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Tearful Tony Bellew reflects on his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in his final fight
An emotional Tony Bellew reveals what is next after hanging up his gloves

FOLLOWING his eighth-round stoppage loss to undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at Manchester Arena, Tony Bellew has now officially hung up his gloves.

Despite losing his final fight, the Liverpudlian can hold his head high after putting in an impressive performance up until the conclusive ending. In fact, the former WBC cruiser king was ahead on two of the three judges’ scorecards at the time of the finish, with the third judge having things level.

Reflecting on both the Usyk fight and his career as a whole, an emotional Bellew opened up in the post-fight press conference, at one point even being brought to tears when stating how much he owes his parents for their love and support over the years.

After Dave Coldwell described his time coaching Bellew as “the best five years of [his] life”, a grateful Bellew embraced his trainer, before saying the following…

“It feels like I’ve failed. But this is boxing at the highest level, so you can’t always win. I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I just wanted to prove people wrong, which I wasn’t able to do tonight.

“I lost to the best fighter I’ve ever faced in my life. He was awkward. He was intelligent. His little adjustments with his feet eventually got to me. I got tired for the first time in my whole career. No excuses.

“I sit here as a loser tonight, and I’m heartbroken, but I’ve won in life. I’ve done the impossible before. Tonight, I tried to do the unimaginable, but it wasn’t to be.

“I’m not sorry I took him on. When he called my name out [after winning the World Boxing Super Series], I had to take him on. In my mind, I had no choice. Tonight, I wasn’t good enough, but I can live with that. I can accept that.

“I lost to potentially the greatest cruiserweight who’s ever lived. I could never really cop him with the right hand. His feet dictate fights. He’s exceptional. The giants [at heavyweight] may be too much for him [due to their size]. But there isn’t anyone around 6ft 3ins who’s going to beat him.

“My plans now? I want to disappear [from the spotlight]. I want to be normal again.”

BN Verdict – The perfect goodbye for Tony Bellew
Tony Bellew proved again what a tremendous fighter and man he is against Oleksandr Usyk

“I TRIED my best and gave it everything I’d got,” said Tony Bellew after Oleksandr Usyk sent him spraying through the ropes and clinging to consciousness in round eight. “Make sure you clap him, he’s a great fighter. He’s a better fighter than me, he’s the best I ever fought.”

It was a brutal ending yet Bellew – in a way that only Bellew can – decorated that savage conclusion with elegance and honesty. It was the night that “Bomber” finally went full circle. Once the angriest of young men, Bellew exits the sport as a gentleman whose sportsmanship and determination should act as inspiration to all.

We saw the real Tony Bellew so many times over the last few months. We saw him when he accepted the challenge of Usyk, a formidable world cruiserweight champion who almost every neutral observer picked to win. At 35, Bellew – a heavyweight since 2016 – entered a gruelling training camp designed only to shock the world.

As always, Bellew was a reporter’s dream as he put his body through hell in the build-up. Few other fighters in recent years have been as generous with their time, accepting that the media have a job to do, aware also that a few words from him would shift more tickets and pay-per-views. Bellew understands the boxing business. As his canniness in the ring increased so too did his savvy outside the ropes. The career turnaround he orchestrated after losing to Adonis Stevenson in 2013 deserves so much praise.

The reinvention at cruiserweight alongside coach Dave Coldwell, the WBC title won at Goodison Park and the two against the odds victories over David Haye turned Bellew from nearly man to all-conquering hero. But still he wanted to test himself against the best fighter out there.

He spoke honestly about the size of the task he was facing and of his will to win. He was obsessed with victory but always realistic, always respectful of his opponent. And, of course, he spoke about the end of his career. But boxing has been an obsession for Bellew. He will not find it easy to say goodbye. And neither will we, the public he charmed and entertained.

By the time the showdown started, inside an electric Manchester Arena, Bellew looked anything but a fighter who had retirement in mind. He started the bout impressively, taking the fight to Usyk. Looping right hands scored, his excellent jab on target. Problem was, as the Englishman went full pelt and took the lead, Usyk – not once flustered or ragged under fire – was just getting started. Happy to take his time, the Ukrainian, behind some devilish counter lefts, upped the pace in the fifth and took over in rounds six and seven.

The finish in the eighth was brilliant. Usyk’s southpaw left hand was scoring more and more regularly. Bellew was losing his shape and fitness as he tried to keep his rival off him. The final left hand, short and accurate, sent the former WBC champion down in a heap. His eyes rolled as promoter Eddie Hearn, visibly distressed, leapt from his feet and instinctively went to his fighter’s aid. At the last moment he resisted helping “Bomber” to his feet, knowing Bellew would not have thanked him for that. But it was all over. The referee called it off as the proud Scouser, with a snotty stream of blood dribbling from his nose, struggled to his feet.

The day has come for Tony Bellew to walk away from the sport of boxing. There will be moments over the coming weeks and months when he will wonder if he’s doing the right thing by retiring. He must resist the urge to fight one more time when that urge arrives, because it will, it always does. In many ways the loss to Usyk, which came after what might have been Bellew’s best performance, is an even better way to leave the sport than those victories over Haye.

It’s onwards and upwards for Usyk. The heavyweight division has been put on alert, the world will watch what happens next with interest.

For Bellew, a man always adored by his family, his city of Liverpool and now his country too, there really is nothing left to prove.

Eddie Hearn names five potential next opponents for Oleksandr Usyk
But Oleksandr Usyk is more interested in visiting Santa Claus than preparing for another fight

AFTER stopping Tony Bellew in scintillating fashion in the eighth round at Manchester Arena to retain his undisputed cruiserweight crown, Oleksandr Usyk is now looking forward to a well-earned rest.

“I want to go on vacation with my family to the homeland of Santa Claus!” the eccentric and captivating Ukrainian said at the post-fight press conference. “I’ve had a really tough year [with World Boxing Super Series contests against Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev, as well as the Bellew bout]. It’s been the most successful year of my career, but also the most difficult.

“The World Boxing Super Series was both mentally and physically difficult, as there were only short periods between fights, so I was never 100 per cent.”

Despite the conclusiveness of the finishing punch from Usyk against Bellew, the match had been keenly contested up until that point, with the Liverpudlian arguably winning all of the first three rounds. In fact, at the time of the stoppage, one judge had the fight level, while the other two had Bellew in front.

“I had to stay focused in every single round because he is a really dangerous man,” Usyk said of his opponent. “He is a real man – a true warrior.

“I was trying to control myself in the first four rounds – trying to box instead of just fighting.”

Due to his impressive achievements in 2018, promoter Eddie Hearn believes Usyk “undoubtedly” deserves to be named Fighter of the Year. However, this kind of praise doesn’t sit well with the man himself.

“Every day I pray and ask God to give me humility,” Usyk stated. “No matter what I do in life and what I achieve, I just want to think of myself as a normal guy.

“I want to thank Eddie Hearn for allowing me to start my journey in the UK. I think we’re going to have some good times here.”

Much has been written and said about the possibility of Usyk challenging unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua next year. When asked about this subject, Usyk responded: “We need to wait a bit [before talking about this fight]. It’s too early [since fighting Bellew] to be talking about this.”

Nonetheless, Hearn is excited about the potential next steps for Usyk. The Matchroom chief said: “There are so many great fights out there for him. He’s going to be very popular in the British market now [after impressing against Bellew]. Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora are having their rematch in December, and I’d like [Usyk] to be ringside for that. Then there’s Alexander Povetkin, Joseph Parker, Jarrell Miller – all kinds of opportunities.”

Marvelous Marvin Hagler finishes strongly to edge Roberto Duran
Roberto Duran enhances reputation while losing to Marvin Hagler on November 10, 1983, writes Matt Christie

1. THERE was high demand to witness the November 10 1983 world middleweight title showdown between champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler and reigning WBA 154lb king, Roberto Duran. British fans paid £15 or £20 to watch a live broadcast on cinema screens, as Frank Warren in association with Savile Artists presented showings in Leicester Square, Bloomsbury, and Gants Hill.

2. OVER in Las Vegas, 20,000 fans crammed into Caesars Palace to see if Duran, 32, could upset the odds and defeat the increasingly formidable Hagler in what would be the richest fight in middleweight history to that point. Hagler, three years Duran’s junior, enjoyed a two-and-a-half inch height advantage, and outreached the Panamanian by eight-and-a-half inches.

3. PROMOTER Bob Arum, who announced both fighters could make $10million from the bout if it sold well on all avenues, would not have been surprised to see the upset. “Hagler has never fought a guy who moves like Duran moves,” said Arum. “Duran is now very serious and when he’s got his head on straight I think he’s the greatest fighter in the world. I wouldn’t be surprised if he beat Hagler.”

4. BUT Hagler, who was three years into a reign he had long craved, was not about to give up his title easily. “There’s a monster that comes out of me in the ring. I think it goes back to the days when I had nothing. They’re all trying to take something from me that I’ve worked long and hard for, and I like the feeling of being champ.”

5. HAGLER almost lost that feeling. After 13 rounds of the scheduled 15 Duran – cheered on by 2,000 flag bearing Panamanians – was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards. But the American turned it on over the final six minutes, hurting Roberto in the last, to emerge the deserved winner via too-close scores of 144-142, 146-145, and 144-143.

6. AT the final bell, Duran sneered and snorted, and afterwards typically offered no encouragement for the man who had just defeated him. “[Ray] Leonard is a much better fighter and boxer,” he remarked at the press conference – then staged on the morning after the fight. “I want Hagler again. I think I deserve a rematch.”

7. HAGLER concluded the contest with blood pouring down his face. Told that he was blaming the cut on a butt, Duran laughed heartily. “That’s a good one,” he said. “We lost and we aren’t making any excuses. That’s funny.”

8. THE Duran camp could have made excuses, though. His right hand was injured and swollen from the fifth round. It was officially diagnosed as an “aggravated former trauma of the distel aspect of the hand.”

9. GOODY PETRONELLI, one of the Brockton brothers who guided Hagler, said: “If Marvin had put more pressure on in the first 10 rounds it wouldn’t have gone 15.”

10. BUT Hagler, growing tired of the criticisms he was facing despite winning, declared: “If I’d had one more round I could have knocked him out, but all I wanted to do was win, and I did.”

I just have to say, Bellew has nothing to be ashamed of there, what an amazingly brave effort, who would’ve said that by the eight round Bellew could’ve possibly been up on points by out-boxing Usyk.

Amazing effort and smart boxing. Respect to Bellew for doing and giving his best.

He can retire with pride.