Tony Bellew has suggested that he would have no issue with making the step up to heavyweight in order to secure a high-profile showdown with David Haye.
On Sunday night, Bellew won the WBC cruiserweight belt with a third-round stoppage of Ilunga Makabu but he wasted no time in calling out Haye, who has previously held world titles at both 200lbs and heavyweight.
Haye responded to the taunts by saying that he would be happy to meet Bellew after facing Shannon Briggs in September, and the Liverpudlian appears to have given the green light to meeting his fellow Brit at his desired weight class.
The 33-year-old told Sky Sports News: "If he wants to get down and train properly, he could do cruiserweight but he's happy living the lifestyle he lives and parading around and if that's the way he wants to do it, we can do it at heavyweight. It's not an issue. I'll leave him to weigh whatever he wants.
"He's a small heavyweight. We're not talking about Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder or David Price here. We're talking about me going in with a dwarf heavyweight - someone who's a built-up cruiserweight. He's a manufactured heavyweight and not a true heavyweight. Anything over 16st and he's slower anyway."
Bellew is currently obligated to face Grigory Drozd in his next fight after the Russian vacated the WBC crown earlier this year due to an injury.
Darren Plant
