"Took boxing to a place it has never been" - Tony Bellew shares message of support for Anthony Joshua ahead of Oleksander Usyk rematch

Former WBC Cruiserweight Champion Tony Bellew shared a message of support for compatriot Anthony Joshua ahead of his rematch with Oleksander Usyk. Joshua will fight Usyk to become a three-time World Heavyweight Champion on Saturday August 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Bellew tweeted in support of the title challenger:

"All about you this week @anthonyjoshua champ! Go out there and show the world why you got to the top as quickly as you did! Took boxing to a place it had NEVER been to in this country! Filling outdoor stadiums for fun and taking it to the desert! The game is indebted to ya!"

Throughout his career, Tony Bellew has always offered messages of support and encouragement for Matchroom Boxing fighters. Bellew was often an analyst for Sky Sports and still does so for DAZN Boxing.

Fans have often suggested that Bellew has a bias towards Matchroom fighters, but it is not something that he has ever hidden.

Bellew himself fought for and won a world title under the Matchroom banner.

Anthony Joshua has become one of the biggest celebrities in Britain through his boxing career. Joshua’s bouts are often massive events, and sell out stadiums. Wembley Stadium , the principality stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have all hosted Joshua fights.

‘AJ’ has 22KOs in his 24 victories. Being a British champion fighting in Britain has also brought Joshua great fanfare over the years.

---

Tony Bellew is a former Oleksander Usyk opponent

After Oleksander Usyk became the undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world, holding the IBF, WBA, WBO, and WBC World Titles, he defended his titles against Bellew.

Tony Bellew had bright spots in the opening stretches of the bout against Usyk. However, once the champion gained momentum, he became unstoppable for Bellew. Eventually, Usyk would stop Bellew in the eight-round of the fight.

Watch the bout here:

Oleksander Usyk has however described Bellew as his toughest fight.The general consensus, however, is that the most compettive fight Usyk has been involved in was against Mairis Breidis. Usyk was given the decision on the night, but many belived that Breidis had done enough to deserve a win on the scorecards.