TONY BELLEW RECOVERED from a first-round knock-down to win the vacant WBC cruiserweight world title with a third-round knockout of Ilunga Makabu tonight.
It was a case of third-time-lucky for Everton fan Bellew, after twice coming up short when challenging for light-heavyweight world titles previously.
But Bellew, who acted alongside Sylvester Stallone in the 2015 boxing movie Creed, picked himself off the canvas after a hard first-round knock-down to knock his Congolese opponent out cold in the third at Goodison Park.
The 33-year-old seemed in control of the first round but got caught flat-footed as Makabu landed a straight left hand that sent Bellew down and into a backward roll. He got up and looked unhurt as the bell rang to end the first round before the fight resumed.
Bellew looked tentative at the start of the second but once he started to open up his shots, he had Makabu on the ropes and eventually he landed a left-hand shot in the third that had Makabu unconscious before he hit the canvas.
I got knocked down but that’s what I do,” Bellew told Sky Sports. “I told you I am Everton. That’s why I got up. Nothing was going to stop me tonight.
“I cried in the dressing room two hours ago when I got here. I achieved the dream tonight. I am world champion, that’s what I am.”
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