Tony Bellew marked his cruiserweight debut with a late stoppage against Valery Brudov on Saturday, despite having to survive worrying moments in the seventh round.
Fighting before an expectant crowd at Liverpool's Echo Arena, Bellew made a promising start when he floored his Russian opponent in the second and knocked down Brudov again in the sixth.
The former light-heavyweight contender was almost knocked to the canvas himself when he walked into a forceful right hand, but was given a reprieve when his opponent caught him with a low blow, allowing Bellew the chance for a breather.
In the end, the Liverpudlian finished the contest with a strong left hook in the final minute of the bout, which led the referee to step in and call off the fight.
Bellew lost his previous match against light-heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson back in November.
Chris O'Keefe
