Wayne Bridge pulls out of KSI fight after mockery âcrossed a lineâ
The pair were due to step into the ring on March 29.
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Ex-England football player Wayne Bridge has pulled out of an upcoming boxing match with KSI, two days after the YouTuber made âdeeply personalâ comments which âcrossed a lineâ.
The pair, who were due to step into the ring on March 29, went face to face on Saturday night at Misfits 20 where KSI made comments about Bridgeâs former partner â who had an alleged affair with his ex-teammate John Terry.
âIâm sure a lot of you have seen what happened on Saturday night at the Misfits Boxing event,â Bridge, who is married to The Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge, wrote on his Instagram story.
Frankie and Wayne Bridge (Ian West/PA)
PA Archive
âOf course, I expected to face some criticism, but I feel like what was said on Saturday crossed a line.
âThese are deeply personal comments that affect mine and other families involved in the situation.
âIâm a family man first and my priority is protecting them.â
In 2010, the alleged affair between ex-England captain Terry and Bridgeâs former partner Vanessa Perroncel â with whom he shares a son â hit the headlines.
Bridge later married Frankie in a 2014 ceremony, before welcoming two more sons into their family.
Vanessa Perroncel (Tim Ireland/PA)
PA Archive
âMy opponent is someone that many children look up to around the world, including my kids,â Bridge wrote of KSI.
âI hope one day he will look back on this differently. I personally donât want to be involved in these exchanges.â
Former Chelsea and Manchester City footballer Bridge retired from football in 2014, fighting TV star Spencer Matthews in a charity match for Sport Relief in 2018.
While KSI, whose real name is Olajide William Olatunji, has fought several times â including losing against Love Island star Tommy Fury in 2023.
Bridge confirmed he is âstill looking out for my next big challengeâ and described the support for him as âoverwhelmingâ.
âI want my friends and family to know how special they are.
âDeep down I know this is the right thing to do,â he concluded of pulling out of the fight.
A representative for KSI has been contacted for comment.