Tony Bellew ignored wife Rachael Richards’ plea to quit boxing ahead of David Haye rematch as he loves fighting too much
Brit was battered and bruised after beating the ex-world champ David Haye and went up to 17 and a half stone - but can't resist carrying on
TONY BELLEW says he ignored his partner’s pleas to quit boxing because he likes fighting too much.
Bellew finished battered and bruised but victorious when he stopped heavyweight rival David Haye in the 11th round back in March.
The Evertonian will take on two-weight world champion Haye, who wrecked his Achilles heel while fighting Bellew, for a second time at London’s O2 Arena on December 17.
But Bellew says the fight would not be taking place if he’d listened to his wife Rachael Roberts.
He said: “My missus begged me to stop and I was very close to considering it but I like fighting too much.
“After beating Haye I was around 17 and a half stone and I asked myself could I be arsed to get off the weight to fight again.
“But you know what happened? I watched the boxing on the tele and it made me realise that I wasn’t ready to pack it in just yet.
“I was just watching different fights flicking through the tele. I don’t really watch boxing in the house, I don’t have it on because I don’t want the kids seeing it.
“Me? I’m not through with boxing yet, I can’t stop.
“Rachael wasn’t too happy but I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t how much more my body can do.
”I am not aesthetically the best, let’s be honest. I don’t have a six pack or a beach body and all that but I have never believed in all that s***. If you can fight you can fight.
“I can fight.”
Former world cruiserweight champion Bellew’s body has already taken a battering and only a surgeon’s skill has helped keep him boxing.
He added: “My hand was broken after the last fight, that is six times now I have broken bones in my hand. I’ve also fractured the left one clean through and the other fractures have now reached six.
“My right hand was a mess after the Haye fight, it was the size of a balloon in the dressing room.
“And I really don’t how much more my body can do.”
Haye will wear a specially constructed boot to protect his right Achilles when he fights Bellew and has already tried to crank up the mind games.
But Bellew’s do or die attitude was underlined when he sent a text to Haye ahead of their first meeting and he revealed why boxing scares him.
He added: “I sent him a text when the fight was first made saying thanks for the opportunity, I got a reply but that the last time we spoke.
“I still have the another text on my phone that I sent to him and it says: “Understand what you are dealing with because I will never ever quit.
“And that’s why boxing scares me until I have walked to the ring. Then I am ready.
“No matter how bad it gets, no matter how painful it is, no matter what, I will never quit.
“There were a few other words that were private and will stay that way.
“But Haye will have to completely finish me off mate before I quit.”
Londoner Haye insists the two fights against Bellew have made the Everton fan a multi millionaire.
But Bellew also believes Haye’s attempt to come over as Mr Nice Guy is nothing more than a poor con trick, explaining: “I live as if I am potless.
"My missus keeps telling me I can get a nice car but I’ve done up my house and I’ve invested the rest in properties.
“I don’t know where he is getting that I am a multi millionaire from but I got half a million for our last fight and that’s it.
“We were in London to publicise our fight and it was the first time in his whole career he has come into a press conference and been humble.
“He was biting his lip, tapping his leg, he was itching to bite but eventually he slipped up and said last time he did not underestimate me, he said it.
“But I know he doesn’t rate me, he never will and he still can’t believe he lost to me, he says he came into the fight with an injury that he couldn’t do certain things in training.
“But then didn’t we hear he had the best camp ever?
“He is what he is. He is not a nice person but he is a brilliant fighter who needs to remember that I will never quit.”
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