By Jack Sumner @Jack_Sumner_
The big ones almost
here people and soon the waiting shall be over, as this Saturday fans will pack
London’s O2 Arena ahead of the eagerly anticipated rematch.
That’s right, Tony Bellew and Isaac Chilemba meet in a WBC
eliminator for the second time after their action-packed twelve round battle
back in March was scored an indecisive draw.
Ok, so the first encounter wasn’t really a classic, in fact
rather a scrappy, fragmented affair with Bellew often frustrated by the tactics
his tricky opponent employed. Chilemba was cautious and Bellew appeared to edge
a number of the early rounds based on workrate alone with few punches landing,
but was also made to miss badly as the Malawian produced the cleaner, better
quality work down the stretch.
A return bout was called however with a victor needed to
challenge the winner of Chad Dawson and Adonis Stevenson’s tussle in June and
with nothing to split them last time out, both fighters will surely up the ante
this time around. Each man will know he has try something different to change
the outcome of the fight and both men are still hungry, with this final hurdle
still standing in front of their dream of earning a world title shot.
Bellew (19-1-1, 12
KO’s) was under a great deal of pressure last time out fighting as the
headline act in his home city and faced with an opponent as awkward as Chilemba
it must have been easy on the night to become frustrated when the action didn’t
follow the much hyped script. In London however with the focus on the
Froch-Kessler main event, perhaps the big-punching Scouser will find it easier
to keep a cool head and have more success in breaking through the visiting
fighter’s accomplished defensive skills.
Chilemba (20-1-1, 9
KO’s) has ideas of his own though of course and is never going to be an
easy fighter to look good against. Also, having got the better of Bellew in the
later rounds of their first bout, he may have figured out a plan to beat The
Bomber. It’s hard to see past another close fight and in truth difficult to see
how the styles will gel any better than last time, with another scrappy
encounter probably favouring Chilemba particularly if he picks up where he left
off from the draw in March.
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