Derry Mathews Vs Anthony Crolla II - Fight Preview

By James McKnight @JamesMcKnight83.

Do not expect either 'Dirty' Derry Mathews or Anthony 'Million Dollar' Crolla to retreat or surrender come fight night. The North-West pugilists will clash for a second time on the undercard of Tony Bellew's WBC 'Silver' light-heavyweight title bout against Isaac Chilemba, at the Echo Arena, Liverpool, on March 30. 

The pair met on April 21 last year which saw Mathews rip the British lightweight title from Crolla after six enthralling rounds. 

During that bout, Mathews had sent Crolla to the canvas during the third round after landing an accurate right hand uppercut. Midway through the fourth round, Crolla suffered a nasty gash over his left eye which worsened as the fight wore on. 

Tony Bellew Vs Isaac Chilemba - Fight Preview

By Jack Sumner @Jack_Sumner_

After a series of impressive wins that have almost taken him to the summit of the light heavyweight ladder, Tony Bellew hangs just one rung away from reaching his goal of world title contention. In front of an adoring home crowd at Liverpool’s Echo Arena this weekend, the likeable Scouser attempts to scale the penultimate bar by beating Malawian puncher Isaac Chilemba.

Since narrow defeat to Nathan Cleverly in challenging for the WBO title eighteen-months ago, Bellew (19-1, 12 KOs) has matured and developed into a fighter who looks competent on the world stage. He rebounded from the Cleverly defeat with a one-punch knockout of Danny McIntosh and stepped up a level to stop Edison Miranda in nine rounds, before collecting a shutout victory over Argentinian Roberto Bolonti in December to win the WBC’s ‘Silver’ light heavyweight strap.

More important than the lightly regarded title was the position that the Bolonti fight put Bellew in, #2 in the WBC rankings and within touching distance of a challenge to titleholder and division boss Chad Dawson. According to Eddie Hearn, the winner of Bellew-Chilemba will definitely meet the winner of Dawson’s scrap with Adonis Stevenson, but ‘The Bomber’ can’t afford to take his focus off the task ahead of him this Saturday as he’s faced with a formidable and equally motivated opponent.

The Fans Have Voted: Bellew Vs Chilemba

This Saturday British fan favorite Tony Bellew (19-1, 12 KO's) takes on proven South African Isaac Chilemba (20-1, 9 KO's) in what could be the toughest fight of the 30-year old's career so far. The winner of this fight will become a serious contender in the light-heavyweight division and will be almost guaranteed a shot at WBC world champ Chad Dawson. The bout takes place at the Echo Arena in Liverpool so Bellew will have home advantage and he does enter this fight as the slight favourite, but there are many fans out there who believe that the 30th is going to be a bad night for 'The Bomber.'

This is how the fans see the fight going:

Tony Bellew at post-fight press conference

@IFILMLONDON