Bellew bows out with honour, now for the quiet life
THE future for the Bomber waited a short drive back down the East Lancs Road. Back to Liverpool from the Manchester Arena where his valiant career met its brutal termination. Back from branding himself as Tony Bellew the working-class hero to being Anthony Bellew the family man next door. ‘Nobody ever called me Tony as a kid,’ he said. ‘Nobody, before I shortened my name to suit the boxing. My father has never called me Tony in my life. My wife only calls me Tony when she’s mad at me. Tony Bellew is dead now. Official. And that old b****** Anthony Bellew is back.’ It was coming up to 2am on a damp Armistice morning as he declared himself ‘at peace’. He was reflecting not only on being knocked out by the formidable Oleksandr Usyk but on a life fought as bravely as he stood up to ‘the greatest boxer I’ve shared a ring with’. ‘I can’t believe this lad who was thrown out of school and did so many bad things has made such an enormous amount of money,’ said the 35-year-old. ‘I can’t believe I’ve made my boys into millionaires. I never dreamed this day would come when I would never have to work again. I sit here before you as a loser on the night but a winner in life.’ As for the manner of his departure, after 34 fights, he said: ‘I never thought I would go out of boxing giving it a real good shot at the elite level.’ Until the final blow, Bellew was producing the purest boxing of his career, obliged to do so by the technical genius of the Ukrainian who had brought all the cruiserweight belts to this first fight for an undisputed world title to take place in a British ring. The Bomber said: ‘Oleksandr is so quick and clever on his feet that I couldn’t force him into a war, so I had to box him. Although a part of me feels like I failed, another part feels I lost while performing at the very highest level. I went for broke in the eighth because I thought I was behind.’ So did I, by three. That is not to disparage Bellew. Rather it reflects the mastery of ringcraft exercised by Usyk. Once the champion found his range, Bellew was eating the southpaw lead with which Usyk set him up for the finish. It came as fatigue set in. Bellew admitted he was tiring, as much mentally as physically given the strain of trying to solve the Ukrainian puzzle. The patient groundwork done, Usyk brought his left into action. The first sent Bellew reeling back in alarm. The second stretched him flat on his back. Sheer instinct dragged him to his knees but the fog was still dense as he groped for the ropes and referee Terry O’Connor called off the count at seven. Bellew gathered his senses to say: ‘He’s the best cruiserweight in the world. Perhaps ever. He might even have beaten Evander Holyfield.’ Usyk is preparing to move up to heavyweight, with a Wembley Stadium challenge for Anthony Joshua’s unified world titles maybe a year away ‘once I put on some more size’. Bellew has other plans. ‘I will go back from being a mouthy Scouser who sells tickets to the quiet person I really am,’ he said. ‘I’ve already changed my mobile number so don’t try calling me. Leave me alone to enjoy my family and me mates.’ Fair enough, Anthony. It’s been a pleasure. Meanwhile, Anthony Crolla is hoping that his points victory over Indonesia’s Daud Yordan will bring him a lightweight world-title shot against Ukraine’s Vasyl Lomachenko. Promoter Eddie Hearn said: ‘Lomachenko’s promoter Bob Arum is keen for him to fight Anthony in the US next year. ‘It would be a very difficult fight for Anthony but it would make him life-settling money.’