A Boxing Lesson From Tony Bellew

Many may say the bombs were duds in the opening affair of Frank Warren’s Master card in Liverpool last but sheer boxing skill was in abundance in the opening bout of the final domestic show of the season.

Possibly the most eagerly awaited fight of the night was the rematch between ‘Bomber’ Tony Bellew and home run hitter Ovill McKnezie in which the first fight give us plenty to write home about with knock downs like they were going out of fasion and everyone loves a stoppage win.

Like many rematches this one to most pundits did not live up to the hype and some of the Liverpool faithful had their patience tested in the middle rounds but surely I am not the only one that seen some pure boxing skills on show where a very capable and dangerous fighter in McKenzie was made to look seriously average by a trunk full of talent in Tony Bellew.

In the first fight both fighters felt their opponents best shots and had brief encounters with the canvas so surely the tactics were going to be different in the second coming, and different they were. Mckenzie had shorts bursts in the first round that reminded us why we simply could not live without this fight happening again but Bellew’s defence was more than up for the task of fending off any attack from McKenzie.

Other than in maybe three rounds McKenzie did not produce a great deal and Bellew boxed clever and notched up the rounds without much trouble at all. Bellew showed good foot movement and controlled the fight with his left hand from all angles; great head movement From the Bomber frustrated Mckenzie. A reserved Ovill Mckenzie for a great deal of the fight simply could not throw his own bombs with Bellew’s right hand a constant threat, Bellew kept fainting the right hand just to let McKenzie know it was still there and boy did McKnezie know it.

The corner of McKenzie began to run out of ideas by the 8^th round and rather than give advice the simply said “right you’re getting boring now” just the words of encouragement a boxer needs when you’re already way behind in a fight. In Bellew’s corner however the plan was simple “give him a boxing lesson” and the Bomber obliged.

Not the great spectacle we were all hoping for and with Nathan Cleverley at ringside Jim Watt certainly wanted more from Bellew and felt he was not doing his claims for a world title any good and to that I say how?

Boxing a perfect fight? Working the perfect game plan? Having your opponent afraid to throw a telling punch? Fair enough it may have been unpleasing to the untrained eye but there was plenty on show to interest Nathan Cleverley and Frank Warren knows Tony Bellew sells tickets.

Everyone has seen Tony throw his bombs and knock opponents out but last night his showed his great defensive skills as well as offensive skills and not only does he posses power he’s not easy to hit.

Bellew v Cleverley makes perfect sense to me and another domestic world title fight will do wonders for British Boxing. In hindsight a massive congratulations to our new Light Heavyweight British champion Tony Bellew, now he has two titles to polish but I am sure he will not mind one little bit.