By Kurt Ward

Tony Bellew is in confident mood as he prepares for his November 22nd rematch with rival Nathan Cleverly, a fight which he says will not go the distance.  Bellew’s trainer, Dave Coldwell, is in equally confident mood and is also predicting an early night for everyone.

“Trainers always talk crap about how great their fighter is looking but I say it how it is”, said Coldwell when speaking to BoxingScene, “and if I was worried or whatever I'd be a little bit quieter.  But honestly, I am 100% confident in Tony Bellew.

“On paper this is a 50/50 fight but for me it isn’t a 50/50.  I would be very surprised if Tony Bellew doesn’t knock out Nathan Cleverly.”

Bellew’s trainer has done it all in this sport.  He boxed as a professional nineteen times and has also managed, trained and promoted fighters.  Coldwell has known Bellew, 22-2-1 (14), for a long time and sees the other side of the man from Liverpool, the side of him that many fans don’t have access to.

“I've known Tony for years, before he had his first fight, and he was at my wedding.  We've been friends for a long time.  People always come up to me after they've met him and they'll say: 'He's nice, him,' totally surprised because people always see the persona when he's in fight mode.

“Some fighters need that aggression to fight; it doesn’t mean they are like that 24/7.  Tony is an aggressive fighter, but he's got a lot of respect for fighters and for people and he is great to work with.  It's very hard to go in the ring to knock somebody out if you're going in there all nice.  If he was to take his personality outside the ring into the ring, you'd be losing a lot of what makes Tony Bellew as a fighter.”

Coldwell doesn't agree with the view held by some that it is the same fight as the first one which took place in 2011 when both he and Cleverly were light heavyweights.  Bellew lost that fight on a majority decision.

“I get a lot of tweets from people saying: 'It’s the exact same fight (as the first bout), why will this be any different when they are both the same fighters?'  No, they’re not,” argued Coldwell.

“Let’s say your job is working at a computer.  Then drop 30lbs in about eight weeks.  You will feel like sh*t.  You would feel lethargic; have no energy.  You’ll not be happy.  Now, imagine dropping 30lbs, doing runs, doing weight training, punching a bag, and getting punched in the head every day when you spar.  All while you’re dropping 30lbs.  And then getting 24 hours to try and rehydrate and to make yourself feel a little bit better.  Let’s not forget that Tony was a big underdog in the first fight.  He’s more experienced now, smarter and fighting at a weight he is more comfortable at.  It’s not the same fight; it can’t be.  Physically and mentally he’s going in there totally different to the first fight.”

Will Tony keep his cool for the rematch?  Is he playing into Cleverly's hands by being too emotionally involved in this fight?

“Tony knows what will win him this fight but he also knows what can lose him this fight.  He listens to me and we talk a lot.  Nathan is a clever man.  Everyone picks up on Tony's reactions because they are larger than the instigation that Cleverly does.  Look at the first press conference [for the aborted first fight where Bellew couldn't make the weight after being brought in as a late replacement].  What people don't pick up on is Cleverly saying to Tony: 'Come on, I'll take you outside right now'.  Now with Tony's personality, he's not going to back down from nobody.  Everybody focused on Tony's reaction and never heard Cleverly's first line.”

Coldwell's confidence comes across clearly in his voice as he goes on to explain why he is so convinced in his fighter heading into this bitter rematch, with many fans struggling to pick a winner.

“I've trained a lot of fighters and been involved with different fights and there’s only one other fight where I've felt like this and that was when I picked out Jamie Moore for Ryan Rhodes to fight.  They all said Jamie would walk straight through him [Rhodes upset the odds and won by seventh-round stoppage].  I picked that fight.  Normally I am really nervous, but for that fight I was really excited because sometimes you just know your fighter has got the other man.  Sometimes you get it wrong, but for that fight I was right.  And the only time I have felt as confident as that is now.  I'm not talking crap, I'm not just hyping up my fighter.”

Dave Coldwell was speaking on the Nuthouse boxing podcast. Catch it live every Sunday at 8pm GMT/3pm EST http://mixlr.com/the-nuthouse/