Tony Bellew reveals how David Haye payday changed his life

The former world champion revealed on I’m a Celebrity how the rivalry secured financial security following his career in the ring

Tony Bellew has revealed how fighting David Haye for the first time was worth four times his entire career prize money after enduring financial difficulties earlier in his career.

The Liverpudlian, who made his debut on I’m a Celebrity Thursday, admitted he lived “fight to fight” despite winning the cruiserweight world championship.

The 40-year-old detailed how defeating Haye twice, before a loss to former undisputed cruiserweight champion and current unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk, changed his life and secured his family financially.

Asked by This Morning presenter Josie Gibson about his favourite fight, Bellew highlighted his crushing victory over Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park, the home of his beloved Everton, to win the WBC crown in 2016.

But despite achieving “a lifelong dream,” Bellew detailed how the Haye fights changed everything. ‘The Bomber’ reportedly earned a minimum £2.5m for his first fight with Haye and then the same figure for the rematch, with pay-per-view sales topping up the final figure.

Tony Bellew on I’m a Celebrity (ITV)

He said: “We were in the kitchen and my missus said, ‘That it now then, that’s you done?’ And I believe that a man should go out and provide for his family, probably everyone doesn’t agree with this or like it anymore. I go out and work and I try to give them the best I can.

"She said, ‘What do you mean?’ I said, ‘We’re so far away from financial security.’ We were basically f***ing skint."

"I had a big, heavy, heavy mortgage. I shouldn’t say skint, but I was living on fight to fight. I wasn’t comfortable.

“I defended my world title and I made okay money. After I defended the world title I’d just won, I fought David Haye, that one fight was four times my whole career combined in one night. The next time I fought him again, I doubled it again, then I fought Usyk for the last one, I doubled it again. I was very fortunate.

Bellew then revealed he is on good terms with his former rival Haye: “Me and David get on these days. I’ve fought David twice and beaten him twice, but he’s a far better fighter than me.”

Tony Bellew celebrates defeating David Haye (Getty Images)