Tony Bellew’s Rocky story becomes a reality at Goodison Park on Sunday

This weekend, boxing will stage a scene straight out of the movies - almost literally.

At the start of 2016, UK cinemas welcomed the latest instalment of the Rocky Balboa franchise, Creed, based around the career of the son of famous Rocky rival Apollo Creed. Eyebrows were raised when Britain’s own Tony Bellew, a legitimate boxer, was cast as Creed’s opponent in the film-ending bout.

Not only was a burly Scouse lad from the legitimate side of the boxing/movies crossover picked ahead of a Mr. T or a Hulk Hogan a la the golden years of Rocky (Antonio Tarver, another actual fighter, was in fairness cast for the franchise’s 2006 comeback), but Goodison Park, home of Bellew’s beloved Everton Football Club, joined more familiar boxing venues such as the Las Vegas strip and Philadelphia’s old Spectrum as a Rocky film location.

Bellew’s performance in the film was enjoyable, though of course he was never going to receive an Oscar nomination for essentially portraying a caricatured version of himself. He had certainly done enough to perhaps one day convince other movie producers to bring him on set for a cast-to-type role or two - and maybe Bellew could even end up making the leap once he hangs up the gloves, as Vinnie Jones did after football.

Those gloves, however, are very much in use for the time being. And Bellew, along with promoter Eddie Hearn, has managed to turn a surreal non-boxing scenario into a surreal boxing scenario, as the cruiserweight will attempt to finally become a world champion at the same venue he marched onto for the Hollywood cameras, and the same venue his Toffees perform at in the Premier League.

His opponent for the vacant WBC cruiserweight title, Ilunga Makabu, has stopped 18 of 19 opponents since losing by KO on his debut in 2008. But then, Bellew has never feared a stern challenge. And with such a potential fairytale first world title on the cards, he was unsurprisingly in a confident mood during fight week.

“There’s nothing he can do to beat me,” said Bellew. “Boxing is a brutal sport and he has to make it as brutal as possible but I don’t believe he has the size and structure to do it. He’s going to come in light which will be a bad mistake.
The advantages he usually has in fights are through speed and power - he’s normally faster than his opponents and punches harder than them too. In this fight, I don’t think he’ll have those against me.

“I’ve carried my speed from light heavyweight to cruiserweight, and I don’t think he’s got more power than me. I’ll be the bigger man, I’ll make it show and I am the real cruiserweight. Look at when I am stood next to Johnny Nelson - we’re the same size, and Johnny Nelson was known as a cruiserweight. Well, so am I.

“He’s been put on the floor. I don’t care if it was in his first fight or last fight. Who’s he beaten that’s a world class fighter? If Glen Johnson is his best win then that says a lot to me. I’m his biggest test and he’s mine.”

Bellew’s first crack at a world title didn’t end well, as Adonis Stevenson ended his quest - and his tenure fighting at light-heavy - inside six rounds in Quebec. But the towering Brit has already recovered from the first setback of his career when he avenged his other pro defeat against rival Nathan Cleverly - and now he has the chance to create what would be a career highlight for sure.

Not only that, but after the disappointment endured by season-ticket holders at Goodison this season, it would be a welcome relief for Blues fans if one of their own ended 2015-16 at the ground with a resounding victory.

Bellew may well have stars in his eyes after his brush with the big screen, but even a multi-million pound career in movie appearances wouldn’t soothe the soul of this highly-driven and ambitious competitor if he cannot get the job done on home soil with all eyes on him - and he’ll no doubt use West Ham fan Kevin Mitchell’s heartbreaking loss to Michael Katsidis at Upton Park as motivation to avoid the same fate on Sunday.

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Writing about a boxing event taking place on a Sunday (and actually on Sunday, too - not just a Vegas Saturday night we watch live in the early hours of Sunday) takes some getting used to. However, there’s also a card in Glasgow on Saturday which ensures a jam-packed Bank Holiday weekend for British boxing.

Another hometown Brit, Ricky Burns, headlines against Michele Di Rocco for the vacant WBA super-lightweight title in his quest to become a three-time world titlist in what will hopefully be a highly successful double bill of big domestic main events, particularly at a time when world champions from these shores are really making waves.