British light-heavyweight title holder Tony Bellew has promised Norwich boxer Danny McIntosh will hit the canvas

Tony Bellew has promised only one man will be hitting the canvas when he defends his British light-heavyweight title on April 14 – his Norwich opponent Danny McIntosh.

Liverpool fighter Bellew will be looking to bounce back from the first defeat of his 17-fight professional career in a hard-fought WBO world title fight against Welshman Nathan Cleverly in October.

He will face a tough foe in Norwich-based McIntosh (13-2), who held the European title in the same weight category after upsetting Frenchman Thierry Karl in January of last year, although he subsequently lost the belt to Germany's Eduard Gutknecht.

McIntosh anticipates an exciting show for the Echo Arena crowd, and said: 'It'll be a great fight, both fighters could end up on the floor at least once.'

That assessment did not wash with hometown fighter Bellew, who was quick to disagree.

'I won't be going to the canvas at all,' he said. 'I'll be the one bombing away at Danny.'

The Cleverly bout was scored as a draw by one judge, Terry O'Connor, and though the Welshman was given the verdict on the other two cards, Bellew feels that showing proved him to be a class above his next opponent.

'I feel I'm at world level now,' he said. 'Nathan Cleverly is a world-class fighter and in a lot of people's eyes I beat Cleverly, and I showed a lot of good tools that people maybe didn't expect.

'Danny's a good European-level fighter but I feel I'm a world-class fighter.'

Promoter David Coldwell said: 'It's a pleasure to put on a big show like this for Liverpool, Tony Bellew is now one of the game's biggest names.

'He has been pushed to the forefront of British boxing after his fight with Nathan Cleverly and is defending his British title against a very dangerous opponent.'