Tony Bellew knows exactly what Josh Taylor is feeling this week. The darling of Scottish boxing takes on Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas on Saturday night with the opportunity to leave the ring with all four major world titles at 140lbs.
Taylor is the third Brit to attempt this feat following Howard Eastman and Bellew, and the Liverpool man believes Taylor can go one better than him.
Bellew took on Oleksandr Usyk in 2018 for all the marbles at cruiserweight and following a spirited start against the Ukranian, he was stopped in round number eight.
It was a result that brought down the curtain on Bellew’s illustrious career following memorable displays in three weight classes. Now a respected pundit on the sport and a bestselling author, Bellew continues to monitor the sport closely and he’s giving all his best wishes to Taylor this weekend.
“I hope he does it and believe he will do it,” said Bellew in an exclusive interview to DAZN. “Where he is now, fighting for all four world titles, that’s the absolute pinnacle of boxing and I hope he realises just what he’s accomplished by getting this far.
“After I’d defeated David Haye up at heavyweight, I had plenty of options, but the opportunity to fight for all four world title belts was something I couldn’t ignore.
"It was a very proud moment for me and having that chance was very special because it means you are so close to being the absolute best without any dispute whatsoever.”
Bellew continued: “Unfortunately, I came up against one of the modern greats in Usyk. A fighter who was better than me but I had to see how good I could be.
"I knew I was a good fighter on my day because I had some good times, but the chance to be great and hold all the belts motivated me massively and I think it’ll be same for Josh.”
In Ramirez, Taylor faces a heavy-handed Californian who has climbed the rankings in devastating fashion. With other unification battles grabbing the headlines this week for failing to get over the line, Taylor and Ramirez have had no such problems as they prepare to give their all.
Bellew is a huge fan of the fight but he believes Taylor will know too much.
“They’re both top fighters," he said. "You don’t get to this level with everything on the line if you don’t know what you’re doing.
"I like them both but I just think that Taylor is that little bit more complete. He’s knuckled down since joining the pro ranks and he seems to be getting better every fight. This is his big moment and I think he’ll grab it with both hands.”
Bellew's new book, "Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Face: 12 Things Boxing Teaches You About Life", can be bought here.