According to former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew (29-2-1, 19 KOs), there is interest in a showdown from former unified super middleweight and light heavyweight champion Andre Ward (32-0, 16 KOs).
Ward, 33 years old, retired from boxing last year, a few months after gaining a stoppage win over Sergey Kovalev in their June rematch.
Earlier this year, there were rumblings of Ward heading up to a higher weight division for a major fight.
Ward would then deny the possibility of a ring return - but he also hinted that "anything is possible."
Prior to Ward's retirement, there was some talk of a fight with Bellew at cruiserweight.
But, Bellew was not very happy with the terms that were on the table, and he decided to go in another direction by finalizing a rematch with heavyweight David Haye, scheduled for May 5th at the O2 Arena in London.
If Bellew wins, his team wants to lure Ward in the ring.
And Bellew is claiming that both sides have discussed the idea of a fight in the last few weeks.
"We’ve spoken with Ward’s team. Eddie Hearn and the rest of the team have been in talks. Ward may be publicly retired, but that’s not what his team are saying," Bellew told UK publication Metro.
"We’ve had conversations within the last six weeks. I’ll leave that to Eddie, but I highly rate Ward. He does and sees things differently, but I believe I can beat him."
Bellew admits that beating someone like Ward, although coming up in weight, will not be easy.
"The only way Ward loses a fight is if he has an off day. It’s a possibility I’ll fight Andre Ward after David Haye, and I need him to have an off day. And on top of that, I need to be on the money. Not very optimistic, you say? No, I’m just realistic. I’m not a fantasist. He’s better than me. But, if I get the tactics right on the night then I beat him. I will win if he has an off night," Bellew said.
