Bellew out of Cleverly match as he fails to make check weight

Well, he's out before he was really in. Liverpool's Tony Bellew has been ruled out of a dream match for the WBO light-heavyweight title against champion Nathan Cleverly after he failed to make a check weight.

WBO number 11, Alesky Kuziemski from Poland - who BoxRec News understands had been on stand by in case of such an eventuality - now gets an unexpected shot at the title.

Bellew, who yesterday said he was weighing 181 1/2 lbs, apparently weighed 182lbs (13st) at this evening's BBBoC regulated check, and they have prevented him boxing on safety grounds.

There was an option for Bellew v Cleverly to proceed as a non-title catchweight contest but that was rejected by the show's promoter.