Tony Bellew vs. Ivica Bacurin: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info

Tony Bellew is in action for the first time in 2015 when he takes on late replacement Ivica Bacurin in a 10-rounder at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Friday.

The English cruiserweight has not fought since getting the better of archrival Nathan Cleverly in their second meeting last November, the Welshman having won previously when they clashed at light heavy.

After a busy time away from boxing, Bellew is back on a bill that also includes fellow local boys Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding, as well as Matchroom's latest recruit, Martin Murray.

Smith and Fielding take on Christopher Rebrasse and Brian Vera respectively—if both are victorious, it will set up a showdown between the pair of super middleweights, with that bout due to take place in September.

When: Friday, June 26, 10 p.m. BST

Where: Echo Arena, Liverpool, England

TV: Sky Sports (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Sports (UK, regional restrictions apply)

Lights, cameras, action!

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Bellew's boxing career was put on hold when he was offered the chance to appear in the film Creed, the latest instalment in the Rocky series.

The 32-year-old swapped gym sessions for on-set shoots as he worked alongside Sylvester Stallone. Now, though, he admits he is glad to be back to the day job. He told Gareth A Davies of the Telegraph: 

"

It's a lot better taking pretend punches to the face than real ones I can assure you.

But I have missed boxing, really bad. I love fighting, I don't know what it is in me, whether it's a sickness or a gene, but I just love standing in front of another fighter and going for it, they can hurt me and I can hurt them.

"

Bellew (23-2-1, 14 KOs) seems ready to focus fully on his main career goal—winning a world title.

He is ranked, per Fightnews.com, inside the top 10 by the IBF, WBC and WBO, though the former of the trio seems his most likely opportunity.

The move up to the 200-pound limit has taken away much of the stress he had previously in trying to make the weight, while it also allows the Bomber to carry even more power.

He has had to cope with a change of opponent, having initially been due to face hard-hitting Lubos Suda. The Czech had produced a knockout in 25 of his 33 victories, making him a dangerous man for Bellew to face after a period of inactivity.

But the switch to Bacurin should not worry Bellew—he knows victories, no matter whom he is up against, are his only concern at this stage of his career.

Switching it up

As late replacements go, Bacurin (22-7-1, 12 KOs) is not a bad one.

Having to find a new fighter at such short notice can be a nightmare for promoters, but the Croatian's record suggests he can fill the void left by Suda's withdrawal.

The 32-year-old took former cruiserweight world champion Juan Carlos Gomez the full eight rounds last year, while he also lost out on points to German Francesco Pianeta, who will challenge Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA heavyweight title next month.

Since that loss to Pianeta, Bacurin has reeled off four quick victories, though none of his opponents during the streak had winning records.

Bellew sees this next fight as a stepping stone to a clash with IBF champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez, per Nick Parkinson of ESPN: "The Hernandez fight is happening, sooner or later. I've said a number of times that he is the best fighter in the division, he's the most difficult fighter to beat in the division."

Still, Bacurin should not be underestimated. He is a sizeable hurdle (standing at 6′2″) that the home favourite has to clear.

Due to Bacurin accepting the fight at short notice, the two camps agreed to a weight limit of 204 pounds.

Prediction

We will have to wait to judge Bellew's acting skills, but facing Bacurin should tell us whether his stint in Hollywood has had any effect on his talents in the ring.

Expect the local boy to be cautious in the opening rounds, allowing him to feel his way back in.

If he is patient and picks his times to launch an attack, Bellew can slowly wear down his foe. Expect him to win by stoppage, between Round 6 and Round 8.