By Jake Donovan
That a rematch between Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew would take place was never in question. The only lingering concern is when and where, with a final decision having been made on both matters.
The bitter rivals will meet again on November 22 at Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. Matchroom Boxing, headed by Eddie Hearn, confirmed the date and venue through a press statement Monday morning.
Separate press conferences will take place this Wednesday, October 1 to further drum up interest for the event. Press sessions are scheduled in Liverpool and also Cleverly’s hometown of Cardiff, Wales.
Both fighters appeared on the same card this past July, also having taken place at Echo Arena as did their first fight back in Oct. ‘11. Cleverly and Bellew each scored knockout wins to extend their win streaks to two straight since each entered the cruiserweight division following knockout losses in title fights at light heavyweight.
Cleverly (28-1, 14KOs) saw his light heavyweight title reign come to a violent halt, suffering a 4th round knockout at the lethal hands of Sergey Kovalev last August at home in Cardiff. The bout marked his final appearance as a light heavyweight, moving up to cruiserweight earlier this year.
Bellew (22-2-1, 14KOs) had already established himself at the weight by that point, entering the division with a 12th round knockout of faded former cruiserweight titlist Valery Brudov this past March. Bellew’s arrival came after two failed bids to capture light heavyweight hardware, the most recent in a 6th round stoppage versus lineal light heavyweight king Adonis Stevenson on the road in Canada last November.
His other title shot; a narrow points loss to Cleverly back when both were still unbeaten some three years ago. The bout served as one of the best of 2011, but the right opportunity never quite surfaced to get the two in the ring again for a sequel. With both now in the quest for greater glory in the cruiserweight division, the perfect opportunity is set to revisit old - and perhaps unfinished - business.
There is no major title at stake for the forthcoming rematch, though the winner will be in a favorable position to challenge any of the top cruiserweights at some point in 2015.
The rematch will air live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets go on sale to the general public midday Wednesday, October 1, with a pre-sale opportunity available exclusively for Matchroom Fight Pass members to purchase tickets on Tuesday, September 30.
Fight Pass members can buy tickets through the Fight Pass area at MatchroomBoxing.com on Tuesday; tickets will be made available to the general public on Wednesday, through Echo Arena’s website (EchoArena.com) or over the phone at 0844 8000 400.
Prices are £40, £60, £80, £100, £150 and £300 VIPs. All but the VIP seats are available at Echo Arena box office. The £300 VIP tickets are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com and on 01277 359900.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
