Ryan Smart
Former Chelsea and Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge has confirmed he is pulling out of a planned fight against KSI - just two days after agreeing to fight him at a Misfits event.
Bridge appeared at Misfits 20 and had a face-off with KSI after the main event between Darren Till and Anthony Taylor.
It was subsequently announced that the pair would fight at a future Misfits event in what was due to be Bridge's first professional boxing.
But he has taken to Instagram on Monday afternoon to confirm the fight is off, citing 'personal comments' made by KSI in the ring prior to their face-off.
The YouTube star made comments about Bridge's relationship with his former partner and allegations that she had an affair with former Chelsea and England captain John Terry - allegations that she has always denied.
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Bridge wrote on Instagram: "I'm sure a lot of you have seen what happened on Saturday night at the Misfits Boxing event.
"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."
He continued: "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."
Bridge confirmed that he had 'some exciting things coming up in 2025', and thanked his followers for their support.
"Thanks for all the love," he wrote. "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."
More to follow...