Soccer betting fans may well be looking towards the summer’s World Cup, but for boxing betting fans, there are more pressing issues at stake. Tony Bellew will begin life in the cruiserweight division with a tough test against two-time former world cruiserweight title challenger Valery Brudov in March at the Echo Arena, in what will be the Liverpool fighter’s first bout after making the move from light-heavyweight.
Bellew made the decision to step up a weight after being comprehensively beaten by Adonis Stevenson for the WBC light-heavyweight title in November in Canada, the second defeat in his career after the 
narrow points loss to Nathan Cleverly in 2011 for the WBO belt. After out-boxing Bellew for five shut-out rounds, Stevenson made the outspoken Englishman eat his words by knocking him out in the sixth.
While Bellew’s first loss had been a contentious points defeat that could have gone either way, his defeat in Canada in late 2013 convinced the Liverpudlian to make the move up to cruiserweight. At 6ft 3in, Bellew has the frame to be a solid cruiserweight, but the question will be whether he has the chin to take cruiserweight punches.
The 31-year old hasn’t been given an easy fight in experienced Russian Brudov, who will come into the bout with a record of 41 wins (28 KOs) with just four defeats. While Brudov has been found wanting against elite fighters such as Firat Arslan, Virgil Hill, Guillermo Jones and Ola Afolabi, the 37-year old will offer Bellew a true test of life in the cruiserweight division.
Bellew has made it clear he wants to be fighting for a world title in his new division before the end of the year, where the former British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion will be looking to become a world champion at the third time of asking.
