By Tony Bellew
Commonwealth light-heavyweight title holder turns writer to break down his pro career so far.
I had become very disillusioned with the amateur game at an international level. The England coach, Terry Edwards, was feeding me utter BS and it came to a head one night when away on duty. I had a go back at him and to cut a long story short I told him to go and f**k himself and that was that!
I was talking to various promoters about a month before this episode anyway. Mick Hennessy put an offer on the table but I was bringing home 30k a year as an amateur and I needed something better than that. I spoke to other guys and to be fair the minute I met Frank Warren I knew he was the man for me. Frank is a very misunderstood man and can deal with people on various levels. He knew a fair bit about me and was very curious in our first meeting to find out what weight I was going to be doing in the pro game - when he started talking I listened.
We spoke about the light heavyweight division lacking and it went from there. We have got on great ever since! I've not wanted for much since I turned pro and that's down to Frank. I knew who I wanted as a trainer straight away, Anthony Farnell was top of my list, a young trainer with an open mind who was willing to always listen and try new things.
From the first day we met me and Arnie got on great, I knew from the first day that it was him who was gonna guide me to where I wanted to get. Although he suggested a week trial I said to him it's not needed after the first day! I told him as long as he was happy with me I would announce that he was my trainer.
I did an interview with my local paper and I remember people saying things like, “Farnell? What does he know?” I just let them have their say and told them he's young and willing to learn and he ain't set in his ways. We were both in it together. He actually knows how hard the game is as he'd been to the top end of the sport. As much as I enjoy winding Arnie up it's simple - the guy could fight! He was tough, could punch and had a level of fitness few could match. He has ingrained this in me!
My training went to new levels under Arnie and I'll be forever in his debt for that alone. He let me know how tough and how prepared you have to be for every pro fight. Any fight could be your last so with that in mind you should prepare for every fight as if it's for a title!
October 6th 2007
I started out on my pro journey against Jamie Ambler, a journeyman who rarely gets stopped; I did him with a 14-punch combination, forcing the ref to jump in. It was an easy fight in all honesty but the event itself was great and Frank made sure I was treated like a star.
I went from there to the Joe Calzaghe Vs Mikkel Kessler bill at the Millennium stadium, fighting a novice in Adam Wilcox. Although he had one fight and one loss he was as game as they come and caught me early while I was napping, this woke me up. I then switched on and stopped him in the third with a lovely right uppercut and body shot - that was the end of him.
Another five weeks went by, I then met my first test on paper, Wayne Brooks, an undefeated fighter like myself, 4-0-1 while I was 2-0. Brooks was telling anyone that would listen that he was going to knock me out. This actually riled me up so I came out hell for leather and ended up knocking him out in the third.
It was a good fight for the fans and got undercard fight of the year from Frank Warren TV users. I enjoyed the fight and enjoyed putting Wayne in his place. I broke his nose and ribs and also cut him. He was in a lot of pain after that fight but to be fair he was a nice guy.
After that I got a break. I had had three fights in three months. I was next out in April 2008 and faced Paul Bonson, a really tough fighter who was known for going rounds. I tried to bingo him with one shot and come close twice but he was tough and did well to take me the four round distance. Paul gave me one of my best compliments after it when he said if it was over six rounds he would have quit and that I was one of the best kids he had ever faced, coming from him that was special.
After Bonson I had Ayitey Powers, a tough puncher who had not long before flattened Cello Renda. The instructions from Arnie were to box and get rounds with no power shots; we were boxing again in eight weeks so I knew I needed to keep my hands healthy.
With that in mind I boxed the head off him and stayed on the move all throughout the fight. The fight was originally due to take place on a Birmingham bill but after it got cancelled Frank got me put on a Frank Maloney bill in Dagenham. Frank didn't want the hard training I had done to go to waste – a great touch by him.
After that I was out again in eight weeks on the big Amir Khan vs. Breidis Prescott bill. My left hand was slightly sore before this fight but I went through with it and iced the usually competitive Hastings Rasani in one round.
I was a floater on the show and had warmed up five times. By the time I got in the ring I was an angry man and took it out on poor Hastings. After the fight, I knew my left hand was a mess - a bad mess! It was broken and I had torn the sheet covering the knuckle. But I had to keep fighting as Christmas was coming and I have a family to provide for.
I was out again four weeks later, this time with a seriously sore hand. I boxed serial survivor Jevgenijs Andrejevs. He was tough and I boxed the head off him in every round until one stupid second were I lost concentration - he attacked, I became flat footed and he hit me on the chest. Referee Steve Gray gave a knockdown and I was embarrassed but hey, I learnt something that night - don't play to the crowd. Always stay switched on. I’m happy this episode happened; I composed myself and won easily on points.
My next fight was another seven weeks away. I had a change of opponent five times, one minute it was a top 10 British fighter, then it was Michael Gbenga, then it was someone else and I finally got a guy called Phil Goodwin who was 4-1 when I faced him and the loss he had suffered was on a cut from a headbutt in a fight he was clearly winning, he was as good as unbeaten.
I swiftly dealt with Phil after dropping him quite heavily with a right hand counter; I jumped on him after the eight count to only drop him again. This time he was counted out and that was that. It was December 12th and I had boxed my last three fights with one hand so it was time for my operation. I was dreading it but know it was needed so I went ahead with it.
I was back in the ring on May 15th 2009, exactly 6 months after my op. Various opponents pulled out and in the end [Frank Warren’s matchmaker] Dean [Powell] worked really hard and got me Matthew Ellis, who is someone I had watched growing up as a child. I remember watching Matthew walking to the ring in a James Bond outfit and having two birds rip it off him!
This was a bit crazy, I was now fighting a guy who has mainly been a heavyweight his whole career. I knew he still had that punch and would be dangerous for the first three rounds, I remember Franks assistants being nervous before the fight. I went out and used my brain and advantages to beat him for two rounds then I started sitting on my shots a little more.
I dropped Ellis with a good right hook to the body at the end of the third only for the bell to save him. He then came out for the fourth round only to be dropped again, this time with a left hook to the mid section! It was all over! I was buzzing as I weighed 12st 7lbs the day before the fight and had to gain serious weight for the fight to go ahead. I gave away a considerable amount of weight that night, I really did. It was also my first scheduled six rounder too.
Then another slight break of 10-12 weeks, as I needed to let the hands heal again. Although this time there were no breaks, thank god, they were quite badly bruised and had needed a rest. I topped my first bill on the DEBRA charity show at the Marriot Hotel in Mayfair London, boxing the ever durable and competitive Nick Okoth in my first eight rounder.
This was my best performance to date; I boxed perfectly and to a plan. Something I felt I hadn't done before. I dropped Nick in every round and took next to nothing in reply. I got great comments off him, he said I’m the hardest puncher that he had ever faced; Nick also added that I hit a lot harder than Denis Lebedev, who had just crushed Enzo Maccarinelli. I was happy to hear I wasn't losing my power.
Six weeks later and Liverpool was about to stage a huge derby fight in the form of Paul Smith Vs Tony Quigley for the British super-middleweight title at the fantastic new Echo Arena. I was chief support really after selling an awful lot of tickets so they wanted to give me a bit of test; this came in the shape of one Jindrich Velecky, a knockout artist from the Czech Republic.
Velecky had 16 wins and 15 were by KO; he was coming off a points loss to world champion Robert Stieglitz. Jindrich had knocked out a guy I had seen over here called Michal Bilak, who fought Paul Smith. Paul broke his hand on Bilak's head and said the guy could hold a shot so when I saw Velecky blow Bilak away in one round in their first fight - well I knew I was in for a fight!
I was really nervous for the first time as a pro. I knew had I to box clever for the first few sessions but when he came at me, I knew it was gonna end quick. I wobbled him with a short left hook to the temple and then went hell for leather at him finally dropping him with a huge right uppercut.
The ref got to eight, at which point I literally sprinted across the ring to smash home two more rights to which the ref saw no point in it carrying on. My biggest test was all over in about 70 odd seconds.
Another seven weeks on and I faced Martial Belle Oleme in Newcastle on the Amir Khan V Dmitriy Salita bill. Once again I had hand problems. I smashed my right hand in the first round with the first major punch I threw. I then boxed through the next six rounds with one hand - I boxed to orders again and won.
This was probably the most boring fight of my short career but it had to be done as the guy was massive and I just couldn't take him out with only one hand. It got that bad I couldn't even block the shots with my right hand. Once again, though, I learned another lesson and I was happy with the result.
Christmas came and went with over 22 pounds in weight gained. Let's just say my family and me had a nice time. I then got the call I was waiting for – A TITLE FIGHT IN LIVERPOOL. I said ‘get me whoever’, everyone knows the situation with people pulling out against me for that date - I ain't gonna give people any more publicity by talking about them here.
All I will say is Frank, Dean and Arnie worked very hard trying to find me an opponent. I ended up fighting Atoli Moore an unbeaten Ghanaian Champion who had represented his country at the 2006 Commonwealth games in Melbourne. I won't say for one minute he was a world beater but he didn't get a chance to show what he was ‘cos I pounced on him and did a job on him - right hand after right hand and that was that. My right must have enjoyed its rest because it was back with a vengeance!
That's my pro life so far. I’m now Commonwealth Champion and 13-0 with 9 by KO. I would like to thank, Frank, Arnie, Dean, my family, Doorsec, CNP and my close friends and supporters. Without them this wouldn't have been possible! All the amateur coaches that have worked with me in the past also deserve big thanks.
Thanks for reading,
Tony ‘Bomber’ Bellew
Link to part one:
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