Dronfield boxer Lewis Taylor lashes back at Tony Bellew

Lewis Taylor is determined to prove world champion Tony Bellew wrong.
Lewis Taylor - unhappy with Bellew's remarksLewis Taylor - unhappy with Bellew's remarks
Lewis Taylor - unhappy with Bellew's remarks

The WBC World cruiserweight champion dismissed Taylor as a boxer ‘who cannot punch,’ when he was commentating for Sky TV.

Bellew repeated the criticism several times as Taylor boxed unbeaten Jamie Cox on Kell Brook’s Bramall Lane undercard in May. Cox has now secured a WBA world super middleweight challenge against champion George Groves. Taylor lost against him after a clash of heads opened up a cut.

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After watching the broadcast, Taylor said: “I feel like Bellew was putting me down the whole way through the fight.

“The commentary made the fight look so much more one-sided, that Cox was miles was miles ahead. When you watch it without the commentary you’d probably think: ‘Actually Lewis is has done a lot better there.’

“It seemed like he had it in for me. He kept saying he can’t punch; he can’t do this or that. At the end of the day, you are not going to stand there, if he (Cox) is this beast that can punch, you are not going to stand and go toe-to-toe and have a war with someone like that.

“So I did what I had to do and moved around, and feel like if I had got the last few rounds (after the cut) I’d have stuck it on him more and put him on to the back foot and let him have it.”

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Taylor, from Dronfield, admits doesn’t have a big KO ratio but insists he wants to prove Bellew’s comments were wide of the mark.

Lewis Taylor - unhappy with Bellew's remarksLewis Taylor - unhappy with Bellew's remarks
Lewis Taylor - unhappy with Bellew's remarks

“Don’t get me wrong I’d prefer to be in there, not get hurt, and come out with the win than go in there and try and knock someone out and end up getting hurt myself and then end up in trouble.”

The 27-year-old bounces back from the Cox loss in an eight-rounder at Doncaster Dome (unnamed opponent) on September 2.

“I can take a few more shots and get my own shots off so I am feeling that in my next fight I am going to go in there and make sure I put a stamp on it.

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“I am going to show people I can hit hard I can get in there and get people out.

Tony BellewTony Bellew
Tony Bellew

“I want to show that I am going to improve again from the Jamie Cox show.

“I want to go in and do some damage...and hit harder than a few people give me credit for.”

Taylor’s aim is to keep pushing for high profile shows, campaigning against big names.

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“At Doncaster, I’d like to be fighting a good kid who is going to be coming in to put on a show.”

Lewis Taylor - unhappy with Bellew's remarksLewis Taylor - unhappy with Bellew's remarks
Lewis Taylor - unhappy with Bellew's remarks

Looking back at the historic Bramall Lane night and run-up, he reflected: “The whole experience was amazing, best I have ever had, from workout to the press conference, to the weigh-in on the City Hall steps, to the actual fight.

“It was amazing. If it had gone differently and it wasn’t as dirty and there’d not been a clash of heads and I’d not got the cut I think it would have been a different fight.

“He wasn’t landing much, people were saying he was this animal, he never hurt me in any of the rounds, really”

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Taylor, a former English champion, says more titles can come within his grasp.

“I still think I should at least be up for British contention, I feel that I am at a good level.

“I got in there with Cox, who is now fighting for a world title and I have put it on him and people gave me a lot of credit.

Tony BellewTony Bellew
Tony Bellew

I love the sport. I love the buzz you get from fighting and all I want to do is win something. I want to win a title and get my name up there and do well.

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“I want to achieve something first and foremost, money comes second to me.

Taylor would like to fight Dublin middleweight Luke Keeler fight again, he said.

The Irishman beat him on points in February.

“I could have stopped him, watching it back I absolutely kick myself because I just did not perform and did what I should have done.

“I even got slapped in two of the rounds (by his trainer) which I’ve never had before so that proves I was doing something wrong.

“If I fought him again, I’d definitely stop him and to be honest I feel like if I got my chance against any of the others I think I’d do myself justice. On a different day I could have beaten them.”