Tony Bellew produced one of British boxing’s most dramatic title victories on 29 May 2016, rising from the canvas to stop the fearsome Ilunga Makabu in the third round at a packed Goodison Park, Liverpool, to claim the vacant WBC cruiserweight championship.

The Liverpudlian had arrived at his beloved Everton Football Club carrying the hopes of an entire city on his shoulders, and what followed was a rollercoaster of raw emotion that those fortunate enough to witness it will carry with them for years to come.

Bellew came into the contest off the back of a solid points victory over Mateusz Mastanak in December 2015 at The O2 Arena in London, where he captured the European cruiserweight title. That performance had sharpened him ahead of this far bigger challenge, yet nothing could have prepared either fighter or spectator for the drama that was about to unfold.

Makabu, the hard-hitting Congolese southpaw, arrived in Merseyside with a record of 19 wins from 20 bouts, 18 of those victories coming by way of stoppage. His only professional defeat had come on debut back in 2008, and since then he had bulldozed through every opponent placed in front of him. He was installed as a firm favourite, and for good reason.

The opening round appeared to confirm all the pre-fight predictions. Makabu caught Bellew cleanly and sent the challenger crashing to the canvas. For a brief, agonising moment, it appeared the home crowd’s dreams might be extinguished before they had truly been ignited. Yet Bellew clawed himself upright, steadied his legs and survived the session.

What followed across the second and third rounds was a testament to the Scouser’s resilience and ring intelligence. Trained by Dave Coldwell, Bellew had arrived with a carefully constructed blueprint — use his height advantage, keep active with the jab, and avoid trading carelessly with a man whose punching power was among the most feared in the division.

The turnaround, when it came, was breathtaking. Bellew found his rhythm, began timing his shots with growing precision, and in the third round uncorked a combination that sent Makabu stumbling. The challenger pressed his advantage without mercy, pouring forward until the referee had seen enough. The time of stoppage was 1:20 of round three.

Goodison Park simply erupted. Thousands of supporters who had dared to believe witnessed something that no Hollywood scriptwriter could have dreamed up more convincingly. Bellew had not simply won; he had done so against significant odds and after absorbing one of boxing’s great early-round scares.

In a passionate and heartfelt post-fight interview, the new champion paid tribute to trainer Coldwell, his family, and Everton chairman Bill Kenwright for staging the event at the ground that means everything to him. He declared himself the finest cruiserweight on the planet and challenged the division to come and take his belt.

In a contest for the ages, Tony Bellew and Ilunga Makabu delivered a night that cemented Goodison Park’s place in British boxing folklore, with the Merseysider etching his name into the sport’s history as a world champion at long last.