Tony Bellew hyped a ring return this year, and it was all about one thing.
The former cruiserweight world champion, 40, hung up the gloves in 2018 following a knockout loss to now unified heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk.
Despite being comfortable in the pundit’s chair now, Bellew teased the idea of a comeback to become a two-weight world champion.
In his sights, he had a WBC Bridgerweight (224lbs limit) world title shot against Poland’s Łukasz Różański, who won the vacant belt with a first round steamrolling of Alen Babić.
Bellew recently told Boxing Social that he was still confident he could do it, but that the champion had a better offer.
“The possibility of it is I just don’t think Łukasz Różański fancies it. If he did he would make it happen. But I think he’s got better options, financially. He’s got something on the table that’s huge.”
“If he was to face me, even at 40, it would be curtains for him anywhere between six and eight. And it would only take me six or eight cause I’m 40. It’d be two rounds if I was anywhere below 36.”
It’s understood that current WBC Cruiserweight Champion, Badou Jack, was the man who would be taking the Różański opportunity away from Bellew.
Jack’s bid to become a four-weight world champion was backed by Saudi Arabia’s Skill Challenge Entertainment. The promotion signed the 39-year-old in April of this year, and the Gambian-Swedish fighter said in August that the bout was being ‘worked on.’
SCP has now gone radio silent following a shift in the boxing landscape in Saudi, taking with it a much-discussed deal for Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. The introduction of Riyadh Season and its partnership with Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk confirms there’s a new major – and likely singular – player for fights in the Kingdom.
Should that fight indeed collapse, where it leaves Jack is unclear, but with no Różański fight announced, Bellew may just be able to target the Polish champion himself, should he still be seriously considering it.