Tony Bellew facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Bellew
Bellew in 2020
Statistics
Real name	Anthony Lewis Bellew
Nickname(s)	Bomber
Rated at	Light-heavyweight Cruiserweight Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 3 in
Reach	74 in
Born	(1982-11-30) 30 November 1982 (age 42) Liverpool, England
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	34
Wins	30
Wins by KO	20
Losses	3
Draws	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing English National Championships Gold 2004 London Heavyweight Gold 2005 London Heavyweight Gold 2006 London Heavyweight Silver 2007 London Heavyweight

Anthony Lewis Bellew (born 30 November 1982) is an English former professional boxer. He competed from 2007 to 2018. After retiring, he became a boxing analyst and commentator.

Bellew held the WBC cruiserweight title from 2016 to 2017. He also won the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles. He was also the European cruiserweight champion. As an amateur, he won the ABA heavyweight championship three times.

You might also know him from the Creed movies. He played the boxer Ricky Conlan in Creed and Creed III.

Early Life

Anthony Lewis Bellew was born in Toxteth, Liverpool, England. His birthday is 30 November 1982. He lived on Mulgrave Street before moving to Smithdown Road in Wavertree.

Professional Boxing Career

Tony Bellew had a successful career in professional boxing. He fought in three different weight classes: light-heavyweight, cruiserweight, and heavyweight.

Starting Out as a Light-Heavyweight

Early Fights

Bellew started his professional boxing career on 6 October 2007. He won his first fight by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the second round. He continued to win all his fights in 2007 and 2008, building a strong record of 8 wins and no losses. By 2009, he was still unbeaten with 12 wins.

Becoming Commonwealth Champion

On 12 March 2010, Bellew fought for the vacant Commonwealth light-heavyweight title. He won the title at the Echo Arena in Liverpool. He successfully defended his title twice. In one tough fight, he beat Ovill McKenzie even after being knocked down twice himself.

In July 2011, Bellew defended his Commonwealth title again. He also won the vacant British title by beating Ovill McKenzie for a second time.

Rivalry with Nathan Cleverly

Bellew had a big rivalry with fellow boxer Nathan Cleverly. They first fought on 15 October 2011 for the WBO light-heavyweight title. Cleverly won the fight by a majority decision. This meant two judges thought Cleverly won, and one judge thought it was a draw.

After this loss, Bellew bounced back. He won the British light-heavyweight title again by knocking out Danny McIntosh. He also beat former world title challenger Edison Miranda.

Fights Against Isaac Chilemba

In 2013, Bellew fought Isaac Chilemba in an important fight. The first match ended in a controversial draw. They had a rematch, and Bellew won that fight by a unanimous decision after 12 rounds. This win brought him closer to another world title shot.

Challenging for a World Title

After beating Chilemba, Bellew became the mandatory challenger for the WBC light-heavyweight title. He fought Adonis Stevenson for the title on 30 November 2013. Stevenson won the fight by TKO in the sixth round. This was Bellew's first professional loss by knockout. After this fight, Bellew thought about moving up to the cruiserweight division.

Moving to Cruiserweight

Bellew made his debut as a cruiserweight on 15 March 2014. He won the vacant WBO International cruiserweight title by knocking out Valery Brudov in the twelfth round. He defended this title successfully against Julio Cesar Dos Santos.

Rematch with Nathan Cleverly

On 22 November 2014, Bellew had his highly anticipated rematch with Nathan Cleverly. This time, they fought as cruiserweights. The fight went all 12 rounds, and Bellew won by a split decision. This meant two judges scored it for Bellew, and one for Cleverly. After the fight, Bellew said he was happy the rivalry was over.

Becoming European Champion

On 12 December 2015, Bellew fought Mateusz Masternak for the vacant European cruiserweight title. It was a close fight, but Bellew won by unanimous decision, becoming the European champion.

Winning a World Title

On 29 May 2016, Tony Bellew fought Ilunga Makabu for the vacant WBC cruiserweight title. The fight took place at Goodison Park in Liverpool, which is the home stadium of his favorite football team, Everton. Bellew was knocked down in the first round, but he recovered and knocked out Makabu in the third round. This was a huge moment for Bellew, as he won his first world title.

Defending His Title

Bellew made his first defense of the WBC cruiserweight title on 15 October 2016. He fought BJ Flores and won by knockout in the third round. After the fight, Bellew famously challenged former world champion David Haye to a fight.

Moving to Heavyweight

Big Fights Against David Haye

On 4 March 2017, Tony Bellew fought David Haye in a highly anticipated heavyweight bout. Since it was at heavyweight, Bellew's cruiserweight title was not on the line. The fight was intense, and Haye injured his ankle during the fight. Bellew took control and knocked Haye down in the eleventh round. Haye's trainer then stopped the fight, giving Bellew a TKO win. Bellew said he broke his hand early in the fight.

After this big win, Bellew became an "Emeritus champion" in the WBC cruiserweight division. This meant he could fight for the title again if he chose to return to that weight class.

A rematch between Bellew and Haye was set for 5 May 2018. Bellew again won by TKO, this time in the fifth round. He knocked Haye down three times in the fight. Bellew dedicated this win to his late brother-in-law.

Return to Cruiserweight and Retirement

Final Fight Against Oleksandr Usyk

On 21 July 2018, Oleksandr Usyk became the undisputed cruiserweight world champion. He challenged Bellew to a fight. Bellew accepted, saying it would be his last professional fight. The fight took place on 10 November 2018, at the Manchester Arena.

Usyk won the fight by stopping Bellew in the eighth round. Bellew fought bravely, but Usyk's skill was too much.

Retirement

After his defeat to Usyk, Tony Bellew announced his retirement from boxing. He finished his career with 30 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. All three of his losses were against reigning world champions.

Bellew said he wanted a "normal life" and that his body could no longer handle the demands of boxing. He officially confirmed his retirement on 22 November 2018.

Since retiring, Tony Bellew has worked as a boxing commentator for DAZN. In 2020, he appeared on the TV show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. In 2023, he was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, where he finished as the runner-up.

Personal Life

Tony Bellew is married to Rachael, and they have four sons. He is a huge fan of his hometown football team, Everton F.C.. He often entered the boxing ring to the "Theme from Z-Cars", which is the same song Everton uses when their team enters the pitch.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Bellew in 2020

See also

In Spanish: Tony Bellew para niños