Tony Bellew denied fairytale finish as Oleksandr Usyk takes aim at Anthony Joshua

As Tony Bellew discovered on Saturday, the problem with wishing for a fairytale ending is that it can so often end in tears.

Tempted to carry on fighting when the carrot of becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world was dangled in front of him, Bellew briefly threatened to pull off his cunning plan of morphing into the "belt robber" as he dubbed himself at Thursday's pre-fight press conference, with a career-defining performance.

The Liverpudlian enthralled the Manchester crowd for the best part of four rounds in the main event, frustrating the much-feted Oleksandr Usyk at times with his clever tactics and acts of showmanship.

Yet with every passing minute, the hopes of becoming the first British boxer to hold all four world titles in any weight division ebbed away. Usyk barely threw a punch in the opener but moved through the gears as the bout progressed, demonstrating his ruthless streak by systematically picking apart a tiring opponent no longer able to stem the tide.

The end came in the eighth, a right-left combination wobbling Bellew before another in a blink of an eye sent the challenger to the canvas.

It was a chilling knockdown, yet perhaps also a blessed relief. Bellew appeared to be running out of steam and ideas, and the stunning finish spared him from taking excessive punishment down the stretch. He was never going to quit, so the onus was on Usyk to do his opponent a favour by forcing a stoppage.

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Stepping into a crowded heavyweight scene will alleviate the need to watch his waistline while also increasing his earning potential. Joshua is clearly the long-term target, but he may have to be patient to get his wish. There is a quite a queue forming to have a crack at the reigning IBF, WBA and WBO champion.

His English is still a work in progress — even if Bellew insisted to the media it was better than Usyk let on during their media commitments together — but his humbleness and sense of humour, coupled with his undoubted talent, has won over a new audience.

It seems certain Usyk will be back in a British ring before too long - his future looks bright. Bellew, in contrast, is left to reflect on the past, safe in the knowledge he walked away with no regrets.