Former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew's diminutive boxing trainer, David Coldwell, is confident his charge wants to fight again.

And he's suggested in an interview with Sky Sports that the Brit's next match-up should be against American Andre Ward.

Ward, 34, the former super-middleweight and light-heavyweight champion retired from the ring to concentrate more upon an acting role as Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler, in the "Rocky" spinoff - Creed. 

Following his win over David Haye, Bellew suggested that he would retire from boxing.

At 35, he still has a possible career ahead of him, but his lack of 'star appeal' and a lack of opponents will make a continuation of his career difficult. It is highly unlikely he'd get another shot at a top payday, let alone a sniff of a title fight, but stranger things have happened in boxing.

Nevertheless, Coldwell believes that a fight against Ward would 'give him the fire' to continue in the sport.

"It's the same sort of thing where everyone thinks that Bellew is going to get smashed," he said.

"That's the motivation right there. The motivation is fighting a pound-for-pound great fighter, an absolute great, phenomenal fighter in Ward, and the motivation of beating somebody like that for you legacy and for what you are walking away from the sport is - it's phenomenal.

"They are the kind of fights that's going to give him the fire, give the motivation. He doesn't have to have an opponent in there that he doesn't like, he just has to have that buzz about the fight."

"I said it straight after the fight, and I said it after the first Haye fight, I would love him to retire. 

"He's had a fantastic career. He's done everything and more than what he ever set out to achieve, but at the same time, he's still improving in the gym.

"He's not on the slide, he's not failing to pull the trigger, he's not showing signs of deterioration in the gym. He's getting better and better each camp at this stage."

Bellew was a reluctant fighter in his rematch with the verbose Haye, and it could have been a low tempo affair marred by a lack of boxing. But in an environment where detractors suggested he should hang up his gloves, Bellew got back in the ring and did the job. Impressively too.

Its been a tumultuous and tragic period for the Merseysider over the last year or so, but he seemed to have put that behind him in defeating Haye. Or drawing on it perhaps.

Bellew can fight and is certainly good enough to go again. He's technically skilled and his ring-craft and 'smarts' are underrated by opponents, but he has punching power and a big heart. 

Coldwell finally added: "I understand that he wants to carry on. I understand that. As long as it's a fight that's going to get the fire burning in his belly, make him want to come to the gym, make him work as hard as he always works hard. As long as it's a fight like that, I get that. I'm happy for him to do so.

"We spoke the other day, and he did say that if that fight had been that hard where it dims and maybe put out the fire, but he says instead it made the flames burn even brighter.

"He definitely wants to fight again, whether it's Ward, whether it's Fury, I don't know."

Whether Bellew continues remains to be seen, and whether the financial rewards and opportunities are worth the effort also is yet to play out. But he's won a few more fans and possibly a few less detractors in recent weeks.