Tony Bellew insists he will retire after Oleksandr Usyk fight because his wife threatened to DIVORCE him if not
Bellew married his childhood sweetheart Rachael and watched Usyk bash up Murat Gassiev on his honeymoon in July
TONY BELLEW insists his November tilt at pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk WILL be his last fight – because his mrs will divorce him if it's not.
Bellew married his childhood sweetheart Rachael this summer and watched Usyk bash up Murat Gassiev on his honeymoon in July.
The Ukrainian added the IBF and WBA titles to his WBO and WBC straps to unify the division against the Russian that night – then called out Bellew.
But he says he risked the wrath of his missus by taking the fight at all and is adamant that this will be the last time he is spotted in the ring.
Bellew said: "If I don't stop after this, she is going to divorce me after four or five months and I don't want that to happen.
“She will be watching this press conference, so I promise, babe, this is MAYBE the last one.
"I do love you dearly as well.
"Eddie [Hearn] rang me and she was sitting with me in the car.
“Eddie is all excited saying 'Tone, Tone!'
“But she just gives me a look which says tell him to f**k off!"
Bellew has been made a 5/1 underdog against Usyk, who has unified the cruiserweight division in just 15 professional fights since ending his glittering amateur career.
But the 35-year-old insists he has the power to inflict the first defeat of Usyk's career.
He said: "Everyone asks why I've taken the fight.
"I was on my honeymoon and I was stood there watching Usyk beat up Gassiev on a mobile phone.
"It ended and we were supposed to be enjoying our night out.
"He then said my name and as soon as that she looked at my face and I knew then.
"I'm going up against the monster, the one no-one wants to fight, he dismantles fighters and beats them easy.
"He's an amazing champion. I'm a fan. He's gong to learn I bring something else. I have a punch which can switch lights off in the blink of an eye.
"I've proved that, Everytime I'm written off, I always find a way.”
Usyk knows all about success in England having won the European amateur championships at light-heavyweight in Bellew's home city of Liverpool in 2008.
Then, four years later, he clinched the 91kg heavyweight gold medal at the London Olympics.
Usyk said: “I'm really happy to come back to the UK, which gave me a chance to win some trophies in my life.
"I'm sure it won't be an easy fight or an easy challenge for me.
"I chose to fight Bellew because he is the man who takes the biggest challenges. Not like the usual boxers who see how hard it is and quits.
“He will go to the end.”