“Be careful for what you wish for.” So goes one of the oldest adages in all of life and one that certainly pertains to the upcoming unification cruiserweight bout between defending champion Oleksandr Usyk and challenger Anthony Joshua, who is a former cruiserweight champion in his own right. Usyk has been quite open about his vision of taking on Bellew. In fact, he said that his last fight, a unanimous decision win over Murat Gassiev, was all about getting to the next step of fighting Bellew. “It’s exactly part of the strategy,” admitted Usyk. Bellew was so eager to challenge Usyk for the unification championship that he dropped down from heavyweight to cruiserweight.
Let’s take a look at the boxing odds at BookMaker.eu, break down the matchup and go over your betting options.
Boxing Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oleksandr Usyk -705
Tony Bellew +570
Over/under rounds - Check Back Later
The bout between Oleksandr Usyk (15-0, 11 knockouts) and Tony Bellew (30-2-1, 20 knockouts) will take place on November 10, 2018 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester. Defending unification champion Oleksandr Usyk will face Tony Bellew with the International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, and World Boxing Organization cruiserweight championship belts will be on the line. This fight is scheduled for 12 rounds and can be seen on DAZN.
Fight Preview
Anthony Bellew has been talking himself up for this bout stating that he is now in his natural wheelhouse. Bellew states that cruiserweight is his more natural weight and that he believes he will find a way to win the fight against an opponent that he freely labels a “monster.”
“I am going up against the monster,” said Bellew. “The man who no one really wants to fight, the man who dismantles fighters and beats them easily.”
Yet Bellew is also making verbal jabs at Usyk, implying that he blinked at the press conference stare down.
“There’s only one difference when he looks in my eyes,” claimed Bellew. “He passed a comment after Saturday’s little stare down. The comment was he thinks I’m arrogant. But it’s not arrogance he sees. For the first time in his career he sees a man looking back at him who believes he can win. I don’t just think or believe, I know. I’m going to find a way. I always do.”
Bellew hasn’t lost a fight in five years since his technical knockout defeat against Adonis Stevenson for the World Boxing Council World Lightweight title. His last two bouts were against David Haye in which he scored technical knockouts both times. Currently Bellew is ranked third in the world.
Meanwhile an apt moniker for Usyk may be “machine” as much as “monster.” Not only has Usyk never lost a bout but he is more often than not devastating in the process.
One concern that handicappers may have is that Usyk is said to be keeping an eye on up and coming Anthony Joshua. Bellew has certainly noticed that and has called out Usyk with the clear notice of he must “go through me” before any matchup with Joshua.
So why does Bellew want to take on a “monster” such as Usyk? It’s quite the interesting answer.
“I was on my honeymoon and for one reason or another I stood there watching Oleksandr beat up Murat Gassiev,” recalled Bellew. “The fight stops and then he makes the ultimate sin. He says my name. And it didn’t take long. Soon as he said my name I knew. The world’s going to write me off, the more I want to fight. So we will see.”
Boxing Betting Tips
Anthony Bellew is a prohibitive underdog in this bout but one that brings exception value as a proven champion. The price is too high on Usyk considering the level of competition.
Boxing Odds Pick: Anthony Bellew
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With the boxing odds at BookMaker Sportsbook, you can bet on boxing all year, from smaller cards to pay-per-view events. Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook. Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tony Bellew takes place on November 10, 2018 at Manchester Arena, Manchester. The fight can be seen on DAZN.