Nathan Cleverly v Tony Bellew II: Where to Watch Live, Preview, Quotes and Prediction

Cleverly v Bellew — Cleverly and Bellew clash in Liverpool three years on from their controversial first meeting Getty

Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew meet in their eagerly anticipated rematch on Saturday at the Echo Arena, Liverpool.

Where to Watch:

Live coverage of Cleverly v Bellew II is available through Sky Box Office on Saturday 22 November. With six undercard fights preceding their showdown, the main event is likely to begin at around 23:00 (GMT).

Overview:

Three years ago Cleverly walked away from his gruelling first meeting with Bellew with the WBO light heavyweight title still around his waist. The Welshman was awarded a majority decision victory after 12 rounds, a controversial call on the night that has paved the way for Saturday's rematch.

Cleverly's reign as light heavyweight champion would remain under scrutiny due to the quality of his opponents, until it was emphatically taken off him by Sergey Kovalev in August 2013. In the meantime, Bellew stewed for a rematch.

It never came under the management of Frank Warren, prompting the Liverpudlian to switch to Eddie Hearn's Matchroom outfit where his rise continued. That was stopped however in emphatic fashion when he was knocked out by defending WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson in the sixth round in November 2013. Following that defeat, he opted to switch to cruiserweight, leaving him on a collision course with Cleverly who made an identical move after his humbling defeat to Kovalev.

While he hasn't elaborated quite on why, Bellew holds genuine disdain for Cleverly. The Welshman has in turn promised to force his adversary into retirement with victory on Saturday. There is no title on the line when the two meet. Given their history and the palpable animosity between the two, there doesn't need to be.

What They've Said:

Nathan Cleverly: "It's the biggest fight of my life. It's a lot on the line. This crowd - look at this atmosphere for this fight - it's a big grudge match. It's a big fight, a big rivalry, it's personal.

"It's going to be massive for me. When I win this fight, personally it's going to be massive for me, and I want to push on and push for bigger honours.

"Tony is a real cruiserweight. How can I perform against a real, big proper cruiserweight, a big puncher? This is the acid test. Get through this and we're going to strike for world honours."

Tony Bellew: "If he absorbs the first serious shots landed, this could be one of the best fights of the year because I'm not giving up no ground.

"I'm the true cruiserweight here. I'll be totally honest, I don't see how he can absorb what I'm going to hit him with, but let's just say he does, because I've prepared as if he's going to.

"I've prepared for war of the highest order, so if he takes what I've got this is going to be an amazing night. If he doesn't, then it's going to be a short, sharp fight."

Records:

Nathan Cleverly: 28 wins (14 knockouts) 1 loss

(W) Alejandro Emilio Valori – technical knockout – July 2014

(W) Shawn Corbin – technical knockout – May 2014

(L) Sergey Kovalev – technical knockout – August 2013

Tony Bellew: 22 wins (14 knockouts) 2 losses, 1 draw

(W) Julio Cesar dos Santos – technical knockout – July 2014

(W) Valery Brudov – knockout – March, 2014

(L) Adonis Stevenson – technical knockout –November, 2013

Rest of the Card:

Anthony Joshua v Michael Sprott

George Groves v Denis Douglin