Former champion boxer and Creed movie star Tony Bellew recently sat down with Ted Lawlor on behalf of Crowns Gym Beckenham for an insightful conversation about the power of the mind in achieving success.
From his boxing career to his journey beyond the ring, Tony shared invaluable lessons on mental resilience, dedication, and managing stress, offering advice that extends far beyond sports.
Q: Are there any unique methods that you use in your training (visualisation, hypnosis, breathwork, etc) or was you just old school ‘Rocky’ style?
A: I’ve been made aware of some of the techniques that people used later on. When I was fighting I just believed that the harder I work, the luckier I’m gonna get. So everything was about the work I put in.
I’d over train most of the time and I’d push myself to the limit that I know could not be replicated in a fight. So I would work so hard in the gym, like I’ve got nothing. I’m walking to ring, I’m relaxed, I’m calm, I’ve got nothing to worry about, I’ve left no stone unturned. If this guy beats me, it’s just purely because he’s better than me. I can’t be in any better shape. I’ve pushed myself to the absolute limit and I’ve given everything I can and I walk to the ring every single time with that in my mind.
I was confident enough in my ability in my boxing that it would get me through. I think the next part of it is, you know, are you fit enough? Are you strong enough? I know deep down I’m good enough, but, you know, it’s then ticking them boxes.acan I outwork him? Have I done more than him? Has he worked harder than me? Because ultimately it will show, that’s the most important thing.
Q: You’ve done it all. You’ve fought at the highest level, you’ve fought at your favourite stadium. So, what would your advice be for the young athletes that want to have a career that has longevity?
A: For longevity, I had an exit strategy. The exit strategy was a property portfolio, different things. I’ve always been comfortable talking about boxing, it’s the only thing in the world I truly know and understand. I can’t be tripped up. I’m not gonna make a mistake. There’s nothing I don’t really know about boxing, so I put my heart and soul into it.
The things that have come since then, did I anticipate them? I’ll be lying if I told you yeah because I didn’t think I was gonna be on the TV, I never ever saw myself being in a Rocky movie. So I didn’t foresee those things, but I worked hard.
I don’t take much time off, I just keep working.I want to win, whatever I’m doing. If I’m getting up a little bit early then I thought I was going to – I’m winning. This morning I’ve got up and trained. I’ve done 45 minutes on the peloton bike and I’ve done 16.15 miles in 45 minutes. Now, I didn’t envision getting to that today, I don’t know how I’m gonna beat it in the upcoming weeks. The best I’ve been at recently is like 16 miles or 15.96, but I’m gonna keep striving to be better and I just carry that through life. I’ll just keep pushing and pushing and pushing and what will be, will be – as long as I’m pushing and winning, I’m happy.
Q: Tell us more about the exit strategy you had.
A: The exit strategy I knew before I got into professional boxing. My first son was born before I was in professional boxing, so before I turned one pro I’ve got one son already so I’ve got to have that plan in place.
I’ve always thought I’m gonna die young. I don’t know why I think that, it might be the upbringing I’ve had, the place I’m from, the things you see, the jobs I’ve done…But I had to have something in place to make sure them kids were looked after. My kids are the most important thing in my whole life, they didn’t ask to be born, I put them here – so they’re my responsibility. That exit strategy was based around them and as you can see, from turning pro, I was buying houses, I was doing different things and that exit strategy is what kept me on the straight and narrow, and them kids have kept me sane.
Q: As a Boxer, you must experience a lost of stressful scenarios, how do you stay stress free?
A: I’m not sure stress free, I’ve got stress every day. I’ve got four kids and a wife. I’m stressed out every day. But I don’t let things affect me that I can’t change, I’m not gonna get stressed out over things I can’t change or manipulate. So, if I can make a difference, if I can make a change, then they’re the things that will kind of stress me out sometimes, but if I can’t change this in any way, shape or form, I ain’t getting stressed out. There’s nothing I can do.
That took me a long time to master that, because I used to get stressed out over people’s opinions of me. I used to get stressed out of ‘what does this guy think?’, ‘what does that guy think?’, ‘am I doing enough here?’, ‘am I doing enough there?’.
When you soon realise that I’m giving more than enough, because I’m giving 110% to everything that I do and really, I don’t give a sh*t about what that person thinks, all I care about is that I’m doing the right things, being true to myself, and giving these kids a good example – that’s the most important thing. My kids see me give everything I do 110%, I’ve never quit anything in my entire life, as long as I can keep them values and keep all of them strong, I’ll do ok.
Q: Is there anything you wish you would have known at an earlier stage? Anything that you reflect on, something as simple as going down a specific route with the belts, for example?
A: I have no regrets from a boxing side. People don’t like me saying this, especially people that know boxing, but I over-achieved because I gave boxing every single thing I have. I couldn’t have achieved anymore.
I’ve been a British, Commonwealth, European and WBC world champion. I fought for all the belts in one night. I fought for the Undisputed title, I lost, but I gave the best accounts I can give, I just lost to someone better than me. So I have no regrets from that perspective.
If I could have put an old head on young shoulders, as a kid growing up, you leave school, you’re expelled from school permanently for fighting, you’ve got no qualifications…for someone like me who’s thrown out of school, I wish I knew about the f*cking tax system in this country because I would have left the first minute I got, but you live and you learn.
From where I come from, the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor, it’s impossible to create generational wealth when you come from where I’ve come from – impossible.
I’ve earned a lot of money, an absolute fortune, and when you’re into double digit millions, you know you’ve done well..but I still can’t create generational wealth for my family and kids – which is absolute insanity. Considering what I’ve done, considering the levels I’ve been to, my kids are gonna be good but their kids are gonna have to start where I started. That’s harder than it when you think where you’ve got to. It frightens you, but this is the country that we live in.
Q: What’s the worst advice you’ve ever got?
A: Boxing’s the only professional sport in the world, where a fella can walk in, pick up a set of pads, say he’s a professional boxing coach without getting one qualification or any experience at all.
It’s truly frightening, it’s full of fraudsters, it’s full of fakes, it’s full of phonies.
The best advice I would give as a fighter, I’ll tell then just to live it, you can’t cheat the grind, you you can’t cheat it, just live it. This isn’t a sport, this isn’t a hobby, it’s not even a business, it’s a way of life. If you wanna get to the highest levels, you have to want it more than anyone else wants it.
For me, that’s why I achieve what I achieved. I went too far, if I’m being totally honest, I put boxing before me wife, before my kids, before anything. Because I had this dream as a 15 year old kid to one day become WBC World Champion. If it weren’t for David Haye, I’d still be fighting now 100%.
I wish I could have just retired the night I won the WBC belt, but you’re so far away from financial security, you can’t retire, you gotta keep going. So when the financial security came, I then realized I just like fighting, but I wish I could’ve stopped after Goodison Park.
Boxing’s a crazy game, it’s tough, it’s really difficult, but if you can control that extra stress, you put it in place at the right time, you’ll get out okay. I suggest that to all fighters, fighters who I’ve managed, I’ve looked after lads, I’ve not took a penny, they’ve earned hundreds and hundreds of thousands and all I’ve told them is pass on what I’m teaching you. So I hope the fighters that have done that will pass it on. Not everything’s about money and people will soon realise that you can have all the money in the world you want, it’s not gonna make you happy.
Q: This question is from a company called DRTY South, a big supporter of ours: ‘How good was Usyk in terms of how we all perceive him?’.
A: better than my words can tell you. He’s that good. I have no explanation about how he downloads what you do and use it against you. Might have took him 8 rounds, but he f*cking done it.
I’ve watched it back, I’m ahead at the end of round 7, I’m ahead on the cards, I’m ahead on two cards and I’m drawing on the Ukrainian judge’s scorecard and then he just turns the switch and that’s what he does. He turns the switch and he turns into someone else. He’s the best I ever faced. I’ve sparred with Cubans, I’ve fought Russians, I’ve beat Americans. No one gets close to him. He’s on another level.
Q: Do you think Usyk has got much more to go on and do?
A: I’m not sure how much he’s got left to give, to be fair. His body’s tired now, you can see it, but his brain’s on another level. I don’t think his body’s packed up on him yet, but he’s running the risk now with these last couple of fights. I hope he walks away soon.
I interviewed him a while back, he’s a diamond. It’s even worse when someone’s an absolutely great fellow and knocks the f*ck out of you as well. I wish he was a twat, but he’s not, he’s a diamond. He’s a lovely fella and he’s the best fighter I’ve ever faced. He’ll go down as one of the all time greats.
Q: This question is from Clide Delaney, co-founder of Crown Gym. Having featured in Creed, were there any action stars that you looked up to when you were younger?
A: I love Rambo. I know Sly, so he’s cool, he’s a good guy. I loved Rambo, being a kid who likes violence, guns and shooting.
Rocky’s played a pivotal role in my life, not just literally as a kid growing up but I’ve been in the movie, in Creed. Michael B Jordan is a good friend of mine, and Ryan Coogler will always be a close friend of the family. So, yeah amazing films, I love movies, I never envisioned that I’d end up in a Rocky movie or a Creed movie, but I did, it worked out well, and let’s hope there’s more on the table.
Q: What’s your soundtrack when you’re going to the gym?
A: The Rocky soundtrack is so far detached, but listen, when I go running, the Russian anthem song will always be on (when Rocky is training to face the Russian) of course you’ll have that on the playlist at some point. When you need to get that last bit of graft out of your body, whether you’re in the gym or on a run, it’s fantastic music – it’s inspiring. But for me, I’m more of a rap kid, ‘f*ck this’ and ‘smash that’, that’s the way I was raised.