Bellew World class?

[Coco]

The strategy is down to his trainer though surely?

He has a good skill set and on his day he is more than a match for anyone in the division.

Whether or not you think he won this fight, Dawson and Hopkins are a huge step up

[bynino]

Yeah I get what you mean. However the trainer should responsible for the tactics and gameplan. Like footballers play to a system. So if the tactics are wrong that is more down to the trainer. But i get what you are saying, worldclass fighter's should be able to change their game when the situation dictates. But in the heat of battle this isnt always the case. But chilemba would have made anyone look like crap. I found it laughable that he thought he had won the fight.

Tony was right in what he was saying, even though it sounded a little bit wrong. He was the home fighter, and although he didnt grab the chance with both hands, I thought he did enough to (just) get the nod. He will have days like these. And will have learned more from this, which will see him improve as a fighter. I have no doubts he will be world champion. I would love to see him in with Hopkins.
I would actually go as far as to say that he would have a good chance. BHOP tries to intimidate fighters. And tony is a very intimidating himself. So it would be amazing to see would hopkins did in the prefight buildup haha

[mickey1975]

Yeah I get what you mean. However the trainer should responsible for the tactics and gameplan. Like footballers play to a system. So if the tactics are wrong that is more down to the trainer. But i get what you are saying, worldclass fighter's should be able to change their game when the situation dictates. But in the heat of battle this isnt always the case. But chilemba would have made anyone look like crap. I found it laughable that he thought he had won the fight.

Tony was right in what he was saying, even though it sounded a little bit wrong. He was the home fighter, and although he didnt grab the chance with both hands, I thought he did enough to (just) get the nod. He will have days like these. And will have learned more from this, which will see him improve as a fighter. I have no doubts he will be world champion. I would love to see him in with Hopkins.
I would actually go as far as to say that he would have a good chance. BHOP tries to intimidate fighters. And tony is a very intimidating himself. So it would be amazing to see would hopkins did in the prefight buildup haha

But he is not that scary! Clev and Chilemba did not give a sh!t about how hard Scousers are and i doubt BHOP would either. I agree with others though. I think its the weight making that is his main problem.

[sucracristo]

I found it laughable that he thought he had won the fight...I thought he did enough to (just) get the nod.

if you thought someone did just enough to squeek by, why would you laugh at the other guy
for thinking he won, when probably most people who watched it saw it a draw or a win
for the other guy? sounds like someone doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.
a little less energy dedicated to disrepespecting the opponent and a little more
energy dedicated to fighting and landing a few punches may have given bellew
and his supporters something to be happy about.

and chilemba is a slick defensive boxer. he's not "awkward". he's not doing anything
unconventional. he was just a better boxer. that's all it is

[Tomasino]

The strategy is down to his trainer though surely?

He has a good skill set and on his day he is more than a match for anyone in the division.

I suppose you've got to support your local fighter.

[dookus]

Bellew is stiff and telegraphs his shots too much, against fighters with a decent defence he's going to get severely outboxed. Hopkins would Pavlik the crap out of him

[dbf]

Struggling with McKenzie and drawing with Chilemba aren't traits of a world class fighter. However lets not forget Tony has only had 20 odd fights, so why the rush??

[broomy7s]

Anyone else think if Bellew had Buddy in his corner he would've won? He needed someone to shout at him and tell him he was throwing it away.

[kaiserbill]

I don't think people are giving Chilemba enough credit here.

He is a very good defensive boxer, who unfortunately lacks decent offensive power.

I watched the little on him that was on youtube before the fight, and thought he would win this fight, being too good technically for Bellow.
In my books, Chilemba was the favourite, once you remove the emotion and national attachment, and view them as two fighters.

The judges scorecards notwithstanding, I think this was the case in the fight.

Personally, I would pick Chilemba to win the rematch, IMHO.
He can at least come out of his shell earlier.
I can't see Bellew bringing anything else that he didn't already bring to the first fight.

[fasteddie]

if ANYONE thought this was a draw or a bellew win doesnt know a thing about boxing and how to score a fight.

johnny nelson and glenn mcrory had it a draw and i think mccolough did too but i could
be wrong about him. i guess world champs don't know a thing about boxing

i guess your right then as everyone ive spoken to had bellew losing handily

[bynino]

Yeah perhaps I didnt explain that very well. What I meant was is that it was obvious that tony won it..although not by much. I dont think it was enough for chilemba to have thought he had won it. He maybe had one clear round for me. Although tony didnt grab it with both hands he definitely was winning the rounds.

[bynino]

If he would have had buddy in his corner.....buddy probably would have pulled him out haha

[fasteddie]

Yeah perhaps I didnt explain that very well. What I meant was is that it was obvious that tony won it..although not by much. I dont think it was enough for chilemba to have thought he had won it. He maybe had one clear round for me. Although tony didnt grab it with both hands he definitely was winning the rounds.

can you explain what he was doing that actually won the rounds cause from round 4 im actually struggling to find a round that he won,when ever he tried to trade he was missing and getting clocked in the process,he was headlocking when chilemba was getting in close. tony was on the back foot and not throwing much when his game plan of walk right through him went down like the $2 ho

[bynino]

Well for the first half of the fight he was on the front foot and looked like he had control of the fight. Chilemba came back into from about round 7. And although chilemba was working a lot more than he did he the first half of the fight, he didnt do enough to take the round. Bellew was defending well and coming back with some decent shots.

But I would like to confess i was absolutly smashed watching this fight :) So my ability to make a sound analytical argument, sadly went down the swanny after the mathews fight haha

[Tomasino]

Well for the first half of the fight he was on the front foot and looked like he had control of the fight. Chilemba came back into from about round 7. And although chilemba was working a lot more than he did he the first half of the fight, he didnt do enough to take the round. Bellew was defending well and coming back with some decent shots.

But I would like to confess i was absolutly smashed watching this fight :) So my ability to make a sound analytical argument, sadly went down the swanny after the mathews fight haha

I'm glad I read to the bottom of page, was going to ask if you were wrecked!

[sucracristo]

He is a very good defensive boxer, who unfortunately lacks decent offensive power...I can't see Bellew bringing anything else that he didn't already bring to the first fight.

bellew could stay aggressive in the next but as this fight went on there was a reason why he didn't.
he was outboxed and his aggression wasn't effective. chilemba said he was sick and not
100% but once he got a few rounds into the fight he said he was able to raise the level.
chilemba hasn't fought at 168 for a few years but he still doesn't look like a full blown 175.
bellew would be better to find someone else to fight even if he has to go after a different
title because chilemba would be stronger and sharper in a rematch and the rematch might
have to be in the states or south africa and bellew won't be talking about deserving a
hometown decision then. even if bellew got a title shot against dawson it wouldn't have
gone well for him. almost better to go back to fighting for the british/commonwealth/euro
titles and improving as a boxer. those are big fights any fighter should be proud to get.

[Teddy's Toupee]

Some of the things Bellew does are world class and others are not. He is not rounded enough to box the very top men in the division and win. I think he loses some energy before the bout with his antics before the bout. He has to accept that at the higher levels he is not a truely massive hitter, some of the boxers have lots more tricks and know how and can frustrate and negate him. Though he expected the win on Saturday it may do him some good. The other man gave away the first 5 rounds and didn't seem at all concerned; Tony ought to have a working holiday in the US to have some tough sparring etc - getting better at the things he did well as an amateur is not enough to get to the very top professionally.

The way he wore his championship belt over his shoulder at the weigh-in was pure world-class.

[the4thlion]

Bellew is just an arrogant knob, what with the headbutt at the end of round 1, and trying to convince Chilemba that even his own cornerman said Tony had won. Always talks a good game, but world class opponents would avoid his "bombs" easily. The bully got bullied

[rob h]

I think Chilemba did a good job. His head and shoulder movement was impressive to evade shots and he came back with some crisp counters. If he hit a bit harder Bellew would of been in serious trouble.

I don't like how Bellew conducted himself during and after the fight. If he showed half the determination during the fight than he did at any other time, he could have won comfortably.

Bellew has bored me in a few fights now.

[Craig14]

Am I the only person who thought Bellew won? It was a horrible fight to watch but Chillemba did even less than Bellew. But no he's not world class, with so many world titles it ain't surprising this was a world title elimination fight though, and he sells tickets.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Am I the only person who thought Bellew won? It was a horrible fight to watch but Chillemba did even less than Bellew. But no he's not world class, with so many world titles it ain't surprising this was a world title elimination fight though, and he sells tickets.

I thought he won it, close though and wouldn't argue with anyone who thought he lost.

It was a close one for sure, a draw was probably the fairest result all round to be honest.
I loved Mike Goodalls 'Please don't be angry at me, Scousers' tone when he went out to
read the result.

[Craig14]

yeah that was cringeworthy, the i'm the home fighter (although he stopped half way and didn't finish the sentence) made me cringe as well. Still Matthews/Crolla made it a good morning

[Lenny]

Others have summed up the fight for me. Bellew looked stiff, obvious and lacking in intelligence whilst I felt Chillemba boxed really well. Yes he isn't the hardest hitter but was making Bellew miss whilst catching him with sneeky counters.
For anyone to bring up a fight against Hopkins after that is insane. He is better off going up against someone like Cloud as I can't see Bellew improving in a rematch against Chillemba

[mickey1975]

Am I the only person who thought Bellew won? It was a horrible fight to watch but Chillemba did even less than Bellew. But no he's not world class, with so many world titles it ain't surprising this was a world title elimination fight though, and he sells tickets.

I thought he won it, close though and wouldn't argue with anyone who thought he lost.

It was a close one for sure, a draw was probably the fairest result all round to be honest.
I loved Mike Goodalls 'Please don't be angry at me, Scousers' tone when he went out to
read the result.

I dont think it was Goodall.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Am I the only person who thought Bellew won? It was a horrible fight to watch but Chillemba did even less than Bellew. But no he's not world class, with so many world titles it ain't surprising this was a world title elimination fight though, and he sells tickets.

I thought he won it, close though and wouldn't argue with anyone who thought he lost.

It was a close one for sure, a draw was probably the fairest result all round to be honest.
I loved Mike Goodalls 'Please don't be angry at me, Scousers' tone when he went out to
read the result.

I dont think it was Goodall.
John McDonald.

Right you are fellas, anyway - it was the most entertaining part of the night!