• Nathan Cleverly v Tony Bellew, October 15

'Smug' Cleverly boils Bellew's blood

Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew are both promoted by Frank Warren, and both undefeated © PA Photos

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Tony Bellew has fired a final verbal flurry at Nathan Cleverly ahead of their WBO light-heavyweight title battle on Saturday, telling the Welshman to stop being "smug".

Maths graduate Cleverly and Bellew have suffered a massive personality clash in the build-up to the Liverpool fight, with both at pains to make it clear there is no love lost between them.

However, Bellew has taken a little steam out of the feud by insisting there is no hate involved. "Hate is too strong a word - I don't hate anybody, because I don't waste my energy and time hating people," he said. "But do I dislike him? Yes. He is smug and it winds me up when I look at him.

"He looks down his nose like he is better than me. But he is no better than me, or any taxi driver, or bartender or anybody else. I'm just a normal guy as well - the only difference with me is that I am good at punching people in the face."

Cleverly has stoked the flames of Bellew's "smug" barb by revealing he has only watched one of Bellew's 16 professional fights. "I swear, in preparation for this fight, I have watched Tony once and that's all," Cleverly said. "I've seen what I've had to see and I will just go in and do my thing."

And he has told Bellew that any attempts to get under his skin will have no effect once the first bell sounds. "It is not going to work - it's all rubbish and it doesn't mean anything," Cleverly said. "We've seen it so many times in press conferences, people trying to say things to manipulate people's minds, trying to get fans on their side, but it doesn't work."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.