'Crossed a line' - Ex-Chelsea star Wayne Bridge confirms he's pulled out of fight with Youtuber KSI after 'deeply personal' John Terry jibe

Bridge, a former Chelsea and Manchester City defender, had signed up to fight JJ Olatunji a.k.a. KSI in Manchester on March 29, and he went into the ring at a Misfits Boxing night on Sunday while KSI cut a promo for a face-off between them. However, the YouTuber then taunted Bridge for his ex-girlfriend Veronica Perroncell's alleged affair with his former Chelsea teammate Terry.

After the comment, Bridge warned KSI twice, however, the 31-year-old YouTuber continued to taunt the former Three Lions defender which then turned into a shoving match before the security had to step in. On Monday afternoon, Bridge released a statement on his Instagram to announce that he was pulling out of the boxing clash due to the 'deeply personal' jibes made during the promo.

On Instagram, Bridge wrote: "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.

"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. I will no longer be fighting on March 29.

"I'm still looking out for my next big challenge and have some exciting things coming up in 2025. Thanks for all the love. 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."

The boxing clash is now set to be cancelled by the promoters despite the clash being only seven days away and it is possible that KSI may look for a different opposition to replace Bridge so as to not lose out on the proceedings that they were set to receive from the match.