Tuesday 12 January 2016 18:42, UK
Tony Bellew is about to hit the red carpet as the latest Rocky movie 'Creed' has its European premiere.
The world cruiserweight contender will join a star-studded line-up, including Golden Globe winner Sylvester Stallone, Michael B Jordan and Tessa Thompson, at The Empire, Leicester Square, London on Tuesday.
Bellew plays 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan, the outspoken rival who takes on Adonis Johnson (Jordan), the son of the late and great Apollo Creed.
Without giving too much away before general release over here in the United Kingdom, we caught up with Bellew ahead of his big-time movie debut...
I'm a bit intimidated by the Smoke but I've got to embrace it this time. I've never been to Leicester Square before. I've certainly never stayed at Claridges, so I've just got to absorb it and enjoy it. I am a little bit nervous because I am going into the unknown, so I don't know what to expect. I don't think they are going to play the Z-Cars theme when I walk down the red carpet, but dreams do come true, so you never know!
Before we actually started filming the movie they went over to Liverpool and they shot the actual crowd first and foremost. It was a Monday night game against West Brom and we started filming the Monday afterwards. They just got shots of a pretty full crowd and the images I saw when I got back were unbelievable. To have a bunch of Scousers singing 'Ali, Ali, Ali' and 'In Roberto We Trust' was unbelievable. The game itself was a boring 0-0 draw if I recall... it could only happen to me.
It's basically a vision the director Ryan Coogler created. It's an amazing stroyline and it really could've been a real story. I wouldn't say it is your typical Rocky movie but it is a very well thought-out storyline with good characters and it is real. Very real.
It is just so well thought-out, from the scenes to the history of the boxing in it, and it also tracks back over the great Rocky films, I, II and III with Apollo Creed in, even to IV and Ivan Drago when he passes away. It takes it to a new level though. In my opinion, it's a new version.
There are three professional boxers in the film and one of them happens to be one of the pound-for-pound best in the world - and I am not talking about me! It is a brilliant movie not just because I am in it, but because I've watched it and heard the news that Sylvester Stallone won his first Golden Globe on Sunday night, that shows how well the film has gone down.
I've seen it twice now. I watched it with the missus, my father and a couple of close friends about a month before my (Mateusz) Masternak fight (on December 12) because the director was adamant I saw it before it was released in America. Then I watched it again last Thursday with my eldest son and it got better the second time.
Spending time away from my missus and my kids, without a shadow of a doubt. I lived in Philapdelphia for 10 weeks and I was there for two weeks prior to Christmas, so in all it was more like 12-13 weeks and it was hard to be away from them. I lived through Facetime and that was so hard.
The day-to-day laugh and jokes we'd do. I have great relationships with Michael B Jordan and Ryan Coogler and I would say they are friends for life and I will stay in touch with them. But it wasn't just the star names, it was the guys on the stunt crew - a kid called Khalid (Ghajji), another called Anthony (Martins) and the main head stuntman Clayton Barber, who made the fight scenes for Blade 1 and 2 and The Bourne Identity. He did our fight. I will stay in touch with those guys. The people I met over there will stay with me forever.
There are three professional boxers in the film and one of them happens to be one of the pound-for-pound best in the world - and I am not talking about me!
I am a people person and I never forget where I'm from and meeting people from different backgrounds, different countries, is what I like. We basically lived in each others' pockets. I was offered an apartment but I wanted to hang out with the stuntmen and the rest of the crew, so I stayed in a hotel for three months. It is a long time but those guys got me through certain days.
Michael B Jordan is an amazing actor and in unbelievable shape. How he got in that shape was beyond me. Us three professional boxers on set - me, Gabriel Rosado and Andre Ward - turned up and he took his top off and put us all to shame. He looked like someone called Adonis should! As boxers, we train and prepare for 12 rounds, not just to look good aesthetically - but he has trained to be aesthetically perfect and he was. A real work of art!
No comment. And if I do have to give an answer... I will plead the fifth.
David Coldwell is one of the best trainers in the world, never mind in England. What I will say about Stallone is that he's an incredible motivator. But Dave is one of the best trainers, end of.
When you get hit by Adonis Stevenson you stay hit. You don't recover from that and at least when Adonis Johnson hit me, I kind of did recover. But when Stevenson hit me that was the end of my days, although it didn't help that I was three stones lighter than I am now.
Definitely Conlan! There's nothing pretty about Tony Bellew! I did not choose the name Pretty Ricky Conlan and I certainly didn't choose the goatee he was wearing in the movie. I was just told to grow a beard and then they would do what they see fit and, let me tell you, they did exactly what they wanted with my face, my look and the only thing I chose was the clothes in the movie because they were my own!
I have been doing anger management classes, as you will see in the movie. What I've done in past press conferences have been great for the media, but not great for me!
I knocked around with Dre, too. Whenever he was on set, we'd speak and he is such a nice, nice person. We got on well and just clicked. I was amazed he actually knew who I was as a boxer because the first thing he said to me was, 'I respect you because you are willing to fight anyone and everyone'. Then he asked how the hell I made light-heavweight!
I am pretty sure if we can get Goodison Park, the whole cast will be there. But first and foremost I am a professional boxer and everyone's got busy times and schedules and they are all making movies. I've got to remember I've not just filmed some two-bit movie, I have been in a Rocky movie with massive stars, so ultimately I would love to have everyone ringside. I'm pretty sure Ryan and MBJ will be there and it would be nice for Sly to take the time out of his busy schedule to be there too.
Ahh, well you have to go and watch the movie! Tune in to the storyline and watch it. All I will say is, people do escape from Alcatraz, so you never know…
Creed will be released in cinemas across the UK on January 15, 2016. Running Time: 133mins Cert: 12A
