Tony Bellew turned down I’m a Celebrity because he ‘wants to disappear’ after Oleksandr Usyk defeat
Former world champion insists he cannot wait to return to normal life and being Anthony Bellew again
TONY BELLEW has revealed he rejected I’m A Celebrity because he “wants to disappear” after retiring from boxing.
The British boxing hero was stopped in the eighth round against undisputed cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk in Manchester on Saturday.
Bellew, 35, instantly reaffirmed his decision to hang up his gloves after the fight – but that has not stopped the offers from coming in from TV bosses.
But the Liverpudlian insists he is not interested in seeking further fame and fortune, and instead he wants to leave Tony Bellew behind forever.
to today, he explained fully his decision to turn down ITV and a stint in the jungle.
Bellew said: “I’m sorry to disappoint you but I’ve already refused. In all honesty, I’m not going to lie, fame isn’t really suited to me and my kind of lifestyle.
“I’m going to try and disappear. I’ve got three or four interviews left to do this week, and this will be one of the final ones, and then I just want to disappear and live a normal life.
“I’ve had a fantastic journey but on Saturday night Tony Bellew died. Tony Bellew is someone who fights in a boxing ring and my name is Anthony Bellew.
FINAL BELL Bellew confirms retirement after eighth-round knockout by Usyk
“I’ve worked 20 years at making Tony Bellew into this monster… it’s over now and I can’t wait to just live a normal life.”
Bellew put up an impressive display against Ukrainian Usyk but admitted he began to tire before he was floored with the decisive shot.
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But he refused to make excuses and instead heaped praise on his conqueror.
Bellew said: “I felt tired, but I definitely felt I was ahead because I was just doing things to him that nobody had done to him before and made him miss. I countered him well, but I just tired.
“I lost to an amazing fighter, I lost to the better man on the night, I couldn’t beat Oleksandr Usyk, that’s the top and bottom of it.
“I didn’t remember much from the sixth round onwards, I remember catching him with a good right hook to the top of his head and his manager came in when we were doing the drug test at the end and said: ‘That’s the hardest he said he’s been hit in the pro game.’
“I just laughed and I said thank you very much. He asked me: ‘Does he punch hard?’
“To be honest he must punch hard because I don’t remember being on the floor.”
And regarding the knockout, Bellew added: “I’ve seen it back now. I haven’t seen the whole fight but I’ve seen it back. I don’t remember hitting the floor, but I’m getting up to carry on fighting.
“That’s just me. You could hit me with a bat and I’d get up to carry on fighting.”