Thursday 26 May 2016 07:49, UK
The calmer Tony Bellew is before his big night on Sunday, the more he'll have to give in the ring, says Glenn McCrory...
It's a big one. It's at his beloved Goodison Park and I think that will help him a lot. When I cast my mind back all those years to when I won the world title at home, I remember feeling that I just couldn't let them down. You have to give everything you possibly can.
If ever there was a stage built for Tony Bellew to win a world title, it's this one.
I've criticised Bellew in the past for spending too much energy in the build-up to fights by being angry and talking a lot, so it's good we've seen him in relatively calm mood. He's got to conserve all his energy for the fight and that involves staying as cool as possible ahead of it.
If he doesn't let anything get to him, then he can let it all come out on the night - every reason he's ever had to be upset or angry can be brought out on the fight itself. It's about channelling those emotions.
I think they're expecting somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 and Makabu won't have experienced an atmosphere like that.
I don't know a great deal about Ilunga Makabu. I know he's undefeated and boasts a pretty impressive knockout record. He's shorter and stockier than Bellew and he comes with quite a reputation as a banger.
There are two schools of thought when you see a fighter like Makabu arrive for a big fight. One is that he's got a blown-up record and isn't as good as it suggests. The other is that the reason they lack big names on their record is that they're in the 'avoided' club.
Patrick Lumumba was the same when I fought him. He'd only had 10 fights in five years but it was because nobody wanted to fight him. I kind of have the worrying thought that Makabu will fall into that latter category as well and that's how Eddie Hearn has managed to arrange the fight.
Bellew has had his opportunities in the past and they're running out. He had his opportunity at light-heavyweight and now he's got one up at cruiserweight, where he says he feels more comfortable. I think he's going to have to be careful in his work and show some good boxing but I think it's a fight he has the capability of winning.
Makabu hasn't been tested before. Is he what they say he is? I don't think he'll quite be ready for the noise that awaits him. It's a big old stage. I think they're expecting somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 and Makabu won't have experienced an atmosphere like that. It'll be intimidating for him.
Elsewhere on the card, we see the return of David Price and it'll be intriguing to see how he looks even though the opposition isn't going to be the toughest.
I like Price and there was a time it looked like it was all happening for him. I feel sorry for him that it appears to have gone the other way in recent times and hopefully he can get a few wins together, get his confidence back and his chin will hold out when he steps up in level.
We'll also see three of the four Smith brothers on show in front of their fellow Liverpudlians. Liverpool has been great recently turning out fighters like that and it's great they're putting on a big show like this at Goodison Park so the local boys can show off their skills in front of the whole city.
What a fantastic bunch of brothers they are. With Paul, Callum and Stephen all in action on the night, it's like a gala night for their family and they can show everyone what they're capable of.
Bellew v Makabu headlines a huge night of boxing in Liverpool on Sunday from 6.30pm on Sky Sports 1 - closing out a boxing Bank Holiday weekend that also sees Ricky Burns chasing history on Saturday from 8pm (also on Sky Sports 1).
