• Light-heavyweight

Bellew: I'll travel the world to face champion

Tony Bellew is mandatory challenger to WBC champion Adonis Stevenson © PA Photos

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Tony Bellew is not scared to travel across the world to fight newly crowned WBC light-heavyweight titlist Adonis Stevenson, insisting he will "hurt him" as he bids to become world champion.

Earlier in June, Stevenson shocked the world by stunning Chad Dawson in the first round of their title fight in Quebec and has since targeted money-spinning bouts with IBF champion Bernard Hopkins and Tavoris Cloud.

However, the WBC have ordered that 35-year-old Stevenson must first face mandatory challenger Bellew, who is more than up for the challenge of travelling to the Canadian's home.

"I'm really happy to go into his backyard if that is what happens," Bellew told the Liverpool Echo. "I am happy to go to Montreal if they want or the [United] States if that's where it is. It makes no odds to me where they put that ring.

"I am not going to stand there and get nailed. I am going to hit him and hurt him. He's a bully but he can't intimidate me. He wanted the big box office fights and in many ways I couldn't blame him."

Both camps have been given a month to agree a deal, otherwise the fight will go to purse bids.

However Bellew, who successfully defended his silver light-heavyweight title against Isaac Chilemba at the O2 Arena in his last outing in May, believes he is worthy of his shot at Stevenson and is adamant promoter Eddie Hearn will not let the chance pass.

"He [Stevenson] was the one giving Carl Froch stick, saying he was dodging him in order to fight Mikkel Kessler," Bellew said. "Myself and Eddie [Hearn] were not prepared to let him take this chance off me."

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