Tony Bellew believes a current heavyweight star is the best fighter of his generation.
Bellew is a keen historian who often speaks about great fighters from the past, but this week he has been lavishing praise on his former opponent Oleksandr Usyk. The pair met in 2018 for all four of the cruiserweight belts in a fight which started well for Bellew but ended in a knockout loss.
Since then, Usyk has become undisputed heavyweight champion by defeating Tyson Fury and is now preparing for a rematch out in Saudi Arabia in December.
Speaking to IFL TV, Bellew was asked if he foresaw a way Fury could win the rematch.
“Course I can, when you’re 20 stone and 6ft 6, 7, 8, 9 or whatever he says he is, course he can. Mate if I was 6’6 and 20 stone I would invade Russia.”
He was then reminded he had still picked Usyk to win and labelled him the best of this era.
“I do still believe that [Usyk will win] but it doesn’t mean [Fury] can’t. We all seen him hurt Usyk. That’s the first time I’ve seen Usyk hurt to the chin. I’ve seen him momentarily dazed but that’s the first time I’ve seen him genuinely shook to his boots, but then what does he do the next round? He comes back and puts it on you, because that’s the fighter he is.
You can’t deny Oleksandr Usyk is the greatest fighter, big fighter, of his whole era. I only know too well cause he knocked f***k out of me as well.”
That said, the former cruiserweight champion acknowledged Fury is by no means out of the fight.
“But can Tyson Fury win? Absolutely. That big, that heavy, that good, which he is good, Tyson Fury is an elite-level fighter but he’s coming up against a fighter he can’t really figure out. And a style he’s always going to struggle with, and that wasn’t the best version of Usyk.
The best version of Usyk will go on the back foot, this guy walked forward all night with his hands up. If this guy gets on the back foot, you ain’t landing a glove on him but he chose to walk you down and bully you.”
