and then in the 2nd fight as well as against Ajisafe he didn't really trouble either with his 'Power'.

Compare that to Clev who got the rounds under his belt in his early fights and then started stopping people when he stepped up to British level and beyond.

I guess we'll find out on the 15th October but for me its either a landslide points win or a Clev by stoppage and I massively favour the latter.

He was known as a puncher in the Ams.

[MightyWarrior]

Admittedly he hasn't shown much of it is his pro career so far, but I'm remembering some of his amateur fights, like when he flattened John L Dickinson. He was definitely a big puncher then, and it's not something you just lose.

[Horse]

Cleverly added: "I am in the sport short term, but while I am in boxing I am going to be exciting, remain unbeaten and get out at the top.

"I see myself having another six fights because the way I fight and train is very intense.

"I take risks when I fight, but I am in boxing to be a winner and will give my best shot, have big fights and get big money."

I don't like it when fighters talk like this. Why bother saying something like that?

Do some people like hearing that kind of talk? Does it make them more enthusiastic about the fighter?

[orbtastic]

I thought he had Bob looking a bit disheartened early on, his nose was a mess and he was looking a bit sorry for himself but they [his corner] talked him back into the fight.

[wrimc]

Cleverly added: "I am in the sport short term, but while I am in boxing I am going to be exciting, remain unbeaten and get out at the top.

"I see myself having another six fights because the way I fight and train is very intense.

"I take risks when I fight, but I am in boxing to be a winner and will give my best shot, have big fights and get big money."

I don't like it when fighters talk like this. Why bother saying something like that?

Do some people like hearing that kind of talk? Does it make them more enthusiastic about the fighter?

We all know he is a smart guy, why stay in the sport too long? 6 vights could mean 3 years. Not bad. Its not like HAYE who basically talked it just to get bargaining chips. Clev would do well to get out of the game in 3 years.

I dare anybody to find an example of a fighter who has said this at a young age who carried out their promise!

Didn't Oscar want to be an architect?