Tony Bellew took on a number of big punchers throughout his professional career.
‘The Bomber’ retired in 2018 after a career that saw him become WBC cruiserweight champion, and also compete for world honours in the division below at light heavyweight.
He has shared the ring with big punchers such as Adonis Stevenson and Ilunga Makabu, but the two most famous opponents in Bellew’s career are Oleksandr Usyk and David Haye.
Bellew’s final fight came against Usyk, when he suffered an eighth round stoppage defeat to the Ukrainian in a bid to become undisputed cruiserweight champion.
Prior to that, ‘The Bomber’ had two fights with Haye, winning both of them by stoppage, with Haye towards the end of his career and struggling with injuries at that point.
When Haye was in his peak, Bellew once sparred him as a youngster, and he revealed to First Round TV that it was the hardest he has ever been hit in his life.
“There’s two ways to beat David Haye, it’s quite simple. You can either make him miss and make him pay or you can absorb everything he’s got and come back. I knew I couldn’t absorb everything he’s got. I know he’s the biggest puncher I ever faced in my life.
“I sparred him when I was ABA champion for the first time, I was 20 years of age. It’s the hardest I’ve ever been hit in my life. People say well you’ve been stopped, I was fresh as a daisy.
“This lad hit me with 18oz gloves on with an upper cut I didn’t see coming and for no reason my back leg just kicked out. I said to him ‘great shot.’ I remember him looking at me and had no idea how I took it.”
While it may be over six years since Bellew last stepped into the ring, he has revealed there is one opponent that he would be willing to come out of retirement for.
