Glenn McCrory credits Tony Bellew for fighting through sickness

Glenn McCrory credits Tony Bellew for fighting on Friday despite sickness - and looks back on his own injury nightmares.

It's got to be pretty bad for a fighter to pull out. 

You're not just thinking of yourself. You've sold tickets. The promoter's depending on you and he's booked opponents and flights. I would never condone a fighter pulling out with illness or a niggle.

In the boxing game, if fighters pulled out every time they had flu or a niggle, nobody would ever have a fight. We're in the fight game and there's a level of toughness required just to be in it. You're going to have nicks, bruises, bumps around your eyes and bad hands because you're sparring in preparation day-in, day-out.

For example, just to give you an idea of how a fighter thinks. I sparred with heavyweight Noel Quarless ahead of my first Commonwealth cruiserweight title fight against Chisanda Mutti. About three and a half weeks before the fight I hit him with a left hook to the body and badly dislocated my thumb.

At hospital, I got it set and they put a plaster cast on it. That plaster cast was due to come off on September 15. I won the Commonwealth title on September 4.

That's not recommended by any means but as a youngster, it might have been the only chance I got and it meant so much to me. I trained with the cast on, all my shadow boxing but no sparring, and the first time I threw a punch without the cast was actually in the fight.

That's what it means to fighters. They might never get opportunities again so you'll find they take risks - it's the nature of our sport.

Sometimes it works against you. One of my regrets is fighting Jeff Lampkin when I couldn't do the weight sensibly. It got made at five weeks' notice and I was the champion. They boiled me like a chicken and to this day, even though I might have been stripped, I wish I'd said I couldn't fight.

I lost the fight to a body punch and I never got hurt by body punches. I was in the ring with Mike Tyson for 96 rounds and still nobody ever hurt me with a body shot!

In the event, I lost the fight to a body punch and I never got hurt by body punches. I was in the ring with Mike Tyson for 96 rounds and still nobody ever hurt me with a body shot!

As a fighter, you'll always want to fight and it's got to be a brave trainer that pulls them out if the injury's too bad. He should make the decision and speak to the promoter.

Dave Coldwell had obviously thought of that. They realised he hadn't been in fine fettle but that he was improving, they looked at the opponent and thought: even ill, Tony Bellew is good enough to beat this guy.

You could tell there was something wrong because he didn't go up through the gears. He stayed at one pace and I was thinking he needed to get him out of there but he didn't do that until the last round when he knew the finish line was in sight.

We also saw Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding win. They were very different victories.

We know what Callum Smith can do and we know he has the tools but I think Rocky Fielding stole the show because on paper, it looked like he might have to come through some tough periods to grind out a points win.

That was never the case. Rocky battered him. His timing was great and he's a vastly improved fighter. I'd love to see Fielding take on Smith because a while ago you'd have picked Smith but now it's a real tough call. A true 50-50 fight.

Why should they take different routes and go for different world titles? I'm one for finding out who the best in Liverpool is first. I like the idea of being the best where you're from, then the best in Britain, then the Commonwealth, then Europe and then the world, working your way up.

If I had a rival in the same city or country, I'd have to fight him. If there was a cruiserweight in Newcastle saying he was better than me, I'd have to settle it. I would want to make sure that nobody from my city had the right to say they were better than me.

I'd like to see Smith v Fielding for a British title as a world title eliminator. It'd be a shame for Smith if he doesn't do it because all his brothers have done it and what a statement that would be - four brothers all as British champions. Their parents would have a belt for every wall of the dining room! Those boys have achieved fabulous things.

Also, Martin Murray is world class. He's big for the weight and certainly looks strong enough while bringing the speed from middleweight. He's going to be right in the mix because he's such a big kid.

When you've been in with Gennady Golovkin, Felix Sturm and Sergio Martinez, you're proven. He needed an introduction in to super-middleweight but he doesn't have to go for the British title because he's done all that.

You wouldn't argue if he got a world title shot. He deserves one.