Tony Bellew has hinted at a possible return to the ring, but only for one specific opponent. The former cruiserweight world champion, who hung up his gloves in 2018, says he'd consider coming out of retirement to "shut up" Jake Paul.
Bellew called it quits after a tough loss to Oleksandr Usyk in a fight for the undisputed cruiserweight title. Usyk stopped Bellew in the 8th round, ending a career that saw the Liverpudlian reach the pinnacle of his division.
Before that final bout, Bellew had enjoyed some memorable moments in the ring. He won his world title in 2016 with a knockout win over Ilunga Macabu at Everton FC's Goodison Park. He followed that up with a quick defense against BJ Flores, stopping him in the third round. Bellew then moved up to heavyweight for two big wins over David Haye.
Since retiring, Bellew has kept busy as a popular pundit and writer for DAZN. But now, he's eyeing a potential comeback – with conditions.
"If the right amount of money was put in front of me to shut one of these up then I'd be happy to oblige, but I don't think you'll see that."
The "one of these" Bellew refers to is Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer who's made a lot of noise in the sport. Paul recently beat Mike Tyson on points, though Tyson is nearly 60 years old. Still, the fight broke viewership records and got global attention.
Bellew seems confident he could handle Paul easily. He said, "I'd probably need three weeks and two spars and that would be see him last the whole of one round, tops."
The former champ has already shown he's not afraid to confront Paul. He crashed a press conference for the Paul-Tyson fight with an old man, making headlines in the process.
But Bellew remains skeptical about the chances of the fight happening. "These people aren't serious about fighting me and I don't think there's a promoter who would put up the money I want," he said.
The idea of YouTubers and other non-traditional boxers entering the sport has been controversial. While it's bringing new eyes to boxing, many purists feel it's not good for the sport. Bellew seems to fall into that camp, only willing to step back in the ring to prove a point against these newcomers.
For now, fans will have to wait and see if Bellew's comeback becomes more than just talk. But one thing's for sure – he's made it clear who he'd want to face if he does lace up the gloves again.
