Tony Bellew battles to win over Mateusz Masternak

Tony Bellew came out on top in a tight encounter with Mateusz Masternak to claim the European cruiserweight title at The O2 Arena.

Bellew looked reluctant to take too many risks for much of the bout, and his approach proved to be key as he held off a determined Masternak to earn a 115-113, 115-112, 115-112 unanimous decision.

Masternak's frustrations were clear in the early rounds as the Pole struggled, before he caught Bellew with a big shot to the eye to keep the pressure on his rival throughout the middle rounds.

Despite the response, Bellew managed the fight well to come out on top in a frantic final few rounds as his opponent failed to land the big shot he required to swing the bout back in his favour.

Bellew came close to stopping the bout during the final minute before Masternak made it to the final bell, and it was a round that proved key as the Liverpudlian put himself in line for a world title shot in 2016.