Liverpool boxer Tony Bellew has revealed he is about to land a starring role in the Rocky spin-off movie ‘Creed’ following his victory over arch rival Nathan Cleverly this weekend .
After gaining his revenge on the Welshman who beat him in 2011 in front of a packed Echo Arena on Saturday night, the Wavertree cruiserweight revealed that he is off to America to conclude negotiations for a part in the film.
Bellew told the Liverpool Echo: “I’ve got an assignment next in Hollywood in December. “I didn’t tell [promoter] Eddie [Hearn] because it wasn’t important, this fight was the only thing that was important. I’ve had a contract sitting in front of me for weeks but I refused to sign it because if this [Cleverly fight] went wrong I wasn’t signing anything, I was going home to be depressed.”
The latest edition to the hugely successful boxing franchise is directed by acclaimed young director Ryan Coogler and it focuses on the grandson of Rocky’s great rival turned training partner, Apollo Creed. Scouser Bellew is lined up to play the part of an opponent ‘Pretty Boy Porter’ alongside Hollywood mega-star Sylvester Stallone, who takes on the role of mentor to the young boxer, Adonis Creed.
After his split decision victory in the tightly-contested bout with Cleverly, Bellew, 31, affectionately known as ‘Bomber’, is now set to travel to the United States in the next couple of weeks and start over 40 days of filming. He added: “I’m close to agreeing to it and I’ve been sought after for quite some time.”
Bellew revealed to the Echo that he nearly rejected the chance after putting the phone down to one of Stallone’s organisational people who was informing him of their interest, because he was in a bad mood after Everton’s 6-3 defeat to Chelsea in August.
The interest in Bellew for the role from director Coogler was sparked by a video which featured an interview with Bellew as he drove around the areas of Liverpool he grew up in.