Less than two days after facing off with KSI, Wayne Bridge has decided to take a step back from the pair’s planned fight.
The duo had signed up to compete on March 29, and had a WWE-style first face-off on Saturday night during Misfits Boxing’s show in Manchester. The 44-year-old soccer sensation emerged from ringside to challenge his YouTuber rival looking bemused as they headed for a face-off.
But within seconds, KSI had stooped to mocking Bridge for a personal issue that had occured between his wife and former teammate John Terry during his playing days. And now, Bridge has opted to skip the controersial fight altogether.
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KSI vs Wayne Bridge cancelled after two days
On Saturday night, Darren Till made an explosive entry into the Misfits Boxing world as he viciously knocked out Anthony Taylor in the main event. He had been due to face Tommy Fury, but the Love Islander pulled out over fears that he would be kicked if the fight got away from ex-UFC star Till.
But before the main event, arguably the biggest news story of the night came when promotional boss KSI announced his own return to the ring moments before the main event. He underwent a painfully cringe skit before settling on Premier League winner Wayne Bridge as his next opponent.
The pair faced-off and immediately KSI went to mocking Bridge for an alleged affair that his ex-wife had with his Chelsea and England teammate John Terry. The veracity of the rumour is unclear years later, but it was clearly enough to offend the soccer star as he has opted out of fighting on March 29.
Wayne Bridge’s statement in full as he pulls out of KSI fight
“I’m sure a lot of you have seen what happened on Saturday night at the Misfits Boxing event,” Bridge wrote in a lengthy statement on his Instagram story. “Firstly, I think it’s important that I explain my reason for accepting the fight. I always like to challenge myself.
“This felt like a good opportunity to go up against an interesting opponent on a big stage. I have always loved boxing as part of my everyday training routine. I was fully prepared to train hard and have some fun. Of course, I expected to face some criticism, but I feel like what was said on Saturday crossed a line.
“These are deeply personal comments that affect mine and other families involved in the situation. I’m a family man first and my priority is protecting them. My opponent is someone that many children look up to around the world, including my kids.
“I hope one day he will look back on this differently. I personally don’t want to be involved in these exchanges. I will no longer be fighting on 29th March. I’m still looking out for my next big challenge and have some exciting things coming up in 2025.
“Thanks for all the love. The support has been overwhelming. I want my friends and family to know how special they are. Deep down I know this is the right thing to do.”
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