Tony Bellew has branded a fighter a ‘generational great’ – but implored the powers that be to set him up in more fights.
Bellew is a former cruiserweight world champion turned pundit, having boxed 34 times in an eleven-year career.
Much is continued to be made about activity – or lack of it – for the sport’s top dogs, with fans longing for the days that fights were made with little complication and their favourite fighters fought three times a year consistently.
Bellew feels exactly that about Errol Spence Jr.
“This is so so sad that a generational great fighter who lives in the gym has not got a date and hasn’t boxed for a year!! What’s going on?? Errol Spence not fighting anyone is so so wrong…”
This is so so sad that a generational great fighter who lives in the gym has not got a date and hasn’t boxed for a year!! What’s going on?? Errol Spence not fighting anyone is so so wrong.. 😔 https://t.co/8Nu08hI9Bw
— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) April 17, 2023
The welterweight, who resides in Texas with coach Derrick James, is unbeaten in 28 contests. He picked up his first world title against Kell Brook back in 2017, before adding the second two years later by beating Shawn Porter.
Just over a week later, he was in intensive care after crashing his Ferrari at high speed. Nobody else was hurt and Spence received a DWI and served community service.
In terms of his boxing career, it kept him out of the ring for over a year. There were no broken bones, but it was a serious recovery. He returned to in December of 2020 to beat Danny Garcia over the distance, before setting up a bout with Manny Pacquiao.
A detached retina spotted in trained cancelled that bout, and was a serious worry for the 33-year-old’s future. ‘Pacman’ instead faced Yordenis Ugas, who Spence then beat in 2022 to add a third belt to his collection.
He was said to be finalising a bout with Keith Thurman at the beginning of the year, but not much has come of that in the time since.
It was ordered to take place once the negotiations with the division’s other champion – Terence Crawford – publicly fell apart, with each side blaming the other.
Those talks have reportedly started up again for one of the most intriguing undisputed clashes available to the sport. In the meantime, as Bellew says, Spence is without a date.