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Bellew sparks confrontation with 'f***ing rat' Cleverly

Nathan Cleverly labelled Tony Bellew a "bum" © Getty Images

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The press conference ahead of Nathan Cleverly's maiden world title fight spiralled into chaos on Thursday as rival Tony Bellew yelled "you f***ing rat" before jumping out of his seat to confront the Welshman.

Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion Bellew has stepped in at the 11th hour to face Cleverly, after Juergen Braehmer withdrew due to injury. The Liverpudlian faces big questions over his weight having taken the bout at such short notice, but Cleverly was not about to let Bellew use that as an excuse.

Having angered the challenger early by labelling him a "bum", Cleverly then entered into an argument when Bellew suggested that the champion would never step up to the plate without a thorough training camp. The see-saw verbal war escalated quickly, ending in a genuinely angry confrontation between the pair.

"He's not as good as Braehmer, not as good," began Cleverly. "No chance. Braehmer's world class, he's proven. This guy (Bellew), there's a reason he's got a Commonwealth title, he's that level.

"I've won the Commonwealth, won the British, won the European, and I'll call myself world champion when I win Saturday night."

Bellew responded: "The weight is not an issue. It's not something I'm going to disclose, I've met the board requirements. What I do know for a fact, is that he (Cleverly) wouldn't do what I'm doing. Everybody in this room knows that he wouldn't do what I'm doing 24 hours before a fight. I'm gonna hit him and he's going to stay hit."

"I've said I'll give him a free shot on the chin," quipped Cleverly, to which Bellew replied: "I cannot wait. If you give me a free shot you'll be waking up in an ambulance."

Back came Cleverly: "If anyone is getting knocked out, it's you. You're a bum."

Bellew had more advice, saying: "Don't run mate. Don't run. I'll smash you up. I'll ask you one thing: Would you do what I've done? Would you take a fight on 24 hours' notice?"

Cleverly responded: "Don't make excuses. That's an excuse. You're here to fight, be a man and fight."

Inevitably the row reached boiling point, at which stage Bellew leapt up from his seat, yelling "you f***ing rat" before being pulled away by his trainers.

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