Top-ranked contenders Tony Bellew and Isaac Chilemba fought their way to a draw in a twelve-round WBC light heavyweight eliminator at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

It was a fight of two halves as Bellew, rated No. 10 by THE RING at 175 pounds, got off to a fast start, imposing his aggression on No. 7-rated Chilemba with some extremely powerful attacks as the visitor ducked for cover. However, Chilemba avoided the worst of it, waited for the storm to pass and fought his way back into the contest in earnest.

Bellew 19-1-1 (12 knockouts) scored well with solid jabs that drew blood from his opponent’s nose in the opening moments and it initially looked like it could be a quick night for the British star. Chilemba 20-1-2 (9 KOs) appeared intimidated and offered little as he backed off in a hurry.

The Brit seemed to have a psychological edge and his home support erupted when he let his hands go but gradually the pace slowed and Chilemba began releasing sneaky counter punches, many of which caught Bellew, who looked on in frustration and anger.

Chilemba earned Bellew’s respect as the bout progressed and began leading with crisp right leads. The change in momentum seemed to distract Bellew, who neglected his jab and began backing off with a look of uncertainty.

The Liverpool star came back to life in the sixth and landed his jab with accuracy but Chilemba was not making up the numbers and landed a terrific right hand which drew derision from the home support before Bellew returned fire with an equally concussive shot.

Chilemba barely blinked.

Bellew, sensing that the fight was slipping away, opened up in the ninth after being tagged and beckoned Chilemba to exchange. It was difficult to separate the combatants and they were literally trading blow for blow as the bout neared the closing stages.

Bellew went on the back foot again in the tenth but, although a rare occurrence, his jab re-appeared and landed nicely throughout the session. Both men dug deep in the final two rounds and this reporter had Bellew a 115-114 winner at the end of an intriguing duel.

One judge had Chilemba winning 116-112 (eight rounds to four) in a tally which was uncomfortably wide for most at ringside. The 116-115 score for Bellew along with the 114-114 result was an accurate representation of a razor close contest.

The home support seemed shocked but many within the trade had predicted a very tough night’s work forthe Brit. Chilemba had only lost once in an eight-year career, to oneWillbeforce Shihepo, and he avenged that defeat in an immediate rematch.