BLESS THIS SCOUSE
Emotional Bellew driven to rematch victory by the death of his beloved brother-in-law Ashley and insists family comes before glory
THERE was one £3,000 ringside seat empty on Saturday night but to Tony Bellew it was filled by the most important person in London’s O2.
Bellew had asked for that space to be left vacant in tribute to his fiancée Rachael’s brother Ashley Roberts.
Ashley died in an accident while on holiday in Mexico last August, devastating their close family, and Bellew says he could feel his spirit roaring him on from ringside.
He wore his name on the front of his shorts and fought back the tears as he dedicated his five-round stoppage over David Haye to him.
“Emotionally, I haven’t really been there this camp,” said an upset Bellew. “Emotionally it’s been one of the worst camps.
“I’ve been in a hotel room at night this week, I’m on my jack and you cry yourself to sleep because your missus is gone and you can’t do it in front of her because of my brother-in-law.
“The family is broken. Tonight I had his dad sitting there. I left an empty seat at ringside and they’re not cheap. I just left it for him and I know he was there. I dedicate this fight to Ash.
“I know he’s watching me and he’s smiling at me and laughing at me. He’s getting ready for the Champions League final, the Kopite git!”
Despite being granite-tough, Bellew is as soft as caramel inside and he admitted he has struggled greatly to come to terms with Ashley’s death.
Boxing is his release and he took out his anger, pain, frustration – and every other emotion he has felt – on a hapless Haye by giving him the biggest beating of his career.
“It’s been a disastrous eight months,” said the Liverpudlian. “I can’t even put it into words. But it all makes sense when I get in a boxing ring. I just like fighting.
“I was hoping for a war and that he would beat the fight out of me. But all he’s done is just made the fire even worse, he’s just added to the flames. I want to punch everything and fight the world.”
Bellew settled for just Haye on Saturday night when, after an even opening two rounds, he took control in devastating fashion in the third.
Bellew’s strategy was perfect and he knew Haye would start swinging in an attempt to use his power to take him out. He evaded one attack and countered faster than Ash’s beloved Liverpool as he floored Haye with a big right.
Haye got up, only to go down in the corner under another right, which caught him sweet on the chin.
Bellew (being congratulated by promoter Eddie Hearn, below) wanted Haye to quit, but the two-weight world champ showed huge heart, just as he had done in his first defeat a year ago, to carry on.
Haye swung ever more desperately and Bellew countered with a swinging left hook in the fifth, which flattened him again. He bravely got up again, but referee Howard Foster rightly called it off two minutes and 14 seconds into the fifth.
All the bitterness of the last 18 months was forgotten as the pair embraced and Bellew urged Haye to quit. “My first words when we hugged were ‘please stop’,” he said.
At 35, Bellew just keeps getting better, although he admitted he will need to persuade Rachael, whom he is finally due to marry in July, to let him carry on.
She jetted back into Britain yesterday with their kids after he had sent them away for fight week.
“I won’t go on too long, but I ain’t stopping now,” he said.
“Just let me get past 1.30 on Sunday when her flight touches down and then I’ll try to talk her round.”