Tony Bellew has continued his war of words with David Haye by telling the Londoner to stop fighting ‘crabs’ and step up and fight a credible opponent.
Speaking at a fashion shoot in Manchester, Bellew told Sky Sports News HQ his next outing will be on home turf in Liverpool in October in front of his die-hard fans.
Bellew fulfilled two dreams at once when he brutally stopped Ilunga Makubu to claim the vacant WBC world cruiserweight title in May at his beloved Goodison Park.
His next opponent is yet to be confirmed but Bellew has not given up hope of facing Haye in a domestic blockbuster in Liverpool this autumn.
"Everything's a possibility but I think he needs me," Bellew told Sky Sports News HQ.
"David Haye likes to go on that he's this and that in the rankings but let's get one thing clear - David Haye is back to chase the money, and the money only.
"Him and me is a big money fight, there's no two ways about it, so it's either me and him or him and Joshua, but I don't see how he goes in with Joshua after basically being in with two crabs.
"He's been in with two absolute jokes. One guy he knocked down with a jab and, let's be honest, the two guys he fought I could wipe them both out in the same night within the space of three rounds. It's as simple as that.
"He needs to step up his level of opponent, which to be fair he has by the looks of it with Shannon Briggs.
"But Shannon Briggs, as much as I admire him for the fighter that he was, is old enough to be my granddad so that one also needs knocking on the head in my opinion."
Bellew has also been involved in some recent online jousting with BJ Flores but says the American cruiserweight has only crawled out of the woodwork since his epic WBC title win at Goodison Park.
"Nothing really irritates me that much (about Flores)," Bellew said. "It's just his mouth that keeps running away with itself.
"I like to refer him as the nightclub queen. He's a mouthpiece who has made himself known since I've found my green and gold belt."