Promoter Eddie Hearn has disclosed the risks Tony Bellew took when he signed up with him to get where he is today ahead of what is expected to be his final fight on Saturday against Cruiserweight king Usyk.
Boxing can often look like there is more money in it that it is from the outside.
The glitz and glamor exhibited to the public often hides the crazy financial and not including health risks boxers take in their professional careers, time and time again.
Tony Bellew knows all about it.
Bellew secured himself financially in his last two pay per view fights against David Haye but not long before that things were not very rosy, even after becoming a world champion.
Speaking to Kugan Cassius of IFL TV, his promoter Eddie Hearn candidly disclosed:
“I remember when he fought for the European title against Danny McIntosh at the Echo Arena. Me and Dave Coldwell co-promoted that show. We (only) sold about 1000 tickets in the Echo Arena! We done (lost) about 90 grand on the show which now you’d just roll with and onto the next week. But at the time me and Dave Coldwell went halves on the show and it nearly financially crippled Dave Coldwell, and I were not too over the moon with it either because at that time we were touching the water of boxing. Dave stood up, he paid his money, we did that show, and Bellew knocked Danny McIntosh out to win the European title.”
He went on to say:
“Tony was boxing for like 30, 40 or 50 grand. Even when he was boxing against Masternak, this was at a time and he won’t mind me going into those numbers, this is a very honest interview, I shouldn’t really be talking about them. But at the time, 50, 60, 70, 80 grand was a lot of money in boxing. you know. He (Bellew) got I think 80 or 90 grand to fight Masternak for the European title on the Joshua vs Whyte undercard. That fight was an absolute war. That fight was probably the make or break for Tony Bellew – for that kind of money.”
On Saturday night Tony Bellew will bid to close the story on an incredible career against Oleksandr Usyk.
