Tony Bellew reprised the role of ‘Pretty’ Ricky Conlan in the Creed film series for its third instalment.
The former cruiserweight world champion assumed his part in the first film back in 2015, which culminated with a fight in Liverpool against hero, Adonis Creed.
The film’s star, Michael B. Jordan, later revealed that he took a real punch from Bellew during filming. In an episode of The Graham Norton Show, he said:
“We ended up setting up the cameras and I took a real punch. See the crazy thing was, I wasn’t technically ‘knocked out’. But I got hit, went down and the camera panned in. The first time we did it, Tony’s glove was in the way so we didn’t see it – so we had to do it again.
“So we did it the second time, I got hit and I could feel the energy of the studio. I was like, ‘It must have really looked good because everybody is quiet. I was definitely seeing stars, I was not all there, smelling the canvas and everything.”
“But yeah, I took a real punch, it felt like I was in a car accident for like four days afterwards. Tony said he only went 40 per cent.”
Well, fans will be glad to know there there’s no hard feelings between the pair – in fact, they look to be good friends. At the London premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square, Jordan – who also directed the film – interrupted Boxing Social’s interview with Bellew to give him a big hug.
The latest film sees Creed thriving in his boxing career when an old friend is released from prison. Damien – a childhood boxing prodigy – wants what the title character has, and the pair fight in the final act. From the trailer, it seems that Damien fights Bellew’s character, Conlan, on the way there.
The series takes place in the world of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky franchise, however this is the first entry which the Hollywood legend hasn’t been involved with.
The film will be released worldwide on March 3.