Oleksandr Usyk could have “killed” one of his former opponents had it not been for one key intervention.
The undefeated world champion defended his IBF, WBC, and WBO World Cruiserweight belts against Tony Bellew in the Manchester Arena in 2018, in a huge bout against a former world champion.
However, Bellew was clearly outclassed in the fight, being floored with a five-punch combination in the eighth round to end his night with a defeat.
The Englishman actually made it to his feet before the ten count, but the referee called off the fight and potentially saved Bellew’s life against Oleksandr Usyk.
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Tony Bellew claimed the referee saved his life during his fight with Oleksandr Usyk
After being dominated for the first seven rounds, the referee called off the fight in the eighth despite Bellew answering his ten count, following a knockdown.
While he was frustrated at the time, in the years since, Bellew has admitted that the referee stepping in to stop the bout could have stopped him from being killed by Usyk, had the fight gone on any longer.
Bellew was a contestant on “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here” in 2023, which is where the boxer recalled how the referee saved his life against Usyk during the fight.
He told his fellow campmates: “Thank God the ref didn’t let me [continue] because he would have killed me. The ref literally saved my life.
“Next shot probably puts me away for good. So, boxing at the highest level in the professional business is brutal.
“My priority was to make it home safe. After that, it was win at all costs.”
Thankfully, Bellew recovered from the beating he took from the undefeated champion, but it would be the final fight he ever took part in.
After losing to Oleksandr Usyk, Tony Bellew retired from boxing
After losing to Usyk, Bellew determined that enough was enough and that his career was over.
Less than two weeks after the defeat, he took to social media to make an emotional announcement about his career, revealing that he would retire immediately, planning never to box again.
He did admit in the video accompanying the post that he would consider returning if Eddie Hearn offered him a $100 million deal to come back to fighting.
Bellew wrote: “It is time for me to finally leave the ring, the bell has rung for the final time, and I want to thank you all for the support you have given me over the years.
“It is not the end of my story, though, so keep an eye on bomberbellew.co.uk.”
As of July 2025, no offer has been made, and Bellew remains long retired from boxing.