Former Cruiserweight World Champion, Tony Bellew, would be happy to fight the likes of Jake Paul if the financial terms were right.
Bellew is content in retirement – breaking down fights rather than attempting to beat down opponents. His professional career spanned 11 years, 34 fights, and one world championship.
Many would say he did it right. ‘Bomber’ hung up the gloves without serious injury and set himself up well for a future on the fringes of the sport in punditry and fighter management.
Following the recent trend of exhibition scraps from the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, and Ricky Hatton, Bellew used his most recent DAZN column to ponder whether or not he would fancy one himself.
“Could I be tempted back by an exhibition? I’m going to say no. The names that I mentioned earlier all have their reasons for carrying on in that world, but it’s something I just couldn’t see myself doing unless I was going to give it everything. If I was coming back, then it would have to be in a meaningful fight and there’s a number that would get me back in the gym.”
So if the Liverpool man just needs a name and number to get back training for a professional fight, what are they? The number is a lot, and the name is Jake Paul – or somebody similar.
“These YouTubers and crossover boxers are making a lot of noise at the moment, and you have seen earlier this year that Jake Paul had a few things to say. 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. 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.”
For now though, we’re likely to only see the former champ behind the desk at shows rather than inside the ropes. As for Paul, there are plenty of other people who want to ‘shut him up.’