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BELLEW TO MAKE CRUISERWEIGHT DEBUT ON MARCH 15
22/01/2014 - 19.24.07
Tony Bellew to make cruiserweight debut on big night of Liverpool boxing on March 15Tony Bellew will make his cruiserweight debut on a huge night of boxing in Liverpool.
Tony Bellew: Will make cruiserweight debut against Valery Brudov on March 15 'The Bomber' faces former world title challenger Valery Brudov at the Echo Arena on Saturday, March 15, live on Sky Sports.
The night also includes three of the Smith brothers, Kell Brook's warm-up fight before his world title tilt and Londoner Kevin Mitchell, who continues his comeback at lightweight.
Stephen Smith is looking to make a giant step in the world level as he takes on Argentina Fernando David Saucedo for his WBC Silver featherweight title in what turns out to be an eliminator.
Older brother Paul can win the prestigious Lonsdale Belt outright with the third defence of his British super-middleweight title and the youngest Smith, Callum, looks to continue his stunning start to professional boxing.
Brook will of course challenge for the IBF welterweight world title, currently held by Shawn Porter, later this year and is adamant he needs to stay fresh and fight before the big one.
Packed card
One British fighter who is aiming to get a second crack at world glory is lightweight Mitchell and he'll be looking to move up a gear, while the impressive young gun Kal Yafai and Liverpool youngster Robbie Davies are also on the packed bill.
A mouth-watering local clash between unbeaten super-middleweight prospect Rocky Fielding and veteran campaigner Tony Dodson has also been added to the Liverpool card.
Bellew made the decision to move up to cruiserweight following his defeat at the hands of hard-hitting super-middleweight world champion Adonis Stevenson, the second time he had come up short following his loss to then-WBO king Nathan Cleverly in 2011.
The 31-year-old from Liverpool says he wants to be fighting for a world title at cruiserweight before the end of this year and was keen to start his new chapter against a top-level fighter.
Russian Brudov challenged both Virgil Hill in 2006 and Guillermo Jones in 2010 for their titles in a career which has seen him knock out 28 of his 41 victims and lose just four times, including last year's defeat to Ola Afolabi.
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