‘Deontay Wilder deserves an awful lot of credit’ for his showing against Tyson Fury, says Tony Bellew

Former WBC Cruiserweight Champion, Tony Bellew, says that while Oleksandr Usyk is the best boxer he faced in the ring, he is too small to beat Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury as a heavyweight.

The 38-year-old from Toxeth in Liverpool, who was knocked out in his final fight against Usyk before retiring from boxing was speaking on Colin Murray’s 52 sponsored by Grosvenor Casinos, a 12-episode podcast series which challenges sporting heroes to a game of ‘52’ where every question is left to chance.

Bellew faced five questions from a unique deck of playing cards with 52 random questions in themed rounds including the riffle shuffle, stacked deck and wildcard.

After receiving the question ‘Who is the best person you have fought against?’, Bellew names the former undisputed cruiserweight champion before discussing the Ukrainian’ impending chances in the heavyweight division.

“He’s a brilliant fighter. People always ask me ‘how will he do as a heavyweight’ so let’s just get down to it. I think he will beat every single heavyweight out there besides two and they are the big boys.

“I don’t think he is big enough to beat AJ and I don’t think he is big enough to beat Tyson Fury. The only thing that can beat him [Usyk] is size. Don’t get me wrong when he fights AJ, I think he’ll be ahead but then I think AJ will get to him and work him down and gradually he will get there. When it comes to Tyson Fury, he just won’t be allowed to get close enough. Fury is that big.”

Available on all the usual platforms including iTunes, Spotify and Deezer, Bellew features in episode nine of the series which was released today alongside episode ten featuring his old nemesis, David Haye.

“David is an amazing fighter and one of the bravest people I’ve ever came across. To fight on the way that he did in that first fight after the sixth-round blowout of his Achilles’ tendon was just immense. It really was and I can’t put it into words but let me tell you, I had a headache for four days after that first fight…I can’t put David in high enough regard. If it wasn’t for David Haye coming into my life when he did, I’d still be fighting right now. Make no mistake.”

During the episode nine of Colin Murray’s 52, Bellew goes on to describe Deontay Wilder’s fighting style ‘as the greatest one trick pony’ he’s ever seen as well as his return to the boxing ring following his defeat to Tyson Fury back in February.

“He deserved an awful lot of credit for the last fight [against Tyson Fury] because he was taking a one-sided pounding and beating, and he showed the heart of a lion. He will be back. Not anybody can carry out Tyson Fury’s game plan - so don’t think this guy will come back and everyone can do that to him. That’s not going to happen. Very very few will be able to dictate the pace and dictate the range to Deontay Wilder like Tyson Fury did. Tyson Fury is a master boxer.”