Tony Bellew

Tony Bellew, born on November 30, 1982, in Liverpool, England, is a former professional boxer who competed from 2007 to 2018. Nicknamed "Bomber," Bellew held the WBC cruiserweight title from 2016 to 2017 and also competed in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions during his career. At the regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles between 2010 and 2014 and the European cruiserweight title from 2015 to 2016. As an amateur, Bellew was a three-time ABA heavyweight champion. He also gained fame outside of the ring, playing the antagonist boxer Ricky Conlan in the Creed film series.

Bellew began his professional career in 2007 with a second-round TKO victory and steadily climbed the ranks, earning a reputation as a skilled and powerful fighter. After winning the Commonwealth and British titles, he challenged Nathan Cleverly for the WBO light-heavyweight title in 2011 but lost via a majority decision. Bellew later moved up to the cruiserweight division, where he enjoyed his greatest success, winning the WBC title in 2016 by knocking out Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park, a historic win in his hometown of Liverpool.

Bellew's most high-profile fights came at heavyweight, where he fought and defeated David Haye twice in 2017 and 2018 in blockbuster events. After these victories, Bellew returned to cruiserweight for a final bout against Oleksandr Usyk in 2018, challenging for the undisputed cruiserweight championship. Despite a valiant effort, Bellew was knocked out in the eighth round and announced his retirement from boxing shortly after. He finished his career with 30 wins, 20 by knockout, 3 losses, and 1 draw. Since retiring, Bellew has worked as a boxing commentator and analyst while also appearing in reality shows such as SAS: Who Dares Wins and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, where he finished as the runner-up in 2023.