Adonis Stevenson vs. Tony Bellew: Full Preview and Start Time

Adonis Stevenson takes on Britain’s Tony Bellew in Quebec City at the Colisée Pepsi in the second title defence of his WBC light heavyweight title.

The two men have had plenty to say in the build up. Stevenson has vowed to become the first man to knockout Bellew, while the Liverpool boxer is certain he will be leaving Canada with the belt.

Both fighters successfully made weight during Friday’s weigh in. Stevenson tipped the scales at 174 pounds while the challenger Bellew weighed in at 175 pounds. 

When they came face to face to square-off, their two heads met and a scuffle ensued until both men were separated by their respective teams.

So what time will Stevenson and Bellew be walking to the ring?

For UK viewers the fight card will start at 1 a.m. GMT Sunday morning with an undercard which includes the WBO light heavyweight title fight between Sergey Kovalov and Ismayl Sillakh.

The bout between Stevenson and Bellew, however, will start much later. The fighters are expected to be making their way to the ring at 5 a.m. GMT.

In the U.S. the event is scheduled to take place at 10:15 p.m. ET Saturday night. The main is expected to take place 12 p.m. local time in Quebec City.


Where to watch?

The fight will be aired exclusively on HBO’s boxing after dark in the States.

British fans will be able to catch the event on Sky sports 2.

Preview

Stevenson has been a human wrecking machine since moving to light heavyweight from super middleweight and stunned the boxing world by knocking out Chad Dawson in the first round to win the WBC title. The Canadian impressed even more during his first title defence against Tavoris Cloud, when he put on a all round excellent performance before the fight was stopped in the seventh.

This will be Tony Bellew’s second shot at a world title at light heavyweight. In his first title challenge the man from Liverpool lost via split decision against the then WBO title holder Nathan Cleverly.

Stevenson showed off a lot more of his attributes in the bout with Cloud but his power will be the key to victory over Bellew. Although the Brit has never been finished, he has been dropped in previous fights. In his first bout with Ovill McKenzie he hit the canvas in both the first and second rounds before going on to win by TKO in the eighth.

The Liverpudlian was also knocked down by Bob Ajisafe when they met in 2010. The WBC silver light heavyweight champion managed to find a way to pull through and win by unanimous decision. Against the champion, however, Bellew will not be given the chance to recover. His Canadian opponent is more skilled and has a lot more power than anyone he has faced before.

Bellew’s height and reach advantage could play a part, though, if he can stay focussed and box smart rather than be dragged into a battle of power.

Stevenson is the favourite and with his experience, power, and the boxing skills he displayed in his last fight he deserves to be. Bellew may be the underdog, but he has more than a puncher’s chance. He was in the same position when he fought Cleverly and won over the fans with an excellent performance and was almost rewarded with a win.

Tale of the Tape

"Superman" Adonis Stevenson	NAME	Tony "The Bomber" Bellew
Port-au-Prince, Haiti	HOMETOWN	Liverpool
22-1	RECORD	20-1-1
19	KOs	12
36	AGE	30
72ins	REACH	74ins
174 pounds	WEIGHT	175 pounds
Southpaw	STANCE	Orthodox
87	ROUNDS BOXED	132

Source: BoxRec