Liverpool star back to his day job and hunting a third world title shot
Cruiserweight Tony Bellew had a dream assignment in Philadelphia filming Creed, the latest movie in the Rocky
series, and insists his acting experience alongside Sylvester Stallone
has inspired him and re-enforced his desire to be a world champion ahead
of his return to the ring on at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Friday
night.
“It's a lot better taking
pretend punches to the face than real ones I can assure you,” said
Bellew, who now faces Ivica Bacurin after his original opponent Lubos
Suda was forced out with a medical issue.
“But I have missed boxing, really bad. I love fighting, I don't know
what it is in me, whether it's a sickness or a gene, but I just love
standing in front of another fighter and going for it, they can hurt me
and I can hurt them."
Bellew was
plucked from the ranks of pro boxers to work alongside Sylvester
Stallone, who returned in the movie as Rocky Balboa the trainer, and
insisted the acting did have its complexities. "I lifted a lot of
weights and did a lot of cardio out there, when it came to the fight
scenes, it's very choreographed and it's hard to remember a
choreographed fight for 12 rounds, it's a lot of hard work over 16-hour
days some times. But amazing," he said.
Bellew, a proud Evertonian, met up with Sylvester Stallone in Philadelphia
It meant a stint in Las Vegas at the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight last month.
“I love being around boxing and being at the Mayweather fight was
incredible – I hated Las Vegas – but I loved being around amazing
fighters and talking with them, I bumped into Andre Ward who I worked
with in the film."
"He's a cool guy, I spent time with him in Philly. But it was great to finally get home and get back into the gym for tonight. The harder the training has got the more intense I have got, so the hunger and desire is still massive.”
Bellew says that the only way to satisfy that hunger is by landing a world title shot this year, and he expects that to be against awkward, talented IBF king Yoan Pablo Hernandez.
"The Hernandez fight is happening – sooner or later,” said Bellew. “I've said a number of times that he is the best fighter in the division, he's the most difficult fighter to beat in the division."
“Who wants to face a 6ft 4in southpaw that can punch a bit? No one. But I do, because I believe you have to fight the best and I am going to put together a game plan with the team on how to pull that win off.”
Bellew’s clash with Bacurin is part of a huge night of action in Liverpool, with Callum Smith taking on Christopher Rebrasse for the vacant WBC Silver super middleweight title and Rocky Fielding meeting Brian Vera for the vacant WBC International supermiddleweight title.
Three-time world title challenger Martin Murray also makes his bow at super middleweight on the card.
"He's a cool guy, I spent time with him in Philly. But it was great to finally get home and get back into the gym for tonight. The harder the training has got the more intense I have got, so the hunger and desire is still massive.”
Bellew says that the only way to satisfy that hunger is by landing a world title shot this year, and he expects that to be against awkward, talented IBF king Yoan Pablo Hernandez.
"The Hernandez fight is happening – sooner or later,” said Bellew. “I've said a number of times that he is the best fighter in the division, he's the most difficult fighter to beat in the division."
“Who wants to face a 6ft 4in southpaw that can punch a bit? No one. But I do, because I believe you have to fight the best and I am going to put together a game plan with the team on how to pull that win off.”
Bellew’s clash with Bacurin is part of a huge night of action in Liverpool, with Callum Smith taking on Christopher Rebrasse for the vacant WBC Silver super middleweight title and Rocky Fielding meeting Brian Vera for the vacant WBC International supermiddleweight title.
Three-time world title challenger Martin Murray also makes his bow at super middleweight on the card.
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