Tony Bellew has told Tyson Fury that he’s not carrying himself as the best heavyweight in the world should.
The former cruiserweight champion does, though, give that title to the undefeated Fury, who holds the WBC belt after being unified champion earlier in his career.
Bellew’s comments come off the back of the failed negotiations between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to make a fight which would crown the first four-belt champion in history and the first undisputed king since Lennox Lewis.
He addressed Fury directly via IFL TV.
“You’re not carrying yourself as the best heavyweight in the world – and that’s what must be stressed. You are the best heavyweight in the world.
You are the premier fighter in the heavyweight division, but you are not carrying yourself and doing the things that the best heavyweight in the world should be doing.”
“You should have all four of them belts if you are the best heavyweight in the world. There should be no messing around with that.”
Bellew went on to draw from personal experience of negotiations with team Usyk – as well as that of Anthony Joshua’s – calling them ‘the easiest people in the world to deal with.’
“From personal experience, Egis Klimas, Oleksandr Usyk, and Alex Krassyuk – they are the easiest people in the world to deal with.
I know cause I’ve dealt with them. And I could’ve been really difficult and they would’ve bent, but I didn’t. Once he called my name, I wanted the fight he had all the belts. We just made the fight. It was really simple.
AJ had a mandatory defence in Oleksandr Usyk – he just made the fight. Not once but twice. Why is it so hard for everyone to make a fight with Tyson Fury?”
Of course, the situation with the undisputed was different. Two champions brings a bit more ego to the table.
Regardless of who’s to blame, if anybody rather than the sport itself, the heavyweight champs are moving on in separate directions. If Fury is to take Bellew’s advice, he’ll seek a big fight next.