Life imitated art when Tony Bellew sensationally poleaxed the heavily favored Ilunga Makabu in three brutal rounds at Goodison Park soccer stadium in Liverpool, England, to secure the vacant WBC cruiserweight title.

And the curse of the Rocky movie franchise was laid to rest.

The late Tommy Morrison failed to live up to the hype post-Rocky V and Antonio Tarver’s split decision win over Balboa was probably one of the former light heavyweight champ’s most memorable victories since his appearance in the sixth installment. However, Creed co-star Tony Bellew kicked open the door to the big time at 200 pounds and this was better than any Hollywood script.

“It just feels like a dream and I can’t get my head around it,” said a sleep-deprived Bellew less than 12 hours after his career-best performance. “My coach (Dave Coldwell) said to me before we left the dressing room that he had a feeling Makabu would go against the norm and start fast which is exactly what happened.

“I always say though, look out for the reaction on my opponent’s face the first time I hit them and it happened again last night. Makabu had a look on his face like, ‘How is this fat kid hitting me and making me feel like this?’ That has been the case with every man I’ve ever hit cleanly; amateur and pro.”

After bossing most of the action in Round 1 it was Bellew who hit the canvas at the bell. Perhaps guilty of admiring his own work, the Englishman backed off in a straight line and was nailed by a sharp left cross from the South African lefty. Bellew wasn’t hurt in the traditional sense, but his nose was broken and he was two points down.

Dave Coldwell, one of Britain’s finest trainers, has looked after Bellew since his ascent into cruiserweight waters in 2014. This reporter asked the affable 40 year old if his heart was in his mouth when Bellew got nailed.

“Yes and no,” said Coldwell. “I’m pretty calm in the corner when things go wrong and it’s important not to lose your cool because you have to think clearly. When Tony came back to the corner, I told him that he’d been greedy because we’d discussed what Makabu does. You can hit him but he sort of lulls you in and tricks you into opening up before popping you with sharp counters.”

Bellew recovered, boxed well in the second frame and re-established his comfort levels but nobody could have foresaw what happened next. A perfect left hook counter in the third buzzed Makabu badly and it was his turn to retreat. Bellew pursued the visitor like a sniffer dog, bashing home countless rights before the opening he was waiting for presented itself. His vaunted left hook only had to speak once and the lights were turned out.

“He just gave me too much clear target,” confirmed the 33-year-old titleholder. “It doesn’t matter what round we’re in, I can hurt someone in any round. I know he had the reputation of having a cast iron chin but I watched his fight with Thabiso Mchunu and I could tell that Mchunu was hurting him, but he couldn’t capitalize.

“I just knew he was hurt. I hit him with a short left hook which you don’t see too clearly because of the angle it was shot at, but it rocked his brain and he went on the back foot. Makabu never goes on the back foot; he stays in the pocket and moves his head, so I knew I had to seize the moment.”

Upon viewing the fight, this reporter initially felt that Bellew was unloading too many punches and risked a burn out. That’s why writers should stick to writing.

Coldwell said, “A lot of people don’t think Tony trains hard because he’s not the body beautiful but I know how fit he is. Tony is capable of launching assaults like that for 12 rounds, so I told him I was okay with a tear up providing he didn’t load up on every shot. It was important to let the punches flow and that’s what he did.

“In terms of his decision to go for the finish; Tony was the one looking into Makabu’s eyes and he knew how hurt he was. He’s just said to himself, ‘You’re gone mate’. That’s part of being a professional and you have to be smart in order to pick that moment. I told him not to empty his tank unless he knew it was time because then he would be in trouble.”

Makabu (19-2, 18 KOs) was favored to win this contest but he did seem to be reading his own press clippings during the buildup. The talented 28-year-old South African had mocked Bellew’s punching power on social media and that turned out to be a colossal oversight.

“I had massive respect for Makabu before the fight but I’m not going to show him that because he’d see it as weakness,” revealed Bellew. “Afterwards, I told him that I admire him and that I believe he’ll be a world champion one day but I also told him that he underestimated me.

“I knew all the way through camp that he was writing me off and you can actually see him smile when he knocks me down in the first round. He thought it was going to be a walk in the park and now he has egg on his face. All we had to do was get him into an exchange.

Bellew, now in full flow, continued, “People have got to understand that I’m one of the biggest punching cruiserweights in the world. I’m one of the biggest punchers, pound-for-pound, in any weight class and people can laugh but it’s a fact. Ultimately, I’m the best cruiserweight on the planet right now and there’s no ifs or buts about it. I am WBC champion and I have conquered the world.”

It is indeed a story book ending for Bellew, his family and the boxing-mad city of Liverpool. However, it was also a defining moment in the career of Coldwell who has the sport of boxing in his marrow. He is a former professional, a manager and a promoter but his real gift is teaching and he insisted on thanking one man for seeking him out.

Coldwell recalls, “I quit being a coach when Ryan Rhodes retired and then Tony contacted me after his fight with (Adonis) Stevenson. He was the one that brought me back and I owe all this, as well as the success I’ve had with Jamie and Gavin McDonnell, to him. None of this would have happened without Tony Bellew.

“I can’t express what last night meant to me. I mean, Tony totally lost his s__t in the ring afterwards and that showed just how much it means to the kid. He’s been at that (soccer) ground since he was a little boy and to win a world title there when so many people said he wasn’t good enough to even fight for one. What a win and what a night.”

So, in closing, it was appropriate to give the final bow to the cruiserweight man of the moment and, as always, “The Bomber” was not a loss for words in summing up his feelings. This time, however, there was tenderness from the doting father of two who has now fulfilled his life’s work.

“The relief is unbelievable,” said an emotional Bellew. “I didn’t get caught up in the moment and I refused to let the whole Goodison Park occasion consume me. The only time I got emotional is when I walked out on the pitch and heard my son shouting ‘Dad’. I’ve never let him go to fights and seeing his little face just broke my heart.

“It’s okay at amateur shows, but I don’t think a professional boxing match is a place for children because people can get hurt. But I just had to let him come to this one and even then, I wasn’t meant to see him. It was just unbelievable to see his face and know he was there to watch his dad.”

Tom Gray is a member of the British Boxing Writers’ Association and has contributed to various publications. Follow him on Twitter: @Tom_Gray_Boxing

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