I'm A Celebrity's Tony Bellew reveals why he retired from his dangerous career in boxing: 'My body stopped me'

I'm A Celeb star Tony Bellew opened up about his boxing career during Monday's episode as he confessed he was unable to physically continue with the sport. 

The 41-year-old is a former WBC cruiserweight champion, who boasts an incredible boxing career after first turning professional in 2007. 

The sportsman went on to land the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title from 2010 until 2014, before he bowed out from the ring with 30 out of 34 wins in 2018, after losing to Oleksandr Usyk.

Speaking to Nella Rose in camp, the YouTuber, 26, asked the fighter why he chose to retire from boxing. 

Opening up about the brutality of the sport, he confessed: 'My body stopped me. It's so dangerous. It's brutal.'

He continued: 'Boxing is the most damaging sport in the world…a professional boxer, it's estimated that he will get hit in the head 50,000 times a year… that's going to catch up with me at some point. 

'I can accept that, I knew it when I got into it… I know what I'm signing up for.'

Talking matter-of-factly he added:  'If tomorrow I go into a coma because of the punches I've took, that's on me. That's no-one else. I'm not suing no-one, it ain't their fault.

'I used to say to my wife, I'm going to get hurt at some point. She would know. You've got to accept.'

Tony has spoken openly about his time in the ring during his jungle experience after he admitted the referee 'saved his life' during his infamous fight against Oleksandr Usyk.

In his final match at the Manchester Arena, Tony looked to get back up after being knocked out by his opponent - but referee Terry O'Connor stopped the fight.

Sam asked: 'What was it like fighting Usyk?'

Tony replied: 'Too hard. Obviously he's amazing. I've fought stronger people, I've fought quicker people, but I've never fought someone like him who has got everything. He works you out.

'He downloads what you do. He's downloading all the data in front of him. It takes him three rounds to do it. With me, it took him eight. And then he does it, he pulled the trigger.

'But I was exhausted, like. I remember everything up until round 7. I don't remember round 8.'

Fred asked: 'Because you were so tired?'

Tony said: 'Yeah.'

Sam asked: 'Does he hit hard or not?'

Tony said: 'No and I was up at six. He didn't knock me clean out… I get up at six, thank god the referee didn't let me because he'd have killed me.'

Tony then admitted the referee's decision to stop the match when he did 'saved his life'.

The Bomber added in the Bush Telegraph: 'The referee literally saved my life. Next shot probably puts me away for good.

'So, boxing at the highest level in the professional business is brutal. My priority was to make it home safe. After that it was to win at all costs.'