29/05/16
- I've been eyeing up this bet for a while now and want to get it locked before any line shift. 2.5 DNB in what I consider a 50/50 fight, or very close to it, is a must play.Tony Bellew is looking to become a cruiserweight champion in front of his home fans against the dangerous Makabu.
- He'll actually be fighting in Goodison Park, the stadium of his beloved Everton football club. 12 thousand tickets have already been sold and that could rise to 30,000 by fight night. Do not underestimate the advantage that this crowd will bring to Bellew. He's a proud Liverpool man and this is literally a dream come true for him. I see this as a bet that will only lose if Bellew is rendered unconscious.
- At 19-1 (18 ko's), Makabu to score a knockout is obviously a real possibility. He is heavy handed, but he is very much an up close and personal fighter. If you fight him on the inside, good luck to you. Same warning applies if you choose to back up against the ropes. He loves to throw many hard punches when he is in range.
- The good news for Bellew is that he doesn't appear capable of out boxing people at distance. His jab is nothing to write home about and this is where the fight will be won or lost for Bellew.
- Bellew is now starting to settle into the cruiserweight division nicely having come up from light heavy. He was stopped by Adonis Stevenson when he challenged him for his WBC light heavyweight title. His punch resistance wasn't great at that weight and he was dropped a number of times as a result. He seems far more sturdy at 200lbs+.
- He scored a significant win over the extremely capable Mateusz Masternak in a hard fought battle. He actually appeared to be seconds away from a stoppage in the last round.
- Some people are really impressed by Makabu and believe him to be the future of the cruiserweight division. I'm not one of them. I think there are a number of guys that would beat him. He was losing to Mchunu on the scorecards before he found the KO in the 11th. He also sneaked a majority decision against the less than stellar Dmytro Kucher in 2013.
- As I've stated already, Bellew needs to keep this one long. If he's forced to fight on the inside he needs to keep his defences sharp. I feel that with the deafening roar of the crowd giving him that extra boost down the stretch he will win a hard fought decision.