By Luke Furman
During Wednesday's final press conference, light heavyweight contender Tony Bellew lashed out at WBC champion Adonis Stevenson. Bellew (20-1-1, 12KOs) is not impressed with Stevenson (22-1, 19KOs) and says the public and HBO are overhyping the champ. They will collide on Saturday night at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Canada.
Bellew says Stevenson is being pushed based on his last two wins, but doesn't do well against opponents who fight back and says history proves his point - when Stevenson was stopped by Darnell Boone (then 16-15) in two rounds in 2010. Stevenson got revenge in March of this year with a sixth round knockout of Bellew.
"All I want to do is nail him. Whatever it takes and whatever I've got to do I will and on Saturday night I am going to be world champion. Adonis Stevenson is getting beat up and man handled. I don't care what he brings. The fact of the matter is he has been knocked out by a guy who has lost 20 fights," Stevenson said.
"You have been knocked out by a journeyman. I haven't. I've been down in fights but I get up. Nobody is keeping me down. Everyone his judging his whole career on two fights. Let's go back to the Don George and Aaron Pryor Junior fights. He wasn't HBO's poster boy then. We will see on Saturday night how much he wants it and how he reacts when someone hits him back. I'm taking those belts."
Luke Furman covers boxing for bokser.org.