Wayne Bridge has announced his decision to withdraw from his fight with KSI just two days after it was announced, claiming the YouTube star had 'crossed a line'.
The former Chelsea defender, 44, was due to fight KSI in Manchester on March 29, but he announced his withdrawal from the event in a statement posted on Monday.
Bridge's decision came after the social media sensation took a jab at him after Misfits Boxing 20 on Saturday evening, in relation to his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel's alleged affair with John Terry.
Away from the affair scandal that once again became a hot topic following KSI's unexpected outburst, Bridge has led a very different life since hanging up his boots in 2014.
After divorcing Perroncel in 2009, Wayne married singer Frankie Sandford – who found fame in pop group The Saturdays – in 2014.
The couple has two sons together, Parker, born in 2013, and Carter, born in 2015.
Following KSI's tirade aimed at Wayne, Frankie, who has openly admitted to struggling with depression, shares a series of photos to remind herself how hard she has worked with both her mental and physical health.
She said on Instagram: “Today is Blue Monday, so I'm reminding myself of everything I've been working on.”
Away from football's spotlight, Wayne has also chosen to distance himself from previous friends in the sport – none more so than Terry, who he was even neighbors with at one point in a gated community in Surrey while the pair played for Chelsea played.
In the wake of the alleged scandal involving Terry and his ex-girlfriend, Bridge ignored calls – from senior figures in the Manchester City dressing room he was part of at the time – to consider a U-turn on international retirement.
Terry was England captain at the time but was stripped of the armband by then Three Lions manager Fabio Cappello after news of the alleged affair emerged.
Fast forward to 2016, and Bridge was able to become a surprise hit with television audiences across the country after gaining cult hero status thanks to his appearance in the 16th series of reality show I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Bridge enjoyed a deep run in the jungle, finishing in fifth place overall as the ninth person to be eliminated from the show – which was ultimately won by Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt.
Frankie would also later take part, finishing in third place in Series 21 of the UK edition of the show, which was won by actor Danny Miller.
Bridge is also known as an avid poker player, a hobby he started after his friends started playing at his house every month.
In an interview with 888poker in 2017, Bridge described his playing style as “brash”, adding that he doesn't take things too seriously at the table.
He added, “Most of the time I just play with my friends for the get-together and have a laugh. Once I've had a few beers, I'm pretty kamikaze.”
Bridge also made an interesting comment when asked which former footballers he would like to play poker with.
He continued, “I'm not sure what his poker face would look like, but I would love to see Craig Bellamy play.
“His talk around the table would be great and he would get into people's heads. Even just for the sheer banter, Jimmy Bullard would be entertaining.”
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