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Anthony Lewis Bellew (born 30 November 1982) is an English former professional boxer who competed from 2007 to 2018, and has since worked as a boxing analyst and commentator. He held the WBC cruiserweight title from 2016 to 2017. At regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles between 2010 and 2014, the European cruiserweight title from 2015 to 2016. As an Amateur boxing, he is a three-time England Boxing heavyweight champion. He portrayed antagonist boxer Ricky Conlan in the films Creed and Creed III.
In 2008 Bellew defeated Paul Bonson, Ayitey Powers, Hastings Rasani, Jevgēņijs Andrejevs, and Phil Goodwin to take his record up to 8–0. During 2009 he advanced to an unbeaten 12–0 with further wins against Matthew Ellis, Nick Okoth, Jindrich Velecky, and Martial Bella Oleme.
On 18 May 2011 it was announced that Bellew would challenge Nathan Cleverly for the WBO light-heavyweight title following a pullout from Cleverly's scheduled opponent Jürgen Brähmer with the fight due to be held only three days later on 21 May 2011. Bellew however, failed to make the weight and was replaced with Aleksy Kuziemski. On 16 July 2011 Bellew made the third defence of his Commonwealth title and also won the vacant British title with a repeat victory over Ovill McKenzie, with the bout this time lasting the full twelve rounds.
After losing to Cleverly, Bellew took on Danny McIntosh for the vacant British light-heavyweight title, knocking McIntosh out in the fifth round. Next he took on former world title challenger Edison Miranda for the WBC International title, and stopped Miranda in the ninth round.
In 2015, Bellew fought two lower ranked opponents, defeating Ivica Bačurin via tenth-round TKO and Artūrs Kuļikauskis via fifth-round TKO.
After an even first round, the second round produced more action as Bellew hit Flores with a low blow. The referee did not see this as below the belt, however, Flores stopped for a few seconds to motion the referee that he had been hit with a low blow. Whilst doing so, Bellew piled on more pressure, eventually knocking Flores down. Bellew knocked Flores down a further two times in round two, securing a 10–6 round in his favour. After a fourth knockdown in round three, Flores failed to beat the referee's count, the referee declaring Bellew the winner via KO and Bellew making a first successful defence of his WBC title. Following the win, Bellew called out former Cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion David Haye, who was ringside, repeating that he was next. Referring to Haye as 'SpongeBob', Bellew carried on the verbal assault in the post-fight interview using profanity and taunting Haye, stating he has been 'conning the British public' since he announced his comeback. Eddie Hearn claimed the fight could take place at heavyweight or at cruiserweight for Bellew's WBC title.
At the first press conference on 30 November, a fight broke out as Bellew and Haye went face to face and it appeared on the replay, Haye had managed to land a left hook on Bellew, leaving a mark. Both fighters were then separated before going their ways. On 3 March 2017, Haye weighed 224.9 lbs, heavier than Bellew who came in at 213 lbs, a career high. The bout started as a stalemate until the sixth round, where Haye injured his ankle and fell twice. Bellew then took control of the fight as Haye opted to continue. Bellew knocked Haye down and out of the ropes late in the eleventh round. Haye managed to make it to his feet, but his trainer Shane McGuigan threw in the towel, giving Bellew a TKO win. Bellew credited Haye for his bravery, while Haye refused to blame his injury and stated that Bellew was "by far the better fighter", though stated that he wanted a rematch. Bellew contemplated retiring after claiming he had done it all. He also revealed he broke his hand in the early rounds. At the time of stoppage, Bellew led on all three scorecards 96–93. With a 60–40 split of the £7 million purse, Haye earned £4.2 million while Bellew earned £2.8 million, his biggest purse by far. It was reported that the fight generated 890,000 buys on Sky Box Office PPV.
On 14 March, Hearn said that Bellew would fight again in 2017, a day later, he told Sky Sports that Bellew may need surgery on his broken hand which could see him out of action for up to five months. On 28 March, the WBC changed Bellew's world championship status to Emeritus champion. This also meant the winner between Marco Huck and Mairis Briedis on 1 April would become new world champion and not interim, as it was initially announced. The bout was won by Briedis, thus making him the new WBC champion. In June 2017, Bellew stated that he would next fight in either November or December 2017. He had three potential names to consider, those being WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and a rematch with Haye. Parker was his main interest.
In July 2017, Bellew admitted that a potential fight with widely regarded pound for pound number one fighter and unified light-heavyweight champion Andre Ward was of interest and the teams of the respective fighters were currently in negotiations. On 3 August, Hearn stated a rematch between Bellew and Haye was 'virtually dead', due to both fighters believing they are the A-side and have the right to demand ring walks, poster, changing rooms and split of purse. On 6 September, Hearn stated a deal could be made within seven days. According to trainer David Coldwell, both Haye and Bellew had held positive talks and looking more likely to agree to a fight, as long they stay on the same page and agree to the same terms. On 19 September, Haye agreed all the terms and tweeted Bellew to sign the contract. He said, "It's taken months of negotiating but teams have finally agreed all terms for Haye-Bellew 2. Will Bellew put pen to paper?" The fight was reported to take place on Sunday 17 December 2017. Promoter Eddie Hearn stated the fight was not a done deal, but he had hoped to confirm the fight within a week. Bellew replied the following day, tweeting, "I OBLIGE YOU @mrdavidhaye , happy? Now leave me alone with my family please. I'll see you soon enough!" The fight was officially confirmed on 29 September for the fight to take place at The O2 Arena in London. Bellew claimed the rematch wasn't personal any more, just business and hoping to dedicate a win to his late brother-in-law, who had died in August. Haye stated that Bellew wouldn't win the lottery twice. Like the first fight, it was scheduled to be shown live on Sky Box Office.
On 20 November, it was reported that Haye had injured his arm and forced to pull out of the fight. In a statement, Haye said, "I am devastated to announce my much-anticipated rematch against Tony Bellew has been postponed until 24 March or 5 May, subject to scheduling. It was believed that the injury occurred during a stair conditioning session." Bellew was said to be disappointed with Haye's announcement, but stated he may take an interim bout. Hours after the cancellation was confirmed, Tyson Fury released a video on social media calling out Bellew. In the video, he said, "I'll be ready, willing and waiting to fight Tony Bellew, May 5, O2 Arena, London." Dillian Whyte tweeted Hearn about taking Haye's place and then called Bellew a coward for declining the fight. Speaking about a potential Fury fight, trainer Dave Coldwell said, "That's not a fight I would entertain whatsoever. Fury is big, long and very, very clever in that ring. There's no way that I'd be interested in that fight." Fury himself denigrated Bellew and his corner stating that: "They are not good enough to tie my shoelaces. They're not good enough to hold my jock strap."Boxing Scene. "Tyson Fury: Bellew Not Good Enough To Hold My Jock Strap". 6 Dec. 2017. [3] The fight was rescheduled for 5 May 2018. Haye weighed 220.2 lbs, 4 lbs lighter than the first fight. Bellew also came in lighter 210.4 lbs.
Bellew knocked Haye down three times, eventually winning the fight via TKO in round five. Haye started the opening two rounds using his jab, leaving a mark around Bellew's right eye. As round three began, both boxers started getting closer and unloading power shots. As Haye started to step backwards around the ring, Bellew landed clean, dropping Haye. At this point it appeared Haye may have injured his ankle, with the Sky Sports commentary team mentioning this, as well as the post-fight interviewer. Haye later denied he was injured. Bellew then dropped Haye again with a hard combination. Bellew came out cautiously in round four, still wary of Haye's power. In round five, both traded punches, but it was a left hook from Bellew that dropped Haye a third time. Haye managed to beat the count again, not long before Bellew started unloading a barrage of punches. With Haye against the ropes, referee Howard Foster stepped in at 2 minutes 14 seconds, giving Bellew his second stoppage win over Haye. Immediately after the fight Haye congratulated Bellew on the win. Bellew went on to dedicate the win to Ashley, his brother-in-law, who had died in August 2017. He also mentioned Andre Ward, who his team had brief negotiations with in 2017. Haye stated he would review the tapes and see what went wrong. According to CompuBox stats, Haye landed 42 of 189 punches thrown (22%), only 6 being power punches and Bellew landed 70 of his 219 thrown (32%), with 34 being power punches. Both boxers earned a minimum purse of £2.5 million for the fight, which would increase based on TV revenue and PPV shares.
On fight night, Usyk, who is usually a slow starter, eventually took full control of the bout and stopped Bellew in round eight to retain all the cruiserweight belts. The official time of the stoppage was at 2 minutes of round eight. There was very little action in round one as both boxers showed each other respect. Due to the lack of action, the crowd began to boo towards the end of the round. Overall, Usyk landed just three jabs and Bellew landed one power shot. Round two was similar, however Bellew stepped on the gas and landed some clean shots along with some showboating. Bellew took control in round three, landing two straight right hands. Usyk began using his jab more and after landing an overhand left, Bellew was left slightly shaken. By the end of round four, Bellew was backed up against the ropes and looked to tire. Bellew aimed most of his shots to Usyk's body and by round seven, was missing a lot of shots, mostly due to Usyk's foot movement, and ended the round with a bloodied nose. In round eight, whilst in a neutral corner, Usyk landed a hard left, again buzzing Bellew, forcing him to move away against the ropes. Another left hand wobbled Bellew before Usyk finished him off with another left which dropped Bellew backwards with his head landing on the bottom rope. A brave Bellew tried to get up slowly and beat the count but referee Terry O'Connor stopped the fight. Bellew's ten-fight winning streak came to an end. Judges Alejandro Cid and Steve Gray scored the first seven rounds 68–65 and 67–66 respectively in favour of Bellew, while Yury Koptsev had the fight 67–67.
Afterwards, Bellew paid tribute to Usyk and announced his retirement from boxing, saying, "I have been doing this for 20 years, and it is over." Usyk stated 2018 was the most difficult year of his career, but most successful. "We need to put goals in front of us and move towards them," Usyk later stated. There was a small concern during Bellew's post-fight interview as many felt he was clearly concussed. According to CompuBox stats, Usyk landed 112 of his 424 punches thrown (26%) and Bellew landed 61 of his 268 thrown (23%). Both landed 47 power shots each.
In 2021, Tony Bellew joined the UK commentary team for DAZN, contributing to their UK boxing coverage and schedule.
In 2023, Bellew was a contestant in the 23rd series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, entering as a late arrival alongside jockey Frankie Dettori where he finished runner-up to Sam Thompson.
| 34 | Loss | Oleksandr Usyk | KO | 8 (12), | 10 Nov 2018 | |||
| 33 | Win | 30–2–1 | David Haye | TKO | 5 (12), | 5 May 2018 | ||
| 32 | Win | 29–2–1 | David Haye | TKO | 11 (12), | 4 Mar 2017 | ||
| 31 | Win | 28–2–1 | BJ Flores | KO | 3 (12), | 15 Oct 2016 | ||
| 30 | Win | 27–2–1 | Ilunga Makabu | KO | 3 (12), | 29 May 2016 | ||
| 29 | Win | 26–2–1 | Mateusz Masternak | UD | 12 | 12 Dec 2015 | ||
| 28 | Win | 25–2–1 | Artūrs Kuļikauskis | TKO | 5 (8), | 5 Sep 2015 | ||
| 27 | Win | 24–2–1 | Ivica Bačurin | TKO | 10 (10), | 26 Jun 2015 | ||
| 26 | Win | 23–2–1 | Nathan Cleverly | 12 | 22 Nov 2014 | |||
| 25 | Win | 22–2–1 | Julio Cesar Dos Santos | TKO | 5 (12), | 12 Jul 2014 | ||
| 24 | Win | 21–2–1 | Valery Brudov | KO | 12 (12), | 15 Mar 2014 | ||
| 23 | Loss | 20–2–1 | Adonis Stevenson | TKO | 6 (12), | 30 Nov 2013 | ||
| 22 | Win | 20–1–1 | Isaac Chilemba | UD | 12 | 25 May 2013 | ||
| 21 | Draw | 19–1–1 | Isaac Chilemba | 12 | 30 Mar 2013 | |||
| 20 | Win | 19–1 | Roberto Bolonti | UD | 12 | 17 Nov 2012 | ||
| 19 | Win | 18–1 | Edison Miranda | TKO | 9 (12), | 8 Sep 2012 | ||
| 18 | Win | 17–1 | Danny McIntosh | KO | 5 (12), | 27 Apr 2012 | ||
| 17 | Loss | 16–1 | Nathan Cleverly | 12 | 15 Oct 2011 | |||
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Ovill McKenzie | UD | 12 | 16 Jul 2011 | ||
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Ovill McKenzie | TKO | 8 (12), | 11 Dec 2010 | ||
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Bob Ajisafe | 12 | 24 Sep 2010 | |||
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Atoli Moore | TKO | 1 (12), | 12 Mar 2010 | ||
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Martial Bella Oleme | PTS | 6 | 5 Dec 2009 | ||
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Jindrich Velecky | TKO | 1 (8), | 30 Oct 2009 | ||
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Nick Okoth | TKO | 3 (8) | 18 Sep 2009 | ||
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Mathew Ellis | TKO | 4 (6), | 15 May 2009 | ||
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Phil Goodwin | KO | 2 (4), | 12 Dec 2008 | ||
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Jevgēņijs Andrejevs | PTS | 4 | 10 Oct 2008 | ||
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Hastings Rasani | TKO | 1 (4), | 6 Sep 2008 | ||
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Ayitey Powers | PTS | 4 | 10 Jul 2008 | ||
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Paul Bonson | 4 | 5 Apr 2008 | |||
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Wayne Brooks | 3 (4), | 8 Dec 2007 | |||
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Adam Wilcox | TKO | 3 (4), | 3 Nov 2007 | ||
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Jamie Ambler | 2 (4), | 6 Oct 2007 |
| 2015 | Creed | "Pretty" Ricky Conlan | |
| 2020 | Contestant | ||
| 2023 | Creed III | "Pretty" Ricky Conlan | |
| 2023 | I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | Contestant; Series 23 | Runner up |
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